A multifaceted woman who achieved perfection in everything she dabbled in. Meet Rinaa Shah, India’s first woman electronic percussionist and DJ, first woman polo player, fashion entrepreneur and shoe designer, all rolled in one.
She established herself as India’s first woman electronic percussionist and electronic drummer and DJ in India and Amsterdam, and is certified as one of the top 10 DJs at the DJ School of Amsterdam. She is a regular name on the Indian party music roster (Played at Dome, Theory, Four Seasons, Arth and more), and has played live with international artists like Jay Sean and Sam Fedlt.
Rinaa’s love for music started early and she completed her Bharatnatyam degree at 14 years and Kathak degree at 19. She incorporated classical melodies into electronic songs and used different instruments to produce varied sounds. “I grew up with classical dance and wanted to revive the classical instruments in my music, so I combined these with tribal music and made it a fusion,” she narrates. Rinaa started as a drummer and percussionist and went on to study her first DJ course in Amsterdam and the advanced course in Ibiza. “I am blessed that I got a chance to play in Amsterdam and Ibiza; I pray that my hard work will take me to the best festivals.”
Rinaa blends electronic percussion, drums, tabla, sitar, and other instruments to create a unique blend of tribal and Afro-house and tech genres. “I love tribal sounds and am very inspired by African culture. Afro houses are trending all over the world and I hope I can make my own style and grow,” adds the DJ whose stage name goes by Viking Soul (that embodies the virtues of bravery, honour, loyalty, discipline, and honesty). Her music has captivated audiences and strengthened her position as one of the top DJs on the international stage.
Recently, she embarked on a new musical venture with the launch of her first Intellectual Property (IP) called the Totem Tribe — an immersive and culturally-rich music and dance experience that has performed in multiple cities. “Totem was inspired by my boutique restaurant Totem Goa based on a modern tribal theme. The tribal inspiration kept growing and we did many live performances. I got small elements from there and created Totem Tribe which is an experience that includes music with live fire acts, tribal dances and tribal music instruments,” says the percussionist who aims to take Totem Tribe across the globe and introduce audiences worldwide to the richness of this musical landscape.
Rinaa started her professional journey many years back as a shoe designer and established a firm footing in the space with her brand Rinaldi with an impressive clientele like Naomi Campbell, Natalie Portman, Goldie Hawn, Rekha, Shilpa Shetty, Kareena Kapoor, Tina Ambani and Gauri Khan. “I had the best opportunity as a shoe designer, and was the first one to make shoes on an international level and ruled the Indian market. I have created over 8,000 custom shoes for celebrities and movies,” she recalls her experience with shoe designing.
At 40, she moved on to master her next passion of being the first Indian woman patron polo player, a game that has been a topic of bravado for men for ages. “It was my childhood dream to be a sports person, Polo captured my attention and I wanted to fulfil my dream by owning a team and playing for it. It was one of the toughest things I have ever done and I loved every minute of it.”
Rinaldi Polo boasts of veteran players like Samir Suhag, Chirag Parekh, Gaurav Seghal and HH Maharaja Padmanabh Singh among others. Rinaa has played for the Umaid Bhavan polo cup, the International Ladies tournament and even won the Hermes cup in Jodhpur in 2015 and The Trunks Company Polo cup in 2017. What drew her to polo? “The majestic horses and feeling the freedom over them and carving a path for the young girls were a few of the things that pulled me to polo. I have travelled all over to play the game.”
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While playing the sport, she created a line inspired by polo, and took it all over the world to the equestrian lovers. She expanded Rinaldi Polo’s footprints to countries like Spain, Germany, Mexico, and the USA.
Rinaa looks back at her entire journey with admiration. “There were twists and turns but I have lived my life following my dreams and passions. My experiences taught me new aspects and skills. I met interesting people and travelled the world. I feel so grateful and blessed.” Her favourite one of all her passions? “Everything gave me happiness but the best feeling was while playing polo. I can’t describe my joy in words.”
How does she look at the future of women in all these fields? “There is so much talent in the world and looking at the way youngsters are achieving their goals, it is only going to grow,” she concludes.
