There are some nights you plan weeks in advance, and then there are nights that somehow become unforgettable without even trying. Last night’s Rangreza रंगरेज़ा performance at Meridian Hall was the latter. I went with a small group of friends—each of us with different tastes in music, different moods, different weeks behind us—and somehow we all walked out feeling the same thing: lit up from the inside.
We knew we were going to something special. After all, this was AR Rahman’s first-ever large-scale orchestral live show in North America. But none of us expected the kind of emotional kaleidoscope the night would turn into.
When Rahman and Rushil Ranjan stepped into the orchestra—literally performing from within it—it felt like the whole hall leaned in. The show was described as a bold new work weaving Eastern and Western classical traditions and seeing the two composers anchor the performance from inside the ensemble made that idea feel real and alive.
Rahman moved between instruments and even lent his voice to certain passages, while Ranjan guided the musical direction from the piano with this calm, glowing intensity.
Sarthak Kalyani, Abi Sampa, Janan Sathiendran were the kind of vocalists who make you forget to breathe for a moment. A special appearance by Jonita Gandhi was a surprise treat, who sang ‘Dum Dara Dum Dara Mast Mast’ from the film Guru, alongside AR.Rahman.
They were featured soloists in this collaboration, supported by the TO Live Orchestra and That Choir under conductor Melvin Tay—and together, they created something that felt both intimate and enormous.
Knowing the production was co-commissioned by major institutions like the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra made the whole night feel even more significant.Toronto wasn’t just hosting a concert—it was part of a global artistic moment.
Clyde Wagner of TO Live had said this collaboration would unite Eastern and Western traditions in a bold new way. Sitting there in the beautiful Meridian Hall, feeling the music ripple through us, that promise felt beautifully fulfilled.
When the final notes faded, and as we walked out into the cool night air, we all felt it—that quiet, shared glow that only comes from experiencing something extraordinary together.
Rangreza wasn’t just a concert; it was a reminder that music, in the hands of visionaries like A. R. Rahman and Rushil Ranjan, can dissolve boundaries and leave an entire audience carrying a little more wonder into the night.
