A R Rahman will be the second Indian artiste to perform at the UN General Assembly after M S Subbulakshmi.

A concert by Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman will be held at the United Nations on August 15 to mark the golden jubilee of Carnatic vocalist M S Subbulakshmi's performance at the UN.

Rahman, only the second Indian artiste after Subbulakshmi to perform at the UN, will pay tribute to the legendary Carnatic vocalist at the world body's iconic General Assembly.

Subbulakshmi had been invited by then UN Secretary-General U Thant and the then Chef de Cabinet C V Narasimhan to perform at the UN in 1966.

The concert aims to 'perpetuate the memory of not only one of the greatest musicians India had ever produced but that of a greatest soul who lived a life of philanthropy and goodwill for all humanity,' S S Badrinath, chairman emeritus, Sankara Nethralaya, the trust that is supporting the event, told the media.

The trust plans to create a Chair for Music in Subbulakshmi's name at an American university, its president S V Acharya said.

The concert promises to be the high point of the Independence Day celebrations, which will include a flag-hoisting ceremony on Monday morning and India's Consul General in New York Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ, a tradition for many years now.

IMAGE: A R Rahman. Photograph: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images