After profiling Queen Rania of Jordan, Anna Wintour and Queen Latifah for our Women’s History Month series, we’re bringing it closer to home with Aaradhna.
The first time I saw “Radz” take the stage was at Gas nightclub in Sydney almost a decade ago. Her vocal talent was undeniable and her beautiful Indian mixed with Samoan looks were a combination to be found only in our neck of the woods, but she was missing something. You see, in Australia and New Zealand we don’t breed confident performers from a young age. We’re not like America where artists are pushed to be center of attention from the moment they decide the spotlight’s for them. Aaradhna had all the ingredients to be a star but for many years, she didn’t know it. Back then she was painfully shy, almost sheepish about her appeal (a quality ingrained in the Polynesian community, the deep concept of “shame”). Thankfully her team did, the Dawn Raid Records crew lead by Andy Murnane and Brotha D who spent years with Aaradhna working on artist development and fine-tuning her sound. Now we’re now gifted with one of 2013’s most exciting new artists.
Having been Dawn Raid’s “First Lady” since she debuted on Adeaze‘s super sweet “Getting Stronger” track in 2004, Aaradhna has experimented with reggae, R&B, hip-hop and pop throughout her acclaimed career. As she celebrates her recent signing to Universal Republic in the United States, her latest incarnation as a formidable soul talent is her best yet. Fans were treated to a glimpse of this direction on 2008’s Sweet Soul Music, where she covered the genre’s classics including “Natural Woman” and “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” in her signature, effortless style. With her newfound confidence the songstress will travel to New York and Los Angeles next month to formally be introduced to the market and share with audiences her most recent work, the excellent Treble & Reverb. Having found her niche, where she’s comfortable delivering a vibe we’re calling “retro meets exotic,” Aaradhna’s poised to represent Down Under on an international stage and we couldn’t be more proud.
