About Me
"Rani is the most talented singer/songwriter I have come across in a long time. His pitch, tone and control is impeccable and his knack for great melodies and harmonies is obvious within the first listen. In a time when anti-singers and indie rock are popular, Rani's voice is a breath of fresh air." Kevin Jardine, ex-Slaves on Dope (Bieler Bros./Divine Recordings)"Rani Kayaleh is the best-kept secret in the global rock scene since
Mike Patton BEFORE he joined Faith No More. And we all know what happened next." www.HARDTIMES.ca“This is Oscar from Anonymus, just wanted to say thanx for the concert this Saturday, you guys kick ass…great band, great song, great singer…and a lot of attitude onstage…cool!!!" (Speakervoice Days) Oscar…AnonymusTo appreciate the scarcity of a songwriter like Montreal, Quebec’s Rani Kayaleh, one must reflect on just how much standards of artist quality have changed. During the more forward-thinking and creative eras of music history that have long since passed us by, being worldly and cultured were not so much recommended virtues, they were prerequisites. But as the cheapest and most hollow traits of Western pop culture become entertainment benchmarks around the world, effectively eradicating irreplaceable cultural and intellectual gains achieved in centuries past, a glaring emptiness exists where once revolutionary philosophers and artists entertained and educated others in a rich cultural landscape.Supporters of true, independent songwriting deserve to be shown what they have been missing in the genre popularized by Dylan half-a-century ago. Someone so unpredictable, so un-pin-down-able, that you are compelled by the force of fascination to focus on what he could do next. Rani Kayaleh, a compulsive thinker and songwriter has been entertaining audiences in his native Nicosia, Cyprus since the ripe age of 8. Drawing on influences ranging from Classical, to R&B, as far as to Metal, Rani is a poised performer whose comfort in assuming the most distinct aspects of each genre is far from a new development in his career. He was the lead rolein a musical as early as the ages of 13 and 14 at the American International School, and lead in the High School Opera "A Little Nightmare Music," both of which received front-cover press in the Cyprus Weekly, one of the island’s most widely-read papers. Age 15 saw Rani begin his long line of television appearances, which included showcasing his own compositions, performing live with his band for World Peace Day, was a featured performer at a high-profile cancer benefiting street marathon, and finally winning Most Valuable Performer at the cross-Middle-East choir championships in Jordan. He was only getting started.Rani honoured his new Canadian citizenship in 1998 by spreading love at countless open mikes and coffee houses around the Greater Toronto area as a man with his guitar, and soon formed Cedar Azureus as singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter, a band that stood out in the indie rock scene and were invited to numerous live radio appearances and televised events in the process. His infectious personality soon garnering him acclaim in Toronto as an MC who fused European styling with Hip-Hop and R&B, his popularity saw him featured at exclusive parties abroad including Cyprus and the U.K., where the London institution Slammin’ Vinyl plugged him in to MC at the 2001 Milton Keynes Rave, a globally-acclaimed showcase of the top DJs in House, Drum’n’ Bass, and Old School from all across Europe. (6000 people 3 warehouses)His heart yearning to rock once more, Rani moved yet again, this time to Montreal, Quebec, where he founded the progressive rock unit Speakervoice in 2006 and recorded with the band a full-length with ex-Slaves on Dope (Bieler Bros./Divine Recordings) guitarist and Uplift Productions owner Kevin Jardine at the production helm. The band quickly became a featured item on webzines across the country, and their appearance at the Fringe Festival only cemented their rising status. Opening slots for Montreal legends Anonymus and Dead Brain Cells, along with a sold-out Hard Rock Café performance where he featured his solo work with other artists he worked with, saw Speakervoice’s and Rani's continued rise. His tastes growing heavier, he joined ex-3 Mile Scream project The Catalyst in 2008, yet another standout project which would turn out to be one of the most memorable acts at Montreal’s increasingly-cited Moshcore Festival at Club Soda. Rani was noted for having infectious and commercial vocals bringing listeners to the catalyst and genre itself. He considers the band a guilty pleasure; took it as far as he could and left on great terms, as his true aim is to get back to his roots as a lone singer-songwriter and create an opportunity for himself to bend every genre-crossing rule in the book in the process.His track record as an entertainer has known no boundaries. During his free time, Rani has also managed to compose film scores and soundtrack songs, of which were entered in film festivals, as well as mentoring young singers, spanning Opera to Metal, about career development and vocal training. Rani’s life fabric consists of being not only a pioneering and revered songwriter, but also a radical and progressive academic, accomplished philosopher, and avid traveler, is a man of modern ideas cut from the rare cloth of old world values. Wearing a thirst for new experiences and an open mind to new cultures, ideas, and styles like matching full-sleeves of tattoos, there are no paths Rani won’t consider in his quest to learn and teach through his musical craft.-Mike Reinharz, Biographer
