Ram Ravindran- A Voice born in Heavens

Introduction

The very reason we are here is to bring talents that have been singing on Smule and amamzes the community with such an improvement in their singing as time goes by. We are so proud to present here Ram’s profile into a celebrated singing talent on these pages. A very unassuming young guy with a great taste for good music. Ram’s talent is a step apart from many youngsters with a natural talent to sing with such ease and authority that we have not seen for a long time. Here is a short interview given that will reveal this beautiful talent to our readers. 

Ramachandran Ravindran

Please tell us about yourself

My full name is Ramachandran Ravindran and I am basically is from Thrissur district, Kerala, India. I am a commerce graduate and currently working with a fashion brand franchise in Qatar.

Here are few of Ram’s social media links where you may see more of his music

https://www.instagram.com/ram_ravindran/

https://www.youtube.com/user/Ramachandran690

https://www.facebook.com/Ram840

Briefly describe your growing up with special reference to music?

I did my basic schooling and graduation from my native place itself. I started learning Carnatic music from a very young age, from 6 years old. My older sister who is three years older than me took me with her to the Carnatic lessons. No one in my family ever had anything to do with music. At school my music teacher (Mallika) encouraged me and I learned some basic lessons early itself. My mom was very active in social work and she made sure we have many chances to perform on stages while growing up. Basically what I can remember is that we were more exposed to a lot of culture around. I am from a small town which produced percussionists like Peruvanam Kuttan Marar (chenda artist, a type of drums popular in Kerala). Local libraries and the arts clubs associated with them were a blessing to nurture our music.” Ram was very vocal when he started talking about all that Kerala’s culture capital can offer. He was very proud and wanted to say that  is what  influenced him as an artist till date. 

Are you trained in classical music? If so describe all experiences

Nobody in my family has a musical background. It was my mother’s hardcore wish to make her children learn music. Thus as I mentioned above my sister and I started learning carnatic music from a very young age. I have trained under different gurus since then for almost 10 years.

Describe each stage of childhood, schooling, and college, how music was a part?  

“All the good memories from childhood and schooling relates to music. Participating in youth festivals from school level to state level were really the best memories. I have been lucky to win prizes at district and state levels for classical music, light music and poetry recitation. It was during my higher studies time that I started deviating from music. Having a peer group more interested towards sports and games also made me literally leave back all my music during that period.” 

What are your impressions about Smule experience? What do you like about it most and dislike about it if any? 

“If I am any good at singing now, I owe it all to Smule. Seriously, if not for Smule I wouldn’t be singing now. After a period of ignoring music for some strange reasons, it was about 3 years back when I migrated to Qatar, I started singing again and only because I came to know of Smule. 

When I started my life in ‘Qatar’, I had a lot of free time and came to know about Smule. I was sounding so terrible when I started. Quickly, I got very fond of this app and literally got addicted. Smule made me learn a lot of rare and old songs and also made me learn more about the classical base of each song. It’s when I started to share my Smule videos on social media platforms, people here in Qatar and many back home also started listening to me. Thus I started getting opportunities to perform live for various programs here in Qatar.” 

A smule group Devaragam

“It would be very unfair if I don’t mention my Smule group ‘Devaragam‘ when I brief about my Smule experience. Such support and appreciation from my friends in Devaragam made me try more and more towards betterment.” Here is a link to this group that support Ram in a big way. Do visit their Facebook page here at the link.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/103567037036721/

“After saying all this about smule, I don’t think I have to say what I like the most about Smule. It made me sing, It still keeps me singing and will forever I hope. It’s the best way to practice and start over for people like me who are looking for a comeback. I don’t think that I dislike anything about Smule. As we know, there is always room for improvement and I guess the developers keep updating the app. The only thing I have felt is that it can deceive you to feel like a better singer than you are in real life. What I mean is singing in Smule and on stage are two entirely different things.” To sound this good on Smule one has to have good singing skills for sure and Smule have a live jam option.”

Do you think lyrics are important? Yes or no why? 

