"Music is a language we all can

"Music is a language we all can speak fluently" - Ra'ah

If you have a keen ear to the Toronto music scene like we do, then you may have heard of Ra'ah (pronounced Ra), a new musical talent from Toronto, Canada.

Based Downtown, Ra'ah is definitely an artist to watch this year. Apart from being a Producer, Ra'ah is also an MC, Singer and Songwriter. Ra'ah composes, writes and records his own music. On top of that Ra'ah also runs his own company, UthN'Asia Records, specializing in a variety of entertainment functions
including production, artist development, branding and licensing/publishing for his own line-up of artists and others in the business.

He was introduced earlier this year in the UK by acclaimed DJ, Bobby Friction, on the BBC Radio 1's Asian Network. He was featured for a full week and had the benefit of introducing his first single, "Magazine" to the worldwide audience following that station (they also introduced artists such as Jay Sean, Raghav and RDB). He has also successfully linked a licensing deal with ESPN and NBC Sports this year, which will be airing "Magazine" in various sports montage clips this fall.

"As an Indo-Canadian artist, it's a little tough at first to attract a following in North America, its been easier to reach out to folks in the UK for some reason", says Ra'ah, who hopes to attract a greater following in his hometown of Toronto this winter with his new single, "Hands Up".

"They're more receptive at first, they're open like that", he says of the UK audience, "but ultimately, I'm Canadian and North American. The music speaks for itself; I rather make great music that everyone enjoys instead of tailoring a sound for a specific group of folks, so naturally my sound has a little more edge then more traditional Indo-Artists. I just choose not step away from who I am for the sake of culture".

"As hip hop continues to grow, we, as people in all communities, continue to grow with it. This is the new world's music, I don't think y'all fully understand how global it really is, how influential hip hop has really been in all genres", he continues, "But I do. It's me. I lived the life that included the streets, and the jaded, negative cycle that surrounds that society. That's just a part of life though, and I don't always include it in my music, because really, I don't need to. There are a lot of people who experienced that much more of it, or are still experiencing it. I think it's disrespectful to their struggle if I start spending all my time reflecting on it. My music reflects a different part of life, what I'm experiencing now. It's positive, upbeat, a little humorous a little witty. It's dusting yourself off and 'jumping back up' music. That makes me who I am today, that's who I am."

One thing is for certain, Ra'ah is a full bodied artist with a ton of depth and poise. "I'm currently working on an album with some talented folks in the music industry", he says. "These folks have helped produce Nelly Furtado and Our Lady Peace's first albums. I'm bringing something totally new to Toronto, real fresh. I try to keep it clean, but with just enough grime to let y'all know that I've been there, I know what's up. I'm taking things to a whole 'nother level though, that's just were I am. It's a new world, a changing culture, and I'm glad to be a part of it from a business and musical sense."

You know where you heard it first.

You can find more about Ra'ah on his twitter page @raahtoronto, or visit www.iraah.com
for additional links to music and material.