{"id":33422,"date":"2023-10-06T07:00:15","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T01:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/?post_type=story&p=33422"},"modified":"2023-10-05T16:14:16","modified_gmt":"2023-10-05T10:44:16","slug":"meet-raveena-mehta-the-first-indie-indian-artist-to-perform-at-cannes","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/meet-raveena-mehta-the-first-indie-indian-artist-to-perform-at-cannes\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Raveena Mehta, the first indie Indian artist to perform at Cannes"},"content":{"rendered":"

(October 6, 2023)<\/strong> Having walked the Cannes red carpet four times in the past, Raveena Mehta recently became the first Indie Indian artist to perform at one of the leading international film festivals. The Indian-British artist and singer-songwriter grew up between Belgium, the UK, and India and works with “performance, moving image, sound and painting to consider the sociological impact of colonial legacies,\u201d as she puts it.<\/p>\n

\"Raveena

Starting Young<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Raveena Mehta was only twelve years old when she released her first commercial music album, From Deep Within<\/em>, back in 2010. She has released two more since, along with 15 music videos and six singles, which are mostly RnB \/ Soul and music that incorporates Hindi and Urdu, a nod to her Indian roots.<\/p>\n

Born in Belgium, Mehta was ten years old when she arrived in Mumbai for the first time. \u201cMoving to Mumbai in 2008, led me to consider the post-colonial sentiment amongst the population, leading to a more perceptive, culturally aware outlook,\u201d she writes. In Mumbai, she studied at the prestigious American School of Bombay, before moving to London to do Fine Arts at Goldsmiths, University. The diversity of her upbringing and cultural exposure shows up in her work as well, from her use of various mediums to her tendency to experiment with the music itself. She\u2019s also a social media star, with over a million followers on Instagram.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been an incredible journey so far, living in so many different countries have really brought so much perspective into my life, culturally and on a personal level,\u201d Raveena Mehta tells Global Indian<\/em><\/a>. Her interest in music began when she was five, it has always been an “undoubtedly massive” part of her life. One year later, she began training, working with Suchita Parte and Kim Chandlers, her vocal coaches in Indian classical music and Western contemporary respectively. She was always singing around the house, and would participate in school shows as a child, which she says she truly loved. \u201cSeeing my love for it, my mum decided to enroll me in Hindustani classical lessons,\u201d Raveena says. \u201cAfter moving to Mumbai, I had the opportunity to release my first music album, this was an extremely pivotal moment in my life.\u201d Her family stood by her throughout, and have always understood and appreciated her love for the arts. \u201cIt is not the case for everyone, so I am very grateful to be doing what I love as a career.\u201d She\u2019s only 26, but with over a decade of experience already, Raveena is also well-versed with the ins-and-outs of the music business around the world.<\/p>\n

\"Raveena

Meaningful Sojourn<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Her evolution as an artist has been such an incredible journey of finding acceptance, self-belief and enabling a growth mindset. Her debut album launch, which was a big moment in her career, turned out to be transformative in many ways. \u201cWhat I learnt about discipline during this time, I don\u2019t believe anything else could have taught me,\u201d Raveena remarks. During the pandemic, she worked with Rishi Rich and Jab Tu Hai Wahi<\/em> and then with Tiger Shroff on Casanova<\/em>. \u201cWalking the Cannes Film Festival red carpet and singing in Monaco representing India is another milestone I am proud of,\u201d says Mehta. Having worked with well-known names has given her a potpourri of interesting experiences. \u201cCollaborating with Tiger was an incredible time – we had a lot of fun in the studio, jamming, recording and especially on the set for the music video. I admire his work ethic and humility. Working with Rishi is always a blast, he is also my mentor and close friend. He is one of the most real people I know in the industry and I do not know as many people who look out for artists in the way he does,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Global Outlook<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Having worked and performed in different countries, Mehta admits that every country and industry operates differently as people are different and the culture is different. \u201cI would say, the industry in India is heavily guided by Bollywood and playback, however things are changing for independent artists as India continues to digitize and grow their global presence. So, of course, with the challenges it is always about making sure you are also looking for opportunities to grow and showcase yourself in the best way as an artist,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

\"Raveena

Being Herself<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The pandemic came with its share of struggle for the young artist, who lost some opportunities during that time. \u201cI was not on the ground in India at the time either. However, I do believe everything happens for a reason, and if one door closes, two more will open. It is just about having a positive attitude and treating yourself right,\u201d says Mehta.<\/p>\n