Raveena Aurora, known simply as Raveena, is a rising powerful, queer artist
changing the scene of RnB and pop music.
Raveena was raised by Sikh-practicing, North Indian parents in Queens, New
York and Stamford, Connecticut. Music was one of the ways she expanded her world by
simply singing for hours on end in her room. She began writing original songs at the age
of 13 with influences from soul artist Minnie Riperton and Indian jazz fusion artist Asha
Puthli, which would feature on one of her later songs, “Asha’s Kiss.” Raveena auditioned
on Broadway multiple times but never received a callback. She described this saying,
“There were no roles for little Indian girls.” When trying to get her career to take off, she
was severely exoticized and often told she would never sign a record deal as an Indian
woman. Raveena used her soft power to persevere and released her first EP called
“Shanti” in December of 2017. Fast forward to the present, she has released her second
studio album “Asha’s Awakening” and is performing at Coachella, one of the largest
and most iconic music festivals.
“From a very young age, I saw how the Indian women in my family, how much we
were conditioned to believe that we need men in our lives to just do anything. I think
that’s why I got so headstrong and also I was encouraged by the women in my family.”
-Raveena
She was raised by strong, spiritual, women who were reiki masters. This greatly
influenced how Raveena saw the world and her music style. To listen to Raveena’s
music, you must tap into your maternal energy, as she describes it. She even
incorporates meditation into her live sets. Raveena does this for her fans because she
recognizes how unsafe and chaotic nightlife can feel and has her own trauma from
environments like these. Much of her art describes sensuality, healing from trauma, and
spirituality.
Raveena’s healing song lyrics provide a relatability many women and queer
people can relate to. Her otherworldly, almost magical sound is so unique compared to
other artists today. Her originality, in conjunction with her strife determination, is the
reason she is looked up to today by so many of her supporters.
“I like to think of myself as in service to people. To either help them heal or help
them along in their journey in some way.”
-Raveena
Sources:
Billboard. “Raveena Aurora Makes Space For Softness in Music.” YouTube video, 6:46.
December 27, 2021. https://youtu.be/-ZN9lzoSXaQ.