Central Florida is soooooo weird. Legendary Qawwali singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is coming to the area and doing a concert on April 1. That's not what's weird. What's weird is that it's at Silver Spurs Arena, out in Kissimmee's Osceola Heritage Park. Yeah, where the rodeo is. Not some intimate performance hall at Rollins. Not the Plaza. No, he's been booked into the same venue that hosts the area's biggest annual rodeo. I can't decide if that's awesome, or really, totally awesome. I understand the demographics at work here, given how much denser the region's South Asian population is the further south you get from the downtown core, but still: Qawwali at the rodeo. (What's weirder? He's done a concert there before.) (And yes, I know the Silver Spurs Arena is a very nice, relatively new venue that's perfectly capable of hosting all manner of shows, but still.)
Now, a real quick word about the music. If you're thinking that the concert is gonna be a night of intense, devotional Qawwali, you're probably wrong. Understand that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has made his bread for the last half-decade or so by being the Voice That Gives You Butterflies on Bollywood soundtracks. It's in Qawwali style, but it's definitely not strict; and it's made him quite the celebrity. Expect at least a bit of post-Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman-style flash at this show, and not just a guy on a rug with a microphone. Even still ... THAT VOICE:
[youtube K2JveGLRXo0]
Tickets for the concert go on sale today at 10 a.m., with prices ranging from $35-$200.
