Rahul Raj

Biography:

Rahul Raj is an Indian music composer known for his work in Malayalam cinema. He holds a postgraduate degree in scoring for films, TV, and video games from the esteemed Berklee College of Music. Born in Kochi to Advocate E. Thankappan and N. S. Kunjoonjamma, Rahul Raj completed his schooling at Bhavans Vidya Mandir in Elamakkara, Cochin. He has a sister named Rehna Raj.

Trained in Mridangam and Carnatic music from the age of six, he later graduated with a degree in IT Engineering from CUSAT, Cochin, and pursued certifications like CCNP and CCIE in Bangalore before relocating to London.

While in London, Rahul Raj trained in Electronic Sound Production and collaborated with Pradeep Menon, a UK-based Indian businessman, to remix a Tamil Ayappa record originally produced by Pradeep Menon and Shashi Kumar in 1985.

The devotional album, titled Sabari Beats, was released in November 2002 in Tamil Nadu and featured musicians like Pravin Mani, Saroja, and Kamalakar. This project marked the beginning of Rahul Raj’s career in music. He also arranged another track for Pradeep Menon called “Krishna Krishna,” which included contributions from percussionist Sivamani and UK-based musician James Asher.