Ramya Iyer is a woman with a voice that melodiously merges
different genres in a seamless meaner. A singer and songwriter, Ramya is making
her way into the Indian music industry through her live performances. Since her
first appearance on television at the Coke Studio @ MTV in 2011, Ramya has been
busy touring across India. “Coke Studio @ MTV was my first TV appearance and it
has been, by far, the biggest boost for my brand value. After the performance,
I got to work on EDM tracks for a few producers which were then uploaded on
iTunes. I now write my own songs and I’m even working on film songs,” says the
talented musician.
Ramya’s body of work includes songs like ‘Soneya’ and
‘Kaafir’ from the film ‘Emotional Atyachaar’, the album of Hindi film music
remixes, titled, ‘Kitna Pyara Vada’, as well as a number of lounge music
albums. She is currently focusing on releasing her solo English album. “I write
songs in both English and Hindi and it has been my dream to release an English
album. I have worked on a few tracks and I am meeting with people with whom I
can collaborate. Being a singer, I feel one must be able to do what you want to
do without being scared; music will then come naturally,” explains Ramya.
She further adds, “The industry for independent artists has
improved in the past five years as there are so many festivals and musical
weekends that offer avenues for non film music. The popularity of these songs
might not reach a mass audience like a Yash Raj film would, but gradually, the
market is changing and music lovers are listening to different genres.”
Ramya listens to different genres of music which gives her a
better perspective while working on her own music. “I write songs about
anything random. I hear someone strumming a guitar and I can come up with a
tune. I cannot categorise my genre as I listen to all sorts of music. I listen
to a lot of Billy Joel tracks, The Cranberries, pop and pop rock music and at
the same time Bollywood hits. Also, it is a different energy of collaborating
with other musicians as we create something interesting,” says Ramya.
Ramya’s life reflects a cultural melange. She grew up in
Delhi with her Tamilian father and Bengali mother. “Growing up in Delhi, I had
many Punjabi friends and now I have to learn Marathi as I have moved to
Mumbai,” smiles Ramya, who has been learning Bharatanatyam since the age of
five.
Ramya spends equal amounts of time in the studio and on
stage for a live performance. Analysing both experiences, she says, “In the
studio, you need to have precision and cater to what the client needs. It is
about quality and attention to detail. On the other hand, the feeling of being
with the crowd is something different as you are sharing your experience with so
many people at the same time and it gives instant gratification. You understand
their response and perform accordingly,” concludes Ramya.
