BAVINA SOOKDEO
Music has always been more than just a passion for Anand Ramnanan – one might say it is his destiny. During his youth he played drums in a scout band and today, he is an international singer, songwriter and producer.
With a career spanning nearly three decades, Ramnanan has worked with some of the industry’s renowned musicians, released a series of original compositions and crafted hits that have resonated across continents. His latest single, Touched My Heart is gaining traction, taking him to new heights.
Born and raised in Chaguanas, Ramnanan, 55, attended Chaguanas Senior Comprehensive School (now called Chaguanas North Secondary). After graduating, he migrated to Canada in 1988.
At 12, he played drums with First Endeavour Boy Scouts band at numerous events across Trinidad.
“That led me to take my music talents to the next level,” he recalled.
He was inspired by artists such as Richard Marx, Dan Hill, George Michael, former lead singer Steve Perry from Journey, Foreigner and the late Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar.
“At age 14, I realised this is what I wanted to do and became a recording artist in Canada.”
[caption id="attachment_1154756" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Ananad Ramnanan hopes his music will continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. -[/caption]
He began composing and recording in 1992, when he wrote his first original song Friends are Friends, a rock ballad. He recorded the vocals acapella on a cassette player to preserve the melody and lyrics before turning it into a professional demo with music producers David Ashley and Mitchell James from Toronto.
“It was absolutely a great feeling (to record) and to know I discovered a musical gift I had.”
Fuelled by his unwavering passion, Ramnanan persevered and in 1998, his fusion pop single Juli struck a chord with audiences worldwide, he said.
Asked about the inspiration behind the song and how it impacted his career, he said, “I met this beautiful girl with a great personality while working outside Toronto. We fell in love, but her parents found out and ended our relationship. My heart was shattered, and that was the inspiration for Juli.”
The song touched hearts, gaining airplay in Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and beyond. It also led to television interviews and live performances on Canadian National Exhibition Center stages, he said. However, after its success, Ramnanan took a step back from recording to focus on composing and producing for other artists.
His work spans pop, R&B, soft rock, jazz, and fusion pop and over the years, he has composed and produced multiple hits for international artists.
Some of his notable collaborations include: Tum Ho Mera Pyaar, a Hindi-English fusion pop single recorded by Canadian artist Vikas Khanna. Ramnanan composed the melody and wrote the lyrics in English and translated to Hindi.
He worked on Days of Rain recorded by American Lorraine Scott; Someday, a soft rock ballad recorded by Trinidadian singer Krystal Khayne and This Christmas pop ballad, recorded