Of course lyrics are important. Especially when you compare the new era songs with the golden old songs, you can’t ignore the lyrics. I basically being a fan of old malayalam songs really enjoy and learn a lot from the works of eminent lyricists like Vayalar, P Bhaskaran, Sreekumaran Thampi, ONV Kurup,Kaithapram etc. Their works are the best way to learn the essence of our language and also the best way to get knowledge about a lot of things. I am no one to explain that much in this regard.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Ram is very active with few friends, an amazing effort to make awareness in lyrics. See a link to a short video where at the end Ram sings the song that is analyzed in detail. The language in the video is in Malayalam. 

A YouTube channel named BRreview cafe based in Qatar presents each episode on reviewing and revealing very unknown facts and information about old Malayalam classic songs, poems, actors etc. In the above video I was given an opportunity to render two ‘legendary’ Malayalam songs. The detailing about lyrical essence of these songs proves how rich we were in regard with lyrics during that era.”

What is your take on India’s pop music and new trends? 

I am more of a guy who loves traditional music and old songs. But I do listen to new trends and songs. Like everything else, I believe change is inevitable and essential in music. India has got a lot of talents and the quality of music we keep even while following the new trends is so promising.

Comment on the importance of classical music in this era? Yes or no why? 

“Not only in this era, classical music is the base of any music we make. That’s what I believe. Even if you casually hum a line or tune, it will still have the classical base no matter whether we are ignorant of that or not. Classical music is the basic structure. You build multi storey buildings trusting the strength of basic structure. Updations, trends, deviations-call it any name, but the base is always classical music. This is what I believe in.”

What is music to you? 

“I can’t explain that. It’s what I do when I am free. It’s what I do when I am too busy. It’s what I do when I am stressed. It’s what I do when I am relaxing.”

Where do you want to go from here in five years? 

There are no such long term plans for me in any aspect of life. When it comes to music, it is just a one day plan – to sing tomorrow better than the way I sang today. I wish to learn music in deep and wide varieties. I want to listen to more music and musicians. Just want to live music.

Want to talk about any achievements?

“This is the segment which I told you about before. There is nothing much to list. The best thing which I consider that happened in my life is when I received second prize for a competition conducted in Qatar. The best thing was I got the prize from the legend K. S. Chitra. I was able to touch her feet. An unforgettable achievement.”

That concludes a short interview that gave some insight into this young promising talent who thinks of music as a part of his intellect, and thinks of it as a treasure given to him in life. Let us hear some of the very hand selected songs exclusively made for this feature using the Smule app.

An astonishing multi-raga composition by the great Raveendran master heavenly rendered by Sri. K. J. Yesudas which always left me awestruck.

A silky smooth melody by the trio Kaithapram-Raveendran master-Yesudas

A combination of legends – The maestro and the most manly voice.

An intense melody in Sindhubhairavi by the legend M.S. Viswanathan penned by ‘Srikumaran Thampi’ and rendered by P Jayachandran

Here is a composition which always stands out by Sri. Dakshinamoorthy swami richly written by Srikumaran Thampi

Could there be any other better song to describe ‘Amma’ (Mother)

This one is such a nostalgic song for all Malayali people.

A breezy beauty by Devarajan master

This is one of my personal favorite of Raveendran master

The eternal SPB

Malayala bhashathan– it is a song that describes the heart and soul of this singer

ENDNOTES

Every singer we presented here from various states show tremendous influences of the environment they all grew up. Various art forms had evolved in various parts of India that show its own specific local influences. A role for traditions and classic/folk touches in modern music of Kerala is the unique feature that we see when we are write about this beautiful singer from Kerala. Ram had absorbed all the good things Kerala’s traditions can offer. During the interview, he was very vocal and wanted to tell us how much at his heart is a singer of all the music that our culture capital (Thrissur) can offer. Indeed he is a singer who understand the heart of the land and we are so proud to bring this tremendous talented youngster to all of India’s audience.

Sing with Ram Devaragam – On Talent Showcase-December 4/5 weekend

Ram will come live through Smule India platforms to sing with all you guys on the weekend of December 4th/ 5th. Please stay tuned for the announcement and do join him in the Live jam session along with his friends at Devaragam group.

Radio 98.6 FM Interview 12/02/2020 Interview