Toronto based musician Roveena has had a whirlwind couple of years. A Human Resources professional by day, Roveena spends most of her free time writing and recording songs for her upcoming debut album and making appearances at various shows and venues.

Born in Sri Lanka, Roveena lived in Montreal until her teen years when she moved to Toronto with her family, eventually earning a degree from the University of Waterloo. She was introduced to music by her father, who recognized her talent at a young age and encouraged her to sing along to Whitney Houston songs. Today, her passion to create and move people through her music is palpable.

Undoubtedly, her big break came in January 2010, when she was asked to appear on Toronto’s Breakfast Television morning show, after being discovered on YouTube. Following the appearance on BT, where she effortlessly belted out Etta James’ classic “At Last”, Roveena was asked to sing the theme song for the Toronto based Tamil film $9.50. The music video for $9.50’s “Wherever I Go” highlights Roveena’s unique voice and style.

Roveena describes her sound as “hot adult contemporary” that focuses on the importance of instrumentation. For the better part of the last year she has been working with her team, on her introductory album as an independent musician. Roveena is also collaborating with some Juno Award winning music industry heavyweights. Who these stars are remains a well guarded secret, adding much anticipation for her first album.

The young artist is also rooted in the Tamil community, and grateful for the support and love they have shown her. She placed third on TVI’s Superstar 2010 and received a lot of community support, though she sang in English.

Look to hear a lot more about Roveena in the coming months. She will be singing the national anthem at Blue Jays game again, is in the process of getting her new album out and launching a new website, and truly wants to introduce the country to her music!

In her own words, “I believe in the craft – I’m doing this so I can make a career out of this”
I was recently able to interview Roveena – here’s what she had to say:

Tamil Culture: How would you describe Tamil Culture in one sentence?
Roveena: Tamil Culture is dynamic with an innovative spirit with years of rich traditions and culture.

TC: What has been the most memorable performance you have given and why?
RG: My most memorable performance was singing the Canadian and U.S. national anthems at the Rogers Centre in Toronto for the Blue Jays game. It was in front of a huge audience and I can still hear the crowd cheering so loudly after I was done singing. Made me a little emotional to hear such a positive reaction from the crowd!

TC: What is your goal for your music career?
RG: My main goal right now is really to move people with the music that I am making, having someone relate to a song I have written/performed and embrace it would be the ultimate goal.

TC: What is the most important lesson you have learned about the music industry?
RG: Confidence is key, and knowing who you are as an artist – if you don’t believe you are capable, no one else will.

TC: Which music great would you like to collaborate with if you had a chance?
RG: Tough question, so many people that I would love to collaborate with. For the type of music that I am focused on a key musician would be David Foster – he has worked with so many talented artists and has been able to tap into each of their unique sounds creating amazing songs that have lasted the test of time.

TC: So what’s next for you? Where should our readers look to find your music?
RG: My introductory album will be coming out in a few months! It’s been a year in the making so really excited for it to launch and to really bring this unique sound into the industry. All the details will be posted on my official site www.Roveena.ca . Be sure to check the site for the album release dates!

In addition to her website, more information about Roveena’s music, upcoming events, and her forthcoming album are available on Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.

Videos of Roveena:

– Naomi Prabhakar