SASKATOON — Raj Ramayya used to play with a band while studying at the University of Saskatchewan, cherishing the friendships and relationships he cultivated — ones he would remember for the rest of his life.
“I love Saskatchewan and the people. It will always be my home, no matter where my travels take me,” Ramayya told Â鶹´«Ã½AV before being introduced to Japan’s emerging music scene, which piqued his interest. Egged on by his friends, he packed his bags and moved to Tokyo in the early ’90s.
Despite arriving in a foreign land, he quickly adjusted to Tokyo’s music scene, began writing songs, and collaborated with several indie bands and artists. His musical talent did not stop there; he also did session singing and wrote TV commercials and other forms of media.
“I became somewhat well-known on the underground music scene in Tokyo. Several composers were interested in having me sing and collaborate with them mainly on Anime and Games, which were quite new then,” said Ramayya.
“Victor Entertainment, a major label in Japan, signed me after hearing the Indie album I released, Freshly Squeezed Melancholy, and then offered me work on more significant projects.”
His big break in Japan’s music scene came when he became involved in the anime project Cowboy Bebop, a space Western-themed animated series, and the popular video game Resident Evil.
“After that, I had several hits in Japan working with production companies that wanted a more International flavour in their music, a common theme in the 90s and early 2000s,” added Ramayya.
“There was a group of us ‘gaijin’ (Japanese word for foreigners) musicians that were hired by or signed to Japanese labels to sing demos or write songs for Japanese artists or projects, and it just kept on going until I left in [2011] after the [Tohoku] earthquake.”
He said his musical style was influenced by different artists, from Canadian rock bands Rush and Streetheart to singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, while also listening to classical Indian music, which his parents love.
“In the 90s, I got into fusion artists like Karsh Kale and Talvin Singh and the Asian Underground movement in the UK. I have spent much time attending raves and concerts in Paris, London, and Berlin. Still, I always ended up back in Tokyo, and there, music had a jazz or punk influence, so I was exposed to a very eclectic blend of styles and musicians,” said Ramayya.
Ramayya recently released a new single and EP, Love Thy Brown Brother, for which he wanted a more modern global release. He completed the album many years ago, but it only had a limited physical release in Japan.
“The songs never really had proper promotion, and I thought the story behind them and the documentary, Cosmic Current, deserved more attention. I feel like the stories had more impact as my father passed away a few years back. These songs had many of his essence, especially The Journey, where I talk about his struggles to leave India in the 60s and make it to Canada to start a new life for his family. My father left India first, and then my mother came later, but both shared the same experiences, good and bad,” said Ramayya.
“Reaching a land where they could start fresh but with a lot of uncertainty as, believe it or not, they only had $10 each in their pockets. That's all the government allowed them to have as new immigrants, and very clearly, it was a way to ‘weed out’ those who did not have the strong enough desire to come to Canada and make a go of it.”
He said his parents’ immigrant story, courage, resilience, and how they overcame adversity is reflected in the album he wants to share with the world.
