Source - http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2009022357600200.htm&date=2009/02/23/&prd=th&;
Imagine if one of the best actors, finest poets and music composers came together for a live show in the city. In one such exotic blend, Kamal Haasan, Vairamuthu and faculty and students of A.R.Rahman's K.M. Music Conservatory will be part of a rather special show in the city on Wednesday. The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai is organising this show to mark the visit of Martin Luther King III, who will arrive here on Tuesday. He is in India to commemorate his parents' historic journey to the country five decades ago. Kamal Haasan will recite the historic `I Have A Dream' speech made by Martin Luther King Jr. at Washington D.C. "Being inspired by Gandhi, it is not surprising that Martin Luther King evangelised people into freedom," he told The Hindu on Sunday. Stressing the power of the mass leader's message in the celebrated oration, the actor said: "For me, it is an ideological necessity to be part of this event." "People say I am not political. I am political, this is my politics. This is the kind of politics that does not work out at the polling booth, but one that belongs to the battle ground," Mr. Haasan added. Describing the event as a "family reunion of sorts," he said: "It is like cousins and members of a family meeting after a long time. It is a shared family!" Poet Vairamuthu has composed a poem especially for the evening. "This is a very important occasion. At a time when the entire world is seeking peace, this visit of Martin Luther King III is very significant," he said. Terming the prevalent terrorism as a "tsunami" and a Damocles' sword hanging above the earth, he said the central idea of his poem was world peace. "The younger generation does not know all that much about Martin Luther King. Through this poem, I will make them realise the man he was," said Mr. Vairamuthu, who has described the leader as `Karuppu Mahatma' in his poem. K.M. Music Conservatory, amidst all the anxiety on the eve of the Oscars, is buzzing with activity, with the students and faculty rehearsing for the big evening. They will begin their performance with the instrumental rendition of the Bombay theme followed by the world-famous `Jai Ho .' "We are also performing Gandhiji and King's favourite numbers `Vaishnava Janato ' and `We shall overcome.' We present `Vaishnava Janato' in a new form, with a strong Indian flavour interspersed with western harmonies. It has been composed by Palghat Sriram," said T. Selva Kumar, managing director of K.M. "Rahman is trying his best to make it for the final rehearsal. The entire team has been practising for the last two weeks," he added. The evening's show is for an invited audience.
