Interview with Dj Ravin from Buddha Bar Paris to Buddha Bar Dubai
I’m a Super Fan of Buddha Bar Compilations and I was very happy to interview one of the creators of this music concept: Monsieur Dj Ravin.
Q: When did you start to play music? And what did bring you to that?
“I grew up in Mauritius and was raised according to the traditional Hindu teachings. I later moved to France as a teenager and rapidly focused on my long-time passion – music, mixing, playing, and producing thus creating my own imprint. Before I started my career with the music, at the age of 16s, I was working at selling records shop and this was my first experience exploring all kind of music: I was very curious, I was listening to pop, soul, reggae, hip hop, all kind of music. It was a great experience because I was exploring plus giving information to people about what they need what kind of music they were searching and I could help them.
And then, why djing, because I don’t like dancing but I like watching people dancing so I just started to play music for them and in the radio, doing stage, and then I started as dj professional in clubs, doing private party for people and corporate things when you should play disco, rock n roll, easy music not conceptual music and then I started in some clubs: London, Germany, France and I explored lots kind of music. I love to play in Italy too: I went so many times in Milan, Florence, Rome, Bari, Sicily, everywhere I love playing there cause people love the music”.
Q:Your fame rapidly grew through Paris nightlife and you began to play in famous celebrity haunts such as the Rex or Les Bains Douches, where you met Claude Challe as well.
“Exactly, we met in Les Bains Douches: he was playing there during a special event and I was invited as guest for two times a week and Claude told me u should to come and play and everything started from there.
In 1997, I played my first sets at Buddha-Bar Paris and greatly contributed to the concept’s unique musical signature, constantly expanding my horizons, before imprinting my unique fusion style on several compilations released by George V Records”.
Q: Where did you get the inspiration for your songs? And, what’s the secret of the success of Buddha Bar Compilations?
“I got the inspiration from my travels: I love travelling, meeting people, different cultures, different music and what a love to do is a global journey of music world with electronics. When I was a child I was listening Bollywood songs, Indians songs in my house so I decided when I started with Buddha bar that the music has to be global, giving people emotions and make them travelling with the music and this is what we want. Claude was more in the oriental side and I was more to the Indian fusion side. I like mixing world music with electronic, give people emotions. That’s why Buddha Bar compilations were really successful when we released the “volume one” compilation. After a few years of work, he released the Buddha-Bar III, one of the most successful compilations of George V Records. In 1999, cause the music was so emotional, very passion, so magic and the music of the Buddha bar has a huge role for the successful of the place and of course also for the magic of the place: when you enter in Buddha bar the first thing you have is the soul of the place, it’s beautiful, it’s romantic, the atmosphere”….
Q: Some curiosity about the cover of the albums….
“Generally, we sit all together around a table with the graphic designer: always the logo is Buddha plus we want to give colours because our food is fusion it’s Mediterranean mixed so we want to do the same with music. And give the colours of the artworks and we decide together: for example, London we gonna be inspired from something artworks of London, same for St.Petersburg, Moscow, Tbilisi, Dubai. Now the new one will be focus on Monte Carlo for Buddha Bar Monte Carlo. We always try to involve, to give new wings to bb because is very important: the concept is still alive also if it’s old already 21 years”.
Dj Ravin is based in Paris and travelling a lot every month. For Ravin, life is music. His worldwide search, to seek out melodies, unknown sensations and ignored talents are part of his everyday life. This musical quest is, above all, full of curiosity and passion.
Whole worlds in a handful of beats. Sounds touching on spirituality. Rhythms transcending cultures. Harmonies of the East melting into western breezes. Tracks telling their private story.
Indelibly connected to today’s electric union of global trends and world music, Ravin has created a luscious cocktail,. a spiritual union, infused with his extraordinary knowledge and deep love of the globe’s traditional sounds.
He will be back on 28th April to perform at Bar Fly-Buddha Bar in Abu Dhabi and on 29th April in Buddha Bar Dubai for live recording of Sakura Blossom!!!!
Don’t miss the opportunity to dance with his music….