MEDIA
A couple of weeks ago, my grandpa passed away. In many ways, he has shaped the person I have grown to become, and has contributed greatly to my identity. My identity as a Pakistani and as an Ismaili Muslim. He instilled my love for my faith and for my nationality, and showed me how to hold my head high and be proud of who I am. He taught me the most essential part of my faith, to always be kind and never speak ill of anyone, to help all people and hold them in higher regard than oneself. I was able to reconcile what I once thought were my disparate identities as a Pakistani Muslim living in the US because of him. What he taught me as a part of my faith is ultimately universal. No matter where I am, no matter what I do, I must hold the ethics of my faith above all else. This piece is dedicated to him, metaphorically reconciling my identities into a single piece, a single body, one that flows so seamlessly. I hope he can hear this piece from wherever he is, I love and miss you always Dada, may you Rest In Peace.
Noorain Patel
IN MEMORY OF MY GRANDPA
Aishat Adekunte
Being half Asian (part Japanese and Chinese) and half White, UMI has played a crucial role in my understanding of what it means to be a biracial, multicultural woman. Her songs have given me company and content during times where I felt extremely misunderstood and invalidated. UMI’s song, Sukidakara, which translates to “because I like you”, was a particularly important find for me. The song combines both Japanese and English lyrics, while carrying an R&B flow. As a kid, I was constantly surrounded by R&B because that was all my mom listened to. I grew up listening to Mariah Carey and Mary. J Blige, which was definitely a huge influence on the music I like to listen to now. Since listening to UMI, Sukidakara has been a constant in my rotation because it has allowed me to embrace ALL aspects of my identity: my love for R&B and my Japanese-American heritage.
Sissy is a 20-year-old artist from Toronto. They study media and geography as U of T, but they spend all their free time writing songs, watching movies, or reading. They grew up trying to find anything and everything they could to express their creativity, whether that be art, music, books, or media — they loved it all. They started posting their music on Soundcloud in high school, writing about whatever they were feeling or about a movie or book they liked. They try to write songs for people to identify with and so they can feel heard. They think it’s the best feeling when they listen to a song that puts their thoughts into words. They started to produce their own songs just over a year ago and they like to describe their style as bedroom pop with influences from Clairo, Phoebe Bridgers, The 1975, and Frank Ocean. This year, they hope to release more music and to inspire other creatives to persevere and do the same.
Sissy
ARTIST
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Gayathri
Krishnan
ARTIST
Gayathri Krishnan is a singer/songwriter from Irvine, California attending Berklee College of Music and major in music therapy. At four years old, she began learning Carnatic music, the classical South Indian music system.
For Gayathri, identity is ever evolving. Her EP is a fusion between Indian music and R&B. It incorporates Indian rhythms and melismas; Gayathri even explored some Middle Eastern instruments and African rhythms on the track “After Hours.” She wishes to learn more about music to use new elements in future projects. Consequently, her music, like her identity, will always change even if there are some elements she specializes in. To her, identity is learning indefinitely. All she wants to do is Create to Express.
ARTIST
Karen
Sandoval-Santana
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Karen Sandoval-Santana (she/her) is a French-Canadian Latinx artist based in Montreal. She is fluent in Spanish (her mother tongue), English, and French. Her mother is Cuban and her father is Bolivian. They got divorced when she was around a year old, and when she was six, her mother, her step-dad, and she relocated to London, Ontario. She continued to attend French schools throughout her childhood and learned English by watching cartoons and taking classes. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in philosophy from Ryerson University in Toronto.
Nathanie
Nathanie (she/her) — pronounced Nath-Uh-Nee — is a Malaysian artist who creates music that is best described as bedroom pop. She utilizes music as a form of expression to address subjects such as identity, injustice, and intricate relationships. She hopes that the tracks she makes can be a companion to listeners, and she holds the wish that her music resembles a hug. When she's not writing music, she is nose deep in books, out on a short cycle/walk (her stamina is quite limited), watching movies, or talking to strangers.
River Noir
ARTIST
Ariyan (he/him), also known as River Noir, is from London. He is a self taught guitarist that started around seven years ago, though his love for music has been evident since his toddler days. He started writing songs at 18 just for fun. In time, it has become a way for him to tell a story and express emotions. His songs evoke emotions and relate to people’s experiences. He is excited to release new music and hope it has some form of impact on listeners.
Music is a way for people to create connections with people they don’t even know and each person’s interpretation is different. Consequently, it has been a way for him to bond with people he would have otherwise never met or spoken to. When lacking self confidence, his friends have always supported him and pushed him to release music despite his claims that he was too scared. COVID-19 was the final push for him to finally chase after his ambition as opposed to bottling it all up and dreaming about it. What he initially started as a hobby has now become part of his life. It is all he thinks about, it is everything he wants to be, it's a way he expresses himself. He hopes he can reach as many people as possible with his songs.
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Sabeen Raja
ARTIST
Sabeen Raja (she/her) is a 22-year-old Dutch national that has been living in England for 13 years. Her family could never seem to settle in one country and so she grew up a traveller. Through meeting people that speak different languages, her passion for writing has grown as well. Writing down words on a piece of paper can be so much easier than explaining thoughts out loud. Her most faithful and trustworthy friends are her words, allowing her to be unapologetically her.
Her writing comes from the soul. She also loves to write Urdu Shayari, and is trying to rediscover her roots in Pakistan by learning the language. When she came to England, it was the first time she felt she would need to disconnect from her ethnic roots to “fit in.” Through her words, she aims to eradicate the association of shame with the countries of brown people. Being a Muslim brown woman who chooses to wear a hijab has its challenges, but she wouldn’t decide against it. If her words can make even the tiniest part of the world more accepting of women like her, then she will have conquered her own little mountain.
Numa Patel
Numa Patel (she/her) is a 14-year-old artist. Her submission is dedicated to her grandfather who passed away recently. The mashup includes “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth, “Shayad” by Arijit Singh, and “Halo” by Beyonce. Numa’s identity was partly shaped by her grandfather. He instilled within her the morals and ethics she has and he will live on with her for the rest of her life.
Maddie McDougal
COMFORT FILMS
One of the ways that I, and many others, express ourselves and our identities is through our interests; films, music, art, fashion, etc. So, what a better way to explore the identities of the RANI community than through our favorite comfort films! A comfort film is a movie that you have rewatched several times and find a particular ease within. Often, we flock to them when we are going through times of stress or even when we’re just bored. They will always be a crowd pleaser. You probably know the majority of the dialogue by now. Whatever it is, there is something special about these films that speaks to us in a way that is unlike any other.