Veejay Ramkissoon: Classical-Singing Champ of the Caribbean
A son of Diego-Martin, grandson of culture and great-grandchild of tradition, Veejay Ramkissoon emanates a heart-warming charm. Filling the souls of hundreds with the sweetness of his youthful voice, Veejay captivates the minds of great audiences. Though he is graced with many accolades and the triumphs of many competitions, his gentle smile discloses his humility and simple disposition. At 21 years of age, Veejay currently holds the title Classical-Singing Champ of the Caribbean. He is a member of the SWAHA Sri Raam Dhaam in Diego-Martin (literally so, as his house is actually next to the temple).
Veejay learnt to sing and compose songs in Hindi from his late Nanna Sookdeo Sookraj. Mr. Sookraj remains Veejay’s constant inspiration, and it was always a joy for Vejay to listen to his grandfather and look at him play the harmonium. From the tender age of 4, Veejay began to feed his hunger for music and was gently guided by Mr. Sookraj. Veejay’s first public performance was in the Mastana Bahar competition, where he was true crowd-pleaser. He is usually accompanied by his younger brother Sunil on the dhantal and his “big brother” Narvin Ramkissoon on the dholak. Travelling to almost every corner of Trinidad, the group sings at many Hindu and Islamic functions like weddings and yagnas. Now very popular on Aakash Vaani 106.5FM, Veejay can be heard live by hundreds in the live audiences and thousands on the radio airwaves.
Upon the invitation of his Guru and Spiritual Leader of Swaha Sri Raam Dhaam, High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago to the Republic of India Pundit Maniedeo Persad, Veejay was a cultural-representative in India for the April-May 2004 Trinidad-Indian Arrival Day Celebrations in New Delhi. Veejay sat amongst North-India’s finest artists and that experience he has described as being “the opportunity of a lifetime which I hold special to my heart.” Veejay has become quite popular in Swaha as he was victorious in Swaha’s Sri Ganesh Festival Bhajan-Singing Competition in 2002, and the Swadeshe Competition in the category of Bhajan Singing. In 2004, he led Swaha Sri Raam Dhaam to second place in Swaha’s Devi Geet and Ramayana-Singing Competition. Veejay has achieved at a young age what many other artists can only dream of accomplishing.
The late Shankaracharya of Swaha, Pundit Hari Prasad, was particularly fond of Veejay’s singing. Many times after yagna at Swaha Sri Raam Dhaam, Veejay would sit and serenade him with a few songs – moments which were mutually delightful. Presently, Veejay spends his time composing bhajans, learning Hindi, and learning Music under the guidance of Srimati Ruby Mallik at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation.
Article by Ronald Chuckaree
Video
7 Comments
Leave A Reply
Connect With Us
I’ve had the opportunity of meeting Mr. Veejay Ramkissoon personally and getting to know him and I must say that even after all of these achievements he is a very friendly approachable person and is “down-to-earth”.
Personally, I think he is one of the best singers we have in Trinidad and I hope God continues to bless him.
veejai, is like a brother to me. he shows such great ammount of humility, and politeness when he speaks to u. his vocal abilities is amazing. it mesmerizes me every time i hear him sing. i hope god gives him the strenght to keep singing and may his humility grow with that also. gods blessings bhaiyah.
veejai is a really nice person and i should know cause he is my brother. he never lets fame go to his head!
Hi, i do not know veejai ramkissoon personally, but my opinion about him is that he is the best, most wonderful and blessed singer in Trinidad. He has a very sweet and peaceful voice. Apart from his talent, he is very openminded, kind, intelligent and always keeps a smile on his face.Veejai has a high degree of profession and is sensitive towards culture and heritage. He also has a lovely family. His brother, Sunil, is also very talented and will also be described like his brother.
I’ve known Veejai for a long time,and he is like a son to me.He is a very humble person with a sweet voice,I’ve always admired him and his family.Some of my fond memories are when we attended the Sonu Nigam show and Veejai met him personelly,also Jayaand Reshma was there.too.
I have had the pleasure of being Veejai’s girlfriend for the past five years. He is kind hearted, “down-to-earth” and is an extraoridinary musician with a charming voice. Veejai has been a dedicated boyfriend who has asked for my hand in marriage. What I admire about Veejai is his simplicity and his modesty. I must say I admire Veejai and wishes him all the best in all his future endeavours
I saw this video a couple of months ago and thought will I ever hear him sing live. Well I heard him sang live today at a friend’s home and there is no doubt this guy can sing. I just hope and pray that he succeeds in all his ventures and take his career even to even greater heights.