Kerala - Kochi

Riding on a high note

SCALING NEW HEIGHTS: Ranjini Jose is all set to release her solo music album

Having sung in 97 Malayalam movies and well into the process of making her own album, playback singer Ranjini Jose's aim is set high - to lend her voice for international music albums and Hollywood movies.

"It would give me an opportunity to link with singers and directors abroad," she says.

Now a second-year student of MA (Mass Communication), Ranjini has sung in many movies within a span of four years, including `Amme enna vakku kondu... ' with Ilayaraja in the movie Ponmudi Puzhayorath. She has lent her voice in Paandipada and Vacation and also in Dhobhiwallah and Ullam, which are yet to be released.

Ranjini has also rendered songs in two Tamil movies.

"I got a couple of offers to act in movies, but my immediate aim is to cut a solo album, which I want to market nationally and internationally," she says.

She is now working with music director Keerthi Narayan to bring out the album.

"The album will have English and Hindi numbers, apart from a Spanish one. There will be a mixed flavour of pop, disco and melody songs.

Of the eight songs, the composing of five is over," says Ranjini, a St. Teresian, who secured the third rank in M.G. University in the BA (Communicative English) exam.

The young woman was in the news when she along with her two friends sang Hindi and English songs in `Koyl', the album brought out by them. "Koyl is a happy-go band, with pop, reggae and disco. There is rhythm and blue (R and B) number (melodious song) as well. In the cover song, only minimum number of instruments have been used. The focus is on voice. Though Western songs predominate, there are a few Hindustani classical songs too," she says.

Ranjini has also anchored a musical programme in Kairali TV.

"But for the encouragement given by my parents and Keerthi Narayan, I would have been a lazy person. My father was a film producer and knows the industry well," she says. Her mother too was a playback singer.

On the sudden entry of many youngsters into singing, she says only those with talent and good luck would be able to stay on in the industry. Fed up with stereotyped music, people have begun welcoming new singers with both hands, feels Ranjini.

`My only regret is that I was not able to participate in the M.G. University youth festival, as I was a professional singer." She dedicates a good portion of her success to her school, Bhavan's Vidya Mandir, Elamakkara, where she got the much-needed encouragement.

John L. Paul

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