DJ Ravin once worked at a radio station and sold records and today he is one of the popular names in the international music circuit. He talks to Shrabasti Mallik about his journey and inspiration
As a kid he dropped out of school because of family issues but that did not stop Ravin from pursuing his dreams. Today he is one of the most loved DJ’s the world over. From India to london and from Paris to Brazil, he has wooed audiences with his music. His inimitable style of adapting music as per the crowd in different countries is what makes him so loved and popular. But the journey so far hasn’t been a cakewalk.
Growing up, he was exposed to music from all over the world — hard rock, disco, punk, soul and Bollywood. “That’s what happens when your father is an Indian and you mother is from Mauritius,” he laughed. He grew up in Mauritius where he was raised as per the Hindu traditions.
The family moved base to Paris when he was a teenager and that was where his musical career took off. It began when he dropped out of school and started selling records in a few shops in Paris, “which was a very good experience.”
The influence of so many cultures was baffling for him and he wanted to find a middle ground. It was then that he realised that deejaying is the only way he could blend different musical genres together. Therefore, it was in the summer of 1995 that he decided to quit his job and be the DJ.
“Although I grew up listening to all kinds of music, I always wanted to create sounds which touched soul and took you on a musical journey,” he said. He started playing at small pubs, private corporate events and commercial discos. After a year, he crossed paths with DJ Crockett at an event and received an invitation to become the resident DJ of a famous night club in Paris, which he still is.
Since then there has been no looking back. He has travelled the world. “Sometimes it is irritating when people call me non-stop and request me to come to their city and organise a gig but then I would be nothing without my fans. It is by popular demand that I am back in India,” said the DJ before he took over the turntable at B-Bar at Select City Walk, Saket.
His travels around the world are his constant source of inspiration. Every place he visits, he hunts for local musicians. He spends hours and days (sometimes even months with them) learning their music and picking up their tricks. He explained, “Some places in Italy play the banjo a little different than some other parts.
These are little details that interest me. Then I come back to my studio and create some exclusive pieces. I meet many different people who inspire me while traveling to different countries. I also get suggestions from them.”
As a DJ he prefers to work with CDJS 1000 MK3 Pioneers and Miter 800 DJM Pioneer (turntables) for special effects. For mixing CD compilations or clubbing, he uses the live Appleton software and for programming he uses Cubase. “I like to add more minimal and tech house sounds mixed with world music songs. I also like to do special editing,” he shared.