Meet Raveena Mehta, the first indie Indian artist to perform at Cannes

(October 6, 2023) 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,” as she puts it.

Starting Young

Raveena Mehta was only twelve years old when she released her first commercial music album, From Deep Within, 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.

Born in Belgium, Mehta was ten years old when she arrived in Mumbai for the first time. “Moving to Mumbai in 2008, led me to consider the post-colonial sentiment amongst the population, leading to a more perceptive, culturally aware outlook,” 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’s also a social media star, with over a million followers on Instagram.

“It 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,” Raveena Mehta tells Global Indian. 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. “Seeing my love for it, my mum decided to enroll me in Hindustani classical lessons,” Raveena says. “After moving to Mumbai, I had the opportunity to release my first music album, this was an extremely pivotal moment in my life.” Her family stood by her throughout, and have always understood and appreciated her love for the arts. “It is not the case for everyone, so I am very grateful to be doing what I love as a career.” She’s 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.

Meaningful Sojourn

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. “What I learnt about discipline during this time, I don’t believe anything else could have taught me,” Raveena remarks. During the pandemic, she worked with Rishi Rich and Jab Tu Hai Wahi and then with Tiger Shroff on Casanova. “Walking the Cannes Film Festival red carpet and singing in Monaco representing India is another milestone I am proud of,” says Mehta. Having worked with well-known names has given her a potpourri of interesting experiences. “Collaborating 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,” she adds.

Global Outlook

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. “I 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,” she explains.

Being Herself

The pandemic came with its share of struggle for the young artist, who lost some opportunities during that time. “I 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,” says Mehta.

Apart from her music skills, she spends a lot of time drawing and painting and says that it brings her a lot of peace. “I also enjoy working out and just maintaining my routine. My routine brings me a lot of clarity, which leads me to being my best self,” she adds. While she agrees that it has been a beautiful journey so far, with its shares of highs and lows that makes the journey rewarding, she has sound advice for upcoming artists. “Some of the biggest learnings through my evolution as an artist are staying true to who you are, just remaining authentic and having a vision for yourself and where you see yourself in five years. Having a path is extremely important and being consistent is the biggest part of that.” Looking ahead she has an EP ready, the entire project is produced by Rishi Rich, and she is very excited to release this body of work.

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