Teaching Ameen and Rahima!

She’s been the talk of the city recently; her vibrant live performances and vivid persona endearing her to the nightlife music scene in Chennai. But there’s more to the gorgeous and talented Rianjali than what meets the eye — she’s also the vocal teacher to A.R. Rahman’s children! But let’s backtrack a bit: a few months ago, the 25-year-old was just another aspiring singer-songwriter in New York City, looking for her first break — but little did she know that a SoundCloud track she uploaded with a friend would change her life forever — thanks to none other than the legendary composer.

“The song was called Prove Myself, and it’s some coincidence that ARR spotted it whilst he was in New York; he actually spends a lot of his time online trying to discover new talent! He then wanted to meet me, so we got in touch and spent an entire day together. We had lunch, went to Sam Ash (a huge musical instrument store in NYC) — and he asked me to sing right in the store! By the end of the night, ARR asked me to come to Chennai and consider teaching his daughter, work on my career here, explore music in India, and also collaborate with him on any projects I might be suited for,” Ria says, excitedly.

What could this Manhattan-based musician teach ARR’s kids that even he couldn’t? But Rahman clearly spotted something special in Ria, and she smiles and tells us, “I teach Ameen and Rahima Western music and songwriting. Everything starts with the basics which comes from Western classical training itself — breathing techniques, vocal techniques, how to use your voice properly, etc. It’s been just a few weeks, but I have learnt from ARR more about being a person rather than music-related things! He has showed me that it doesn’t matter who you are, or what your status is — you must maintain a humble attitude and that’s what will get you far. He frequently speaks of his parents and the struggles he had as a child, which reminds him to keep working hard.”

But Ria does agree that she’s experiencing a culture shock of sorts in the country — “It’s hard being an Indian in the US when it comes to music. I’ve gained popularity in NYC and neighbouring cities because my first fans were Indian-Americans. But a white or black girl will always be chosen in the industry before me — which is why music wasn’t my career there. I’m actually a clinical counsellor for domestic violence cases. It was definitely a culture shock coming here, because I am surrounded by musicians and actors on a daily basis! But I’m right in the middle of the music scene here and I feel fortunate.”

Ria, whose dad was a Bengali folk singer back in Bangladesh, has performed at prestigious venues throughout the US — and describes her independent music as having a soul-acoustic vibe. Her focus now is her debut album — “I have written and composed all of the songs and will be featuring a rapper from US named Kaly. Also, there are a number of gigs lined up across the country, so that’s exciting! I have been offered a few Tamil songs for movies and I’m not opposed to it, despite the language barrier.” We also hear that Ria may be spotted in a movie here and there, shortly. Clearly, this diva is here to stay!