Meet Vancouver musician Rayman Bhuller.
Meet Rayman Bhuller
Rayman has dedicated his life to pursue his passion for music. Travelling the world from a young age, Rayman has had the opportunity to perform with well-acclaimed bhangra artists and bands. Inspired by his musical guru in Mumbai, Rayman opened up his own musical school called “Dhol Nation Academy”. His school taught youth the fundamentals of music as well as the importance of community involvement. His connections grew in 2009 when he met Sal Ferreras, a well-known percussionist, educator, and producer. By meeting Sal, Rayman further developed as a seasoned musician with understanding of worldly music. He continues to learn and grow and believes that “music can be used as a platform to bridge the gap between cultures and communities”.
Similar to others in the industry, Rayman was born into a music orientated family. Although he grew up in a household where music was always around, it was never pushed on him. He was brought up with the support to pursue anything he wanted but learned from an early age that music was and always will be his ultimate passion.
Starting off as a programmer and percussionist for a few years, Rayman ventured off and started discovering his own sound. His favourite project worked on until date was an album called “Inquilab” which was with a non-profit label called Revolution Records. This label uses music as a medium to promote social awareness and change for South Asian youth. This aligns with his passion for working with youth and educating them on social issues taking place back home in India as well as in the western world.
He has performed with VIBC as a percussionist for the past 10 years and has always encouraged his students to take part in the #BhangraLove offered by the non-profit organization. VIBC has enabled youth in the community to showcase their talents and feel a sense of pride in their culture. That itself is priceless.
Rayman’s next steps include continuing his work with RMB (Rayman Bhuller Music) and continue to teach with non-profit organizations such as South Asian Arts, a VIBC community partner run by Gurp Sian.
20 Questions with Rayman Bhuller
1. Your first job.
My first job was not like my peers at the age of 16. I opened up a school called Dhol Nation Academy (DNA) and taught other youth how to play the Dhol (Indian drum). DNA became more than a school, it was a place for everyone to build friendships and life-long memories.
2. The job you always wanted as a child.
Up until the age of 10, I wanted to be Batman.
3. Your pet peeve.
My all time, biggest pet peeve is people who do not act like themselves. I feel like people should always be truthful and speak what is on their mind.
4. Your hero.
My parents are my hero. They always taught me to follow my dreams and have led by example.
5. Your biggest indulgence.
Music. I indulge in anything and everything that has to do with music.
6. One thing no one knows about you (and you’re willing to share).
I can actually be quite shy. Most people would never guess this about me!
7. Three things you would want with you on a deserted island.
Sushi, iPod, and … I guess I am a simple man.
8. The one word your best friend would use to describe you.
“Opinionated” answered without hesitation from my best friend Gurp Sian.
9. If you were not a musician what would you be doing right now?
I could not imagine my life being away from music. If I was not on stage, I would still be making music behind the scenes.
10. Hero or villain?
100% hero! The good guy always wins.
11. Your life’s motto/mantra.
Sometimes you have to be willing to let go of something old to grab onto something new. You have to be willing to let a part of you fade that you were comfortable with, in order for another part of you to be born.
12. Your favourite author.
I do not have a favourite author per say, but my favourite poet is Baba Bulleh Shah who is a famous Sufi poet, philanthropist, and philosopher.
13. The last book you read.
The last book I read was The Secret. The book has provided great insight into manifesting positivity into my life and achieving the goals I have set out for myself. I definitely recommend it.
14. If you were a breakfast cereal what breakfast cereal would you be?
Frosted Flakes for the win! “They’re GREAAAAAAAT!”
15. What will it say on your grave marker?
I`ll be back …
16. Who would you most like to have dinner with?
Roberto Luongo. He seems like he would be quite a funny guy and I am sure he has some interesting stories to tell. I have a lot of respect for him and what he has done for the Vancouver Canucks.
17. Your idea of happiness.
Being able to enjoy the simple things in life. I feel as if people forget that in order to achieve happiness, they have to learn to get the greatest amount of joy out of the simple, everyday joys first. Those are the things that will impact you the most when they are gone.
18. If you could go back in time, what would you tell your twenty year old self?
Take risks. The biggest mistake you could ever make is to not give yourself the chance you deserve. Being afraid of failure can keep you from learning life’s biggest lessons.
19. The one thing in your life that makes you most proud.
My ability to represent my culture. At a young age, I was taught to embrace my origins and to learn my language. Punjabi culture is very rich and my goal is to spread the knowledge that I have obtained over my years.
20. To be or not to be?
Always to be … why wouldn’t you want to be?