At a very young age, Ronny Rajhit realized that he has a strong inclination towards creative and performing arts. While his love for music led him towards becoming a singer, music composer and lyricist, his interest in storytelling resulted in him building a career as a filmmaker as well.
In 2018, he directed the Gujarati film ‘Gujarati Wedding in Goa’. In the last few years, he has been releasing original music at regular intervals. Some of his most popular tracks, including ‘Tu Hai Kaha’, Give You My Love’ and ‘Dance For Me’, can be heard on all major audio streaming platforms including Apple Music and Spotify.
Ronny Rajhit has carved out a niche for himself as a multi-faceted artist. In the times to come, he plans to continue making music that tug at the heartstrings of the listeners and create the kind of cinema that leaves a permanent imprint in the minds of the viewers.
In this interview, Ronny talks about his journey as an artist, the experience of living in a small town in Madagascar, connection with music, love for fitness, importance of social media and more.
Despite not being based in India, you have cultivated, nurtured and kept the music and culture of India alive within you. How have you managed to do that?
I received my education in India. From childhood, I was fascinated by music and by different languages and cultures. When we moved out of India, I came in touch with great music from around the world. The way people react to their music and their different ways of thinking made a great impact on my heart and on my process of making songs. So, when you hear my songs, you will realize that they carry that Indian feeling. At the same time, they have an international swag.
You live in a small town in Madagascar. What are some of the challenges you face while creating music and working from there?
I live in the capital of Madagascar, which is definitely small compared to Indian cities. My beat makers are locals, and sometimes it’s a challenge to make them understand exactly what I want. But at the end of the day, with multiple attempts, changing things and developing things, we always arrive at a final point where we both love what we have created. My friends have also helped me a lot by introducing me to some great artists who support me in the process.
Do you have formal training in music?
No, I have never had any formal training in music. But I believe I was born this way. I feel the stories and the sentiment in them more deeply than most people, and maybe that is why it comes quite easily to me to turn those stories into songs. I love to tell stories through my songs.
Do you see social media as an effective tool to promote your music and connect with your listeners?
Of course, it’s the biggest way to show your music to the world. I’m not an expert in it, but the people I work with definitely are. They are the experts, and they are going to take me where I need to be. I am a positive person.
When did you first get drawn to music in life?
As far as I remember, it was in my childhood, when my elder brother would play music very loudly and sing along. It gave me such a different kind of feeling. I kept wondering, what is this happiness he has? And that’s how I started doing the same
Fitness has been one of the major driving factors in your life. How does it inspire you?
I’ve come to understand that physical fitness is very important, for presentation and for everything else. So when I’m in the gym, I really work hard and keep trying to become a better version of myself.
Do you plan to perform/do shows in India soon?
Oh, I would love to do that. I love to see the reaction when I sing those songs. I’m dreaming about this.
Which are some of the Hindi songs you have liked recently?
There are a lot of beautiful songs, some by Honey Singh, then Badshah, Arijit Singh and AP Dhillon. The popular songs they’ve made are really good.
When you were growing up, who were some of the music artists who inspired you?
KK, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Baba Sehgal, Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi.
Is there any song which had a life altering impact on you?
I wouldn’t say it was just one song. There are many songs that inspired me and shook me deep in my heart: the way they feel, the way they’re sung, the way they express a story, whether it’s pain, happiness or love. But I can say one movie that moved me the most with its human feeling is “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”. In fact, I’ve made a song as a tribute to that movie, about the feeling of not being able to express love to someone you love. It’s coming soon, and it’s called “JAAN GAYA MAI”.
What do you plan to do next as an artist?
To write more songs, launch more songs, and do live shows everywhere.