Rajkiran Alexander was a state-level cricketer, before he met with an accident, rendering him bedridden for 14 months. Music came to his rescue, when he realised that he couldn’t play cricket anymore (He was preparing intensely to play for India). Now, he is a well-known DJ, having performed at the Tree of Life Festival and Back to Nature Festival in Turkey, bringing in artistes such as Laughing Buddha, Murthovic and more, to perform in the city. That’s not all. At a recent event in the city, this 33-year-old requested for a unique entry charge — people should “pay” textbooks and colouring books as the entry fee! The hundreds of books that were collected thus, were donated to an orphanage. For his next event, he will collect plant saplings (that will be planted across the city), rain coats and blankets for the street dwellers.
Talking about what got him into music, Raj elaborates, “It was my first trip to Goa and I was recovering from an accident. After I got tuned into this ‘Happy Fast Beat’ music, I could take my first steps. This is after the doctor said I wouldn’t be able to walk anymore. What was more surprising was the affection and care shown by people who I was meeting for the first time. I immediately knew that this was more than just a party.”
Raj also helps people with job interviews, through his initiative NeeRa Gatherings. His friend, Azam, who delivered milk for a living, is now a manager at Bank of America. “Most people are academically good, but are unable to break through interviews. Through mock interviews over the phone, on Skype or face-to-face, we help them build the confidence to face an interviewer. As we didn’t want to involve money through this initiative, VR1 Gatherings was formed for hosting events,” he says.
According to Raj, music has the potential to heal and make us aware of our surroundings. “Music and dance connects us to who we really are and it also has the potential to heal our mental blocks. I was completely low after the accident and knew my cricketing career was over. It was because of music that I am back on my feet,” says Raj, adding that he now wants to get into music production; Murthovic is his inspiration.
Raj, who’s also a volunteer at Sadhguru’s Isha Foundation was inspired by his grandfather to pursue yoga as a way of life. “I thank my dad for teaching me that there are no shortcuts to success,” he says.
