Indie singer Rakhoo joins us for a chat ahead of his performance in Chennai
Watching Rakhoo AKA Rakhil Shoukath Ali Rajesh perform is like witnessing an entity containing positive energy spreading a wave of happiness, emotions and pure unbridled singing talent. After the successful reception of his recently released track, Yaaro, the indie rising star from Kerala, is all set to perform in the city. It’s going to be a special performance curated by Quriosity this time around, with Rakhoo hoping to produce an intimate show where meaningful conversations and melodious tunes will reign. We rope in the singer for a chat and learn about the story behind the creation of Yaaro and how the rise of Tamil Indie releases is giving hope to musicians. Excerpts:
You have also been performing impromptu on the beaches and streets of the city in the days leading up to the show. What has that experience been like?
From being that go-to guy who sings at friends’ gatherings to taking to the streets, was a huge shift. I just sat down and sang my heart out. From children to elders, everyone blessed me with their smiles and kind words. In a way, it felt divine. It made me realise that I was doing the right thing.
Your show is tagged as an “intimate set”. How rooted or personal is this show going to be for you?
I’ve been wanting to do an intimate session for a while now. The big stages are really fun — you can jump around and be in your zone. However, through an intimate set, I’d love to have a close conversation with the audience. Some interesting stories and great music is always a good combo, right?
Your recent indie release, Yaaro, has struck a chord with the audience. Walk us through the story of the creation of this song.
I’d never thought that I would compose a song someday. But life took a turn and pushed me to create something new. That’s when I picked up my guitar and started humming the chorus. I recorded it and developed the whole tune from there. Next, I sent the score to my friend and lyricist Vaisagh, who lent his magic within a few minutes. Finally, the entire idea of the song became clearer when I approached my friend and music producer Gopi aka 6091. In 2023, Think Music signed Yaaro and it’s out now with a music video!
Tamil Indie music has been on the rise for the last couple of years. Do you feel it will be an encouragement to musicians to perform better?
The scene is quite different now. I remember back in the day when we used to watch Hindi albums... that was an era full of amazing music videos. If you look down South now, I feel our artistes and songs are ranking high on the charts and that gives a lot of hope to all the musicians out there, to someday make it to the top themselves. All you’ve got to do is put out beautiful art!
Tickets start at INR 299.
Available online. June 7, 7 pm onwards.
At Barracuda Brew, Nungambakkam.