Years active 1999 - present Labels QwiLite Records Name Ranjini Ranjini | Role Singer | |
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Origin Richmond, Virginia, U.S. Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, model Genres Contemporary R&B, Pop music, Soul music, Hip hop music | ||
Background
Ranjini is an Indian-American recording artist and songwriter. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Ranjini first began singing under the tutelage of her mother who taught her Indian classical vocal. From a young age, she also had a strong desire to learn how to play the piano and played by ear until her parents agreed to enroll her in formal piano lessons at age 11. As a preteen, Ranjini was highly influenced by artists like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé.
While a sophomore in high school, her show choir director made Ranjini vocal captain; often she led the upper classmates in their rehearsals. Knowing her director put that much faith in her was what motivated Ranjini to pursue music as a career. During her first year studying at NYU as a politics major, Ranjini auditioned for Quincy Patrick, Grammy Award winning songwriter and producer, in hopes of becoming part of a multicultural girl group he was putting together at the time. She ended up getting selected for the group and came up with the group name M'Sala, meaning "hot mix". She decided to put her college career on hold to devote her time fully to music and the group. Shortly after the group disbanded, Patrick signed Ranjini as a solo artist on QwiLite Records.
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Artistry
Ranjini's sweet sultry voice inspired Grammy-winning producer Quincy Patrick to have her cut a remake of Deniece Williams' hit single "Silly". The remake did very well with R&B lovers worldwide and introduced Ranjini's voice to the music community. After the success of "Silly", Ranjini released her single "Greedy" in 2011 which garnered over 25,000 YouTube views in less than a month. The song gained popularity as it started getting video airplay in specialty stores nationwide. In 2013, Ranjini released a humanitarian single "I Belong To U" which starts out in Hindi, paying homage to her Indian heritage, switching to English for the main part. "I Belong To U" is a plea for people to see beyond their differences and embrace one another as their own. In 2016, Ranjini collaborated with platinum selling rapper Driicky Graham on her single "Could It Be" which garnered almost 50,000 YouTube hits in less than a month. In February 2017, Ranjini released her cover of The Weeknd's ft. daft Punk's hit song "I Feel It Coming". Her energetic, female take on the song has been highly praised by fans and industry insiders alike. Ranjini's 2017 mashup of Ed Sheeran's "Shape Of You" with the Carnatic song "Endaromahanu Bhavulu" hit 1 million views in less than a month with over 6,000 shares on Faceboo. Ranjini continues to perform throughout the US, Canada, and India. Ranjini writes or co-writes much of her own music with Patrick. Her signature sound is a blend of mainstream pop, R&B and subtle Indian nuances.
Philanthropy
In 2012, Ranjini and Quincy Patrick started a 501(c)(3) charity, Dreamality, Inc. which works to bring music education to kids in underserved communities. To date, Dreamality, Inc. has brought music programs to almost 500 kids throughout the New Jersey area. The foundation's annual "Dream Out Loud" benefit concert has brought in some of the biggest names in the entertainment and fashion industries, notably Tommy and Andy Hilfiger, Victor Wooten, rapper Driicky Graham, and Marky Ramone of the 'Ramones'. http://www.dreamalityinc.org