Rakesh Yankaran

Rakesh Yankaran, nicknamed The Raja[2] (pronounced [rɑːkeːɕə jəⁿkərənə]; born 12 March 1959) is an Indo-Trinidadian musician.[3] He is the son of the late Indian classical musician, Isaac Yankarran and brother of the late Indian classical and chutney musicians Anand, Suresh, and Sharm Yankaran.[4] His grandfather came from Andhra Pradesh, India to Trinidad and Tobago during the indentured labour times.[5] He is a self-taught musician. As a child, young Rakesh loved to listen to his father sing. As a teen he started to play music himself. Today he is a professional chutney artist. He can play the Indian instruments tabla, dholak, harmonium, dhantal, and the tassa drum.

Rakesh Yankaran
Rakesh Yankaran performing at the Chutney Soca Monarch.
Background information
Birth name	Rakesh Yankarran
Also known as	The Raja
Born	(1959-12-03) 3 December 1959 [1] Brickfield, Carapichaima, Trinidad and Tobago
Origin	Central Trinidad
Genres	Chutney, Bhajans, Kirtan, Indian classical, Indian folk
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals, Harmonium, Dholak, Tabla, Dhantal
Years active	1974-present
Labels	Praimsingh Productions
Associated acts	Rasika Dindial, Ravi B, Raymond Ramnarine

Rakesh Yankaran was born in Brickfield, Carapichaima, Trinidad and Tobago and is of Telugu and Bhojpuri Indian descent.[6] He began his career in 1974, but first gained national acclaim in 1991 with Dadiyya Moday Lay Lay. Other hits include Mousie, Dulahin Chale Sasural and Naroro Ray. He won the National Chutney Monarch competition in 1996 and 1997[2] and 2008,[7] and the National Traditional Chutney Monarch in 2008.[2]