Kochi Scene Spotlight - Raunaq

Raunaq is the nom de guerre of Jiyad, a singer-songwriter originally from Malappuram, currently living in Kochi.

He writes about, well, life. But please do remember, for some, politics is life. The music is moody, poetic, and ambient.

He just released his 4-track Malayalam debut EP, "Colombo Junction."

Tracklist and Origins

1. “Hazaron” - A thousand dreams. How many more?

2.“Yathrapoyavar” - Can you hear the gunshots? Did you see the bloodstained walls?

3. “Aaroral” - Thousands will sing the songs of the buried. For Babri.

4. “Kaanumo” - Do you dare to talk?

Editorial favourite - “Yathrapoyavar”

Words of "Raunaq"

Please give a little background on who you are and your journey?

My name is Jiyad, and I’m originally from Malappuram. I’m a singer-songwriter under the artist name “Raunaq”. I’m currently a final-year LLB student at Government Law College, Ernakulam. I had no musicians around while growing up, which made this whole thing very alien to me. I listened a lot to the works of M. S. Baburaj, Ilaiyaraaja, and A. R. Rahman when I was a kid. These legends created a love for music in me. I did not have the faintest idea of how to make music or how to write lyrics. I always wanted a guitar, and my brother got me one during high school, but I didn’t do much with it.

College is where it all changed. I got a lot of time. I found myself exploring music theory, guitar lessons on YouTube, and tried to make songs. I made a lot of songs. This made me more and more curious. I started practicing music and learning how to produce music too. YouTube and Reddit are where I learned most of it. For songwriting, I listened to a lot of songwriters’ music and observed what went behind the words. I grew fond of songwriting and started doing it regularly.

What does “Raunaq”mean and why did you choose it as your artist name?

Raunaq is Urdu for "lustre" or "brightness." I liked the word and how it sounded. I like good sounds, and it was not a really thought-out decision. I needed an artist name, and I chose one from some of the few words I knew in Urdu. That’s pretty much it.

Curious about the origin of the name “Colombo Junction” as the EP name?

Colombo Junction is the street where my hostel is located. It’s a cross junction. The EP is something that I present to my college and hostel life. I learned everything on it from my college and hostel life. The junction is where I have lived for five years now. It leads to the Kochi Kaayal on one side, where I have spent a lot of time thinking about writing and making music, and busked with my friends to fund the EP. It leads to my college, where my music has been appreciated, and where people have stood beside me every step of the way. The politics behind the EP is also a result of all the things that I have learned from my mates in college and the culture of protest that is always present on campus. It is a protest. So it all somehow connected back to Colombo Junction. That’s where it all began and ended. It felt like a fitting title to me.

Loved the EP, What was the creation process behind it?

I worked on a small skit at my college and composed some songs for it. I loved the skit, which was written and directed by Sivachettan (M. S. Sivakumar), who is one of the best artists I know. It made me get more into music, particularly into original music. I started writing more, polishing the lyrics, polishing the music, and so on.

That was last year. I started working on my EP right after that. I had one song I wrote a year ago. When I decided to make it into an EP, I wrote the next two pretty fast. Within a week, I was done with the lyrics and composition of the EP. But then I had no idea how to get it out or how to record it. I had no funds to get it produced. However, I asked some of my friends, and they were happy to help. They were the sweetest and gave me the money to get me going and made the whole thing up and running. I turned it into a crowdfunding campaign from there. The EP was mostly crowdfunded. I busked on Marine Drive with my friends as part of the crowdfunding.

The Palestine war happened in between this, and I had to write something about it in the EP. That’s what the whole thing was about. It didn’t feel right not to address it. I made a small track on it ("Kaanumo") and released it as the first single from the EP.

What have been your influences for the music you make?

(A) Bob Dylan

I have been listening to his words for a long time. "Blowing in the Wind" was in my school textbook, and that was the first time I really started paying attention to poetry and lyrics. His political songwriting has been a great influence on me. I wanted to write political songs right from the start. I wanted to speak about what was going on around me. I didn’t know what sound I wanted or knew how to make it sound good, but I was always sure that I would write political songs.

(B) Sean Roldan and Friends

The writing, the blues, and the minimal arrangement really got to me and gave me the boost to make something minimal.

(C) Pradeep Kumar

I love his songwriting.

(D) Glen Hansard and his band “The Frames”

Their use of folklore and its adaptation into music is something magical, and I wish to explore more of it.

Something else I learned from these artists is that the only thing that truly matters in making art is that it should be an honest expression. It’s just an honest expression of something. No matter how torn it sounds, it just needs to be an honest expression. That’s something I kept with me throughout making the EP.

Who are the other people whom you have collaborated on this EP?

I have collaborated with my friends Gokul Bijuraj (Handpan), Jobin George (Keys), Ranjith Melepatt (Harmonium), and Arun K Ramachandran (Mixing).

Gokul played handpan on the track “Hazaron,” which is an intro to the EP. He had a handpan, and I thought it would sound good on this track. I sent him the track, and then he came down to my hostel room. We used some really thick law books as a mic stand and recorded the handpan.

Jobin laid down some keys on the track “Yaathrapoyavar.” He is a fantastic musician whom I look forward to working with more. We met at an open mic event in my college and at some other events as well. I ultimately connected with him when I needed some help with the keys on the track.

Ranjithettan laid down the harmonium for the track “Kaanumo.” Ranjithettan is a beautiful human and a brilliant musician. He is brutally honest and helps you with all his heart, expecting nothing in return. He made me feel at home the moment we met, and he is always there if you need any input or advice.

I needed someone to mix the EP. I saw Arun’s profile on Instagram and liked his sound. I messaged him, sent him some demos, and he was in. He made this process a lot easier and was with me the whole way. I had no idea how to lock a mix or what sound I was looking for. He helped me a lot to figure it out and get it done.

I cannot go without mentioning the people of Kochi and my friends for funding the EP. I am forever grateful to them for trusting me with what I wanted to say.

Editorial comments

This EP makes you long for a past that might or might not have existed.

The ideal way to hear it is in the middle of the night at a late-night eatery while waiting for your food and no one else is around. Also, there will be rain.

I've been trying to convince the artist to release the EP on audio cassette and vinyl. Right now, this is analogue music in the digital world. We need it in analogue.

This boy will do great things.

P.S. There isn't enough indie Malayalam music (other than hip hop) coming out.

For gigs and enquiries, email Raunaq at jiduchivi@gmail.com