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5 Hrs Ago
Ananad Ramnanan –
BAVINA SOOKDEO
Music has always been more than just a passion for Anand Ramnanan – one might say it is his destiny. During his youth he played drums in a scout band and today, he is an international singer, songwriter and producer.
With a career spanning nearly three decades, Ramnanan has worked with some of the industry’s renowned musicians, released a series of original compositions and crafted hits that have resonated across continents. His latest single, Touched My Heart is gaining traction, taking him to new heights.
Born and raised in Chaguanas, Ramnanan, 55, attended Chaguanas Senior Comprehensive School (now called Chaguanas North Secondary). After graduating, he migrated to Canada in 1988.
At 12, he played drums with First Endeavour Boy Scouts band at numerous events across Trinidad.
“That led me to take my music talents to the next level,” he recalled.
He was inspired by artists such as Richard Marx, Dan Hill, George Michael, former lead singer Steve Perry from Journey, Foreigner and the late Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar.
“At age 14, I realised this is what I wanted to do and became a recording artist in Canada.”
Ananad Ramnanan hopes his music will continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. –
He began composing and recording in 1992, when he wrote his first original song Friends are Friends, a rock ballad. He recorded the vocals acapella on a cassette player to preserve the melody and lyrics before turning it into a professional demo with music producers David Ashley and Mitchell James from Toronto.
“It was absolutely a great feeling (to record) and to know I discovered a musical gift I had.”
Fuelled by his unwavering passion, Ramnanan persevered and in 1998, his fusion pop single Juli struck a chord with audiences worldwide, he said.
Asked about the inspiration behind the song and how it impacted his career, he said, “I met this beautiful girl with a great personality while working outside Toronto. We fell in love, but her parents found out and ended our relationship. My heart was shattered, and that was the inspiration for Juli.”
The song touched hearts, gaining airplay in Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and beyond. It also led to television interviews and live performances on Canadian National Exhibition Center stages, he said. However, after its success, Ramnanan took a step back from recording to focus on composing and producing for other artists.
His work spans pop, R&B, soft rock, jazz, and fusion pop and over the years, he has composed and produced multiple hits for international artists.
Some of his notable collaborations include: Tum Ho Mera Pyaar, a Hindi-English fusion pop single recorded by Canadian artist Vikas Khanna. Ramnanan composed the melody and wrote the lyrics in English and translated to Hindi.
He worked on Days of Rain recorded by American Lorraine Scott; Someday, a soft rock ballad recorded by Trinidadian singer Krystal Khayne and This Christmas pop ballad, recorded by German actress Katrin Lion. He has also composed three love ballads in pop, soft rock, and jazz for Lion’s upcoming debut album to be released later in spring or summer 2025.
Ramnanan has also worked on an educational album for children – Learn and Have Fun Vol 1 recorded by Canadian opera singer Anastasia Winterhalt and other artists.
Ananad Ramnanan –
On his work with renowned musicians he said, “As a producer working alongside the late Peter Magadini whose credits include Diana Ross/Al Jarreau, Al Kussin credits include Celine Dion (Unison) and Omar Martinez co-writer for Justin Bieber Hit (Pray), it was just like working with any other professional musicians, the respect and communication were there between us on a professional level and all music sessions went well regarding my music projects.”
In 2025, Ramnanan returned as a recording artist with Touched My Heart. Composed and recorded by him, it features an arrangement and mix by Al Kussin and mastering by Juno Award-winning Kristian Montano.
The song was inspired by a teenage crush.
“At the age of 14, living at home in Chaguanas, I had a crush on a girl in my community. I was shy and couldn’t say to her how I felt at the time. I was able to connect with her on social media after 38 years and eventually I told her how I felt about her when we were growing up. She was surprised and very understanding about it and that led me to compose the melody and the lyrics. The production of the song started at a demo level and we built the instrumentation etcetera to give it the final touches in making the record.”
The song has been receiving airplay in Canada and across the Caribbean, he said.
“It’s absolutely an awesome feeling to have my single receiving radio airplay on rotation across Canada and the Caribbean.”
The single is available on Apple Music and Amazon Music.
His next single, I Remember You, a R&B ballad is set for release in August 2025.
“I Remember You has a beautiful melody and lyrics with good hooks. We are now producing the song, and it will be completed by July.”Despite the rise of digital streaming, Ramnanan believes in the continued importance of traditional media.
“Streaming has allowed my music to reach a global audience, but I strongly believe that radio, television, and print media remain the primary sources for an artist to truly succeed.”
Passionate about guiding young musicians, especially those from TT who aspire to break into the international music scene, Ramnanan advised: “Learn (the) music business, this is your key to opening many doors. Write great, original songs and produce quality records that are competitive to other major and independent artistes internationally. Try working with an honest radio tracker who can deliver your song to international radio for airplay and track the song’s performance. If you have a good knowledge in music business, you should be able to do this on your own from TT by e-mail and phone communication.”
He stressed the need for greater investment in the local music industry to support international success stories. He said the government and private corporations need to invest financially in professional singers and songwriters.
“Without money as the injection, it’s difficult to produce quality, original albums or records that can be marketed internationally to radio and record labels.”
Ramnanan hopes his music will continue to resonate with audiences worldwide.
“I would like my original music to continue touching people’s hearts.”
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