Raghav is a vibrant voice on Canada’s contemporary music scene. His work masterfully blends diverse styles and cultures. Raghav’s songs are known for their unique sound and profound lyrics. In this article on calgaryski, we’ll explore the singer’s life journey and his musical career.
Life Story
Raghav was born in Toronto, but his family soon moved to Calgary, where he grew up. He was born into a Hindu family. He attended Sir Winston Churchill High School and began pursuing music seriously at the age of 15. His creative work was influenced by both his Indian heritage and the R&B genre. At 15, he wrote a song that later won him an award from the National Association of Songwriters in the USA. It was a powerful start to his career.
At just 17, he moved to Los Angeles to study with the American vocal coach Seth Riggs. Riggs, who had coached stars like Madonna and Michael Jackson, is considered one of the best vocal instructors in the world. Raghav described Seth as an “incredible musician.” Raghav said that Seth Riggs taught him the most important lesson: that music is simply a conversation with notes.
A year later, Raghav moved to Liverpool, where he enrolled at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. During his studies, he began performing with the R&B group 11/7.
The Singer’s Career Development
Eventually, Raghav signed a contract with the A&R/V2 Records label and began collaborating with the producer 2Play. This partnership produced his famous hit ‘So Confused,’ which reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. His next single, ‘Can’t Get Enough,’ entered the chart at No. 10. Raghav then released his highly successful debut album, ‘Storyteller’.
In 2005, the singer embarked on a world tour, performing in cities like Karachi and New York, as well as in Africa and Australia. The ‘Storyteller’ album sold 1.6 million copies worldwide.
In 2009, the singer signed a recording contract with Universal Music India and released his second album, ‘Identity,’ exclusively in India. In 2010, Raghav signed his first Canadian record deal with the Cordova Bay label. Since then, his career has continued to evolve as he records songs with Indian influences, captivating audiences worldwide.
The Shaping of an Artist
Raghav has admitted that while growing up in Calgary, he tried to distance himself from his Indian heritage because he didn’t think it was “cool.” He knew he wanted to create music but never imagined it would have Indian influences. He only realized that his own culture could be fashionable when he moved to England. There, he saw the hit show ‘Goodness Gracious Me,’ which was extremely popular. The English embraced Indian culture, which inspired Raghav to blend his knowledge of old Bollywood with his Hindi vocals. It was this unique sound that brought him fame. Since then, Raghav began visiting India regularly, finding that these trips greatly inspire him and allow him to better understand himself.
Raghav shares his life experiences in his songs, which is why his first album is titled ‘Storyteller’. In his creative process, he finds the most inspiration in songwriting itself. He doesn’t like singing covers because, in his view, it feels dishonest. He strives to share his own emotions in his songs, believing that emotion is the only universal language.
Raghav cites his family members as his role models. He considers the most difficult period of his life to be the moment he first left home. He missed his parents terribly but was determined to overcome life’s challenges on his own. He succeeded completely.
Raghav’s story is an example of how reconnecting with one’s culture and identity can lead to success. His journey from Calgary to the international stage shows the importance of staying true to yourself, finding inspiration in your roots, and transforming personal experiences into art.