Rina Charaniya: All my songs are lyrically very strong

HAILING from a middle-class family in a small town in Gujarat, Rina Charaniya battled through incredible challenges and used hard work to make a place for herself in the competitive music industry.

Having originally planned to be an actress, the multi-talented beauty realised her heart lay in singing beautiful songs. She focused on delivering timeless music that makes a deeper connection with listeners and the result has been superb songs that show her immense talent.

Eastern Eye caught up with the independent artist, affectionately known as Rii, in Mumbai to talk about music, inspirations and her future hopes.

Which of your songs is closest to your heart?

Honestly, the best is yet to come, but Judaa and Phir Mulaqaat gave me a huge amount of respect from my listeners, and, of course, Aaja is very close to my heart because I got to work with my husband in it.

How would you describe your own music?

I am very specific about the songs I choose. All my songs are lyrically very strong. I like meaningful songs. Also, I try to make songs that bring positive change even if they are about a breakup.

Who are your biggest influences?

I have always loved 80s and 90s music. I also got influenced by listening to those old soulful songs, especially Bachpan Ki Mohabbat from the film Baiju Bawra (1952). It was one of the first Lata Mangeshkar songs that inspired me to get into music. Now, I look up to Arijit Singh and Sonu Nigam. There are many artists and some of them are really good, so whenever I come across soulful songs, they influence me in some way.

What can we expect next from you?

My new song will be released soon. After that I am looking forward to working on my first album. It takes a lot of time to create an album, but in 2021, I want to stay connected with my audience and create a lot of music for them.

What is the musical master plan?

The plan is to stay constant with my content. I took a break from music for a year since my father was diagnosed with cancer. It took a whole year to get his treatment done. At that time, I couldn’t focus on anything else other than his health, so with my new singles, I am mentally ready to focus on my music now again.

Who would you love to work with?

Three years ago, it was my biggest wish to work with Rashmi Virag. He is one of the finest writers and lyricists in the industry according to me. Today, I’m ready to release a song written by him, so I think God is really kind to me. Every time I wish for something, it happens, and I would like to keep it that way, and not talk about my wishes until they come true. But yes, I want to work with Arijit Singh for sure, because he is my absolute favourite.

What music dominates your playlist?

My playlist mostly has 90s music. I feel they are evergreen and you can never get bored of hearing them.

What inspires you?

Mostly, meaningful lyrics inspire me because sometimes we have a lot of feelings, which we can’t share, but if a song expresses your feeling then you certainly connect with it, and that’s the beauty of music. Sometimes you feel like it’s your own situation.