A R Rahman on the musician who had stunned him

Viji Manuel, son of the legendary Handel Manuel is a talented pianist and it is generally said that it would be a wonderful experience watching him play the piano and synthesizers. He is a great bass player who has worked with Ilayaraja and A R Rahman.

He was indisposed for quite some time and was bed ridden for more than five years. The good news is that he has bounced back to normalcy and has apparently visited A R Rahman’s Panchanatham’s studio recently and had also played a bit of jazz.

Sharing about this, Rahman says, “Uncle Viji Manuel was my co-musician when I played sessions with Dr. IIlayaraja 28 years ago... Being bed-ridden for the past 5 years or so, doctors lost faith that he would be back on his feet actively, again. But he proved them wrong and bounced back... He dropped in at our Panchanathan studio last week to say hello, played a bit of jazz and stunned us all. The power of prayer and a strong resolute mind never fails to amaze!”