AR Rahman, Ken Kragen to collaborate for a climate change initiative

Oscar-winning legend AR Rahman and a group of international music composers are all set to create a song to spread awareness about climate change. Rahman will reportedly join hands with music composer and humanitarian Ken Kragen for an augmented reality project titled 'Hands Around The World'.

In addition to the song, an AR app is expected to be launched on April 22, 2020 to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

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Support for Environmental Protection

To demonstrate support for environmental protection, the interactive smartphone app will allow people to download 3D volumetric captured celebrity holograms and take photos standing beside them holding their hands.

It will then combine users’ photos with hundreds of millions of others to form a virtual selfie chain that will become the digital Hands Around the World. Users will be prompted to spread the word or make a donation towards ending the climate crisis.

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Ken Kragen is famously associated with previous such campaigns like 'We Are The World" in 1985 where the music industry had come together in an outpouring of generosity in response to the tragic famine in Africa.

The 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson had then created a beautiful song for this campaign. Ken Kragen had even been honored with the 1985 United Nations Peace Medal for this project.

Rahman, who believes in the cause of protecting the planet, is expected to thematically match up to MJ's  'We Are The World' in his song for the awareness of increasing global climate change.

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Rahman-U2 collab

According to recent reports, the Oscar-winning music composer has also collaborated with world-famous band U2 for a song titled Ahimsa. The song is expected to feature Rahman’s daughters Khatija and Raheema and is based on the doctrine of non-violence that is found in many of the world's ancient scriptures. The collaboration had been announced less than one month before U2's first-ever show in India. The 'With or Without You' hit-makers are scheduled to perform in Mumbai on December 15.

Read | 'Ahimsa' marks the first collaboration between U2 and AR Rahman