Shruti Ramani

I am on the quest of learning an instrument from scratch, which in this case is the trumpet. It is so beautifully taxing but also rewarding to be a beginner at something and to build a relationship with a new instrument. I’m also in love! My head is in the clouds in the best ways!

My music is an amalgamation of my two rich musical backgrounds which are North Indian Classical music (Hindustani) and Black American Classical Music (Jazz). People often classify it as Indo-Jazz. I take Indian classical melodies that are centuries old, or write new ones, and I set them to Jazz harmony. I find that this kind of special fusion brings two rich worlds together and introduces Hindustani or Jazz to people who may be familiar with one tradition, but not the other.

I’m in the process of writing/acquiring grants to produce my first record with my band Raagaverse, which consists of Jodi Proznick on Bass, Noah Franche-Nolan on Piano and Nicholas Bracewell on Drums.

I have a tendency to put songs/albums on repeat endlessly! I’m listening to Sanjay Divecha’s Secrets currently. It’s one of the most exquisite Indo-Jazz fusion albums I’ve ever heard! Also, Brad Turner’s album, JumpUp.

My biggest inspirations are my parents, my gurus–which include Dr. Ritu Johri, Ben Henriques, Dr. Jared Burrows, Brad Turner, Steve Kaldestad, Jennifer Scott, Rosemary Lindsay–and all my other teachers that have helped me along the path.

I recall my father taking me to one of our favourite Ghazal singers, Ghulam Ali’s show in Mumbai. I was so grateful to be able to see the legend in person! It is a special memory for my dad and I since we love bonding over music.

My most memorable performance is when Raagaverse was on a double bill with the Itamar Erez Quartet for the Music at the Cinemas series, hosted by VIM house at the Fox Cabaret. It was special not only because of it being our first time playing as a band, but also because that night completely changed the trajectory of my musical career.

My favourite Vancouver musician is Noah Franche-Nolan, a phenomenal pianist, composer and equally beautiful and humble human being. He has the most imaginative playing that is so dynamic yet soothing to the soul and his knack for improvisation is unmatched! He is soon off to New York to get his masters degree and I can’t wait for the rest of the world to see his talents!

I would hope that a new music center in Vancouver would be inclusive and enable artists from BIPOC and people in the LGBTQIA2+ community to have a safe space to express themselves and create art.

Stay tuned for our album that will be released in 2023. You can follow my band Raagaverse on Instagram: @raagaverse

You can get updates on my other projects on

Instagram: @shrutiramanimusic

Website: raagaverse.com

Tiktok: @raagaverse

Youtube: shrutiramani