The crowd was filled with smiles, people swaying back and forth, couples embracing. Everyone was dressed in brightly colored dresses, skirts and flowy shirts, with faces adorned with jewels and colorful makeup. The stage was decorated with soothing purples, pinks and blues, and a flower decorated the microphone as the first two openers took the stage, drowning out the chatter from the audience. Lightning Bug, followed up by Renao, set the scene and vibe for Raveena—a queer Indian singer—who was eagerly anticipated by the mainly queer and diverse audience.
Raveena Aurora, an American singer and songwriter, performed at Union Transfer on May 18 as part of her “Where the Butterflies Tour in the Rain” tour. When Lightning Bug opened the show, the crowd felt safe, swaying together as she strung her first note on her guitar. Her voice was gentle, the song was slow and soothing and the audience was mesmerized by her strumming fingers. She set the tone for what this concert was supposed to be: a sense of home, tranquillity and unity. She played a few songs, interspersed with laughs and chuckles about how this was one of her first performances, and smiled as the audience smiled back.
Renao, an Indian singer, was the second opener. The lights dimmed the moment he entered the stage, with a red light shining behind him as he swayed the audience with his strumming guitar. On his one song, “Jasmine,” he asked the audience if anyone was named Jasmine, dedicating the song to them as the slow, sweet highs and lows played for the audience. The audience swayed their lights to the music and listened in awe.
The lights dimmed once more as the audience began chanting, “RAVEENA, RAVEENA, RAVEENA.” The crowd screamed for her, and soft music from her song “We Should Move Somewhere Beautiful” began to play. Raveena, who was clothed in a flowy pink dress, danced slowly onto the stage, followed by two background dancers who moved and swayed behind her with translucent blue silk sheets. They all moved in unison as Raveena’s voice serenaded the audience.
The dancers moved around Raveena, performing traditional Indian dances. Their presence created an ethereal atmosphere as she sang at the mic adorned with the same flower featured on the cover of her recently released album “Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain.” When she finished her first song, the audience screamed as she waved and smiled, welcoming them as she began her next song, “Pluto.” The song had a more upbeat feel to it, with the dancers breaking out in more funk-like moves. Raveena’s voice was soft and gentle, harmonies taking up the chorus, and her arm swung right and left, signaling to the audience to sway with her.
“I always liked the vibe of her music. The songs’ emotional impact is what matters. She goes a little high with her notes, then a little low with a deep note and then she incorporates traditional Indian drums and instruments, mixing her culture with more American-style music.” Prabh Kaur, a concertgoer and photographer, expressed her love for Raveena’s music. “A lot of people pick and choose when it comes to their identities, but with her it’s a part of who she is.” This sentiment was conveyed throughout Raveena’s show. Songs like “Kismet,” “Kehna Hi Kya” and other popular songs incorporate Indian dances, instrumentals and dances, which Raveena expresses as she dances and sways along. She proudly represented her culture and identity.
As part of her identity, particularly her queerness, she invited a queer couple on stage for one of her songs, and they danced in the background while she sang. Other couples smiled as they saw the representation on stage. She dedicated another song to her experience as a “lover girl” and her feelings for another girl.
However, what made her concert truly unique was the guided meditation she included in the middle of it. She wanted the room to breathe together by “letting the silence wash over the room” and making everyone feel as if they were one with her. She guided the room through breathing and ended the meditation with sweet, vocal tones and traditional music that shook the room. Following a beautiful representation of unity, her next song provided a tranquil, floating feeling.
“She was reinvigorating. From her dances to her concepts to her representation, her take on contemporary music was beautiful and inspiring to see,” Stormy, another concertgoer, said as she witnessed all of Raveena’s performances for the first time.
She ended the concert with her song “Rise,” which she dedicated to Palestine and represents standing up to oppression and other issues in our society. Singing “Rise up every morning, asking spirit for the truth, is my peace a given? Or do I have to choose?…rise up,” as everyone joined her in singing “Do you rise?” at the end of the chorus. Everyone in the crowd waved their arms as Raveena gave an astounding final performance. She then sang her high notes during an equally stunning encore, grinning and thanking the Philadelphia audience for an amazing evening. As the audience left, the stage, now empty, still had the microphone and the pink flowers wrapped around the center. Raveena’s music transported them that night to a place that felt like peace.