Meet Rahana of Echo Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rahana.

Hi Rahana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always loved to sing- my mom used to say I was born singing. I often got lead parts in school plays, and it always felt like my path. When I was 14, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I stopped singing, and much of my life revolved around her health and finding small escapes from it as she continued to recur. That experience led me into healthcare, where I became a licensed Occupational Therapist.
After working in hospitals for a while, I injured my back while transferring a patient and was told I couldn’t return to work. As hard as that was, it opened the door for me to finally pursue what I’d always wanted- to make music. Music became my way to heal, and I hope it offers the same for others, especially those who have spent time caring for others and are learning to live for themselves.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’ve learned to see the blessings in the redirections. Starting over after a major injury and having to leave a stable career at the same time as losing my mother was terrifying. There were period of self-doubt, financial uncertainty, and the challenge of rebuilding my identity. But those same challenges deepened my sense of purpose, intuition, and trust in myself.
Being in LA has also stretched me – it’s a city that tests your resilience and rewards your persistence. The more I grind and grow, the more it opens up. I’ve had the chance to collaborate with incredible musicians, share stages with artists such as Andra Day and Leon Thomas, and now have my vocal samples featured in the Grammy Museum. My goal is to keep creating music that feels authentic, offering a sense of release and connection, feels good in the body, and maybe makes you do a little stank face at the same time haha. I see music as medicine, and if it brings someone peace, then I’ve done my job.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a singer, songwriter, bassist, engineer, and producer. More than anything, I’m known for singing and playing bass. My work lives at the intersection of soul, R&B, and jazz – I love weaving textures, harmonies, and bass lines that feel both grounding and ethereal. The first time I played a full song using just the bass string on my guitar, it was love. I see my bass as the yang to my voice’s yin – they balance and complete each other. Growing up in the Bay Area, the music I grew up with was very bass-heavy, and there’s something about that frequency that just feels resonant in my bones.

I’m really proud of my latest release, Rahana’s Garden. I had actually experienced a betrayal in a relationship, and instead of feeling victimized, I decided to call it out. There are so many ways to look at a situation- which will you stand on? In the past, I didn’t always write how I truly felt because I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but this time I decided to let that go. The metaphor in the song is about a snake I should’ve never let into my garden. The lyrics and visuals paint an Eve-in-the-Garden-of-Eden backdrop, with vines and my friends alongside me in our goddess element. We made a music video with Top Shelf Productions and Mi Clandestina that I think is just stunning. I hope people can resonate with it and sing along as a way of taking back their own power. Rahana’s Garden represents strength in vulnerability, rebirth and returning to yourself. Since the release, I’ve had people message me saying “shoulda never let him/her in my garden”, and it makes me so happy to know that it connects with them. I think it’s such a fun song too, and am so grateful to my producer and co-writer Maur Kii for helping me alchemize this experience into a beautiful work of art.

Beyond my artistry, I create sound-healing vocal sample packs through my platform, SoulTune (soultune.world). I started making samples for other companies, and when I saw how well they did, decided to build my own space to share them directly. Before focusing on music, I specialized in neurorehabilitation as an OT, and I’ve always been fascinated by the connection between sound and the brain. I love blending these worlds – exploring how frequencies, harmonies, and textures can support emotion and healing.

I hope the stories and emotions in my music help people feel seen. I now write honestly about my own experiences, even the uncomfortable ones, because naming them helps them process. I’ve always felt that’s the magic of music; when someone else’s song says something you’ve felt but couldn’t quite express, it becomes resonant and facilitates integration of the experience. What I’m most proud of is that intention behind my work. Everything I create is meant to feel good or help release something in the body and soul – whether it’s a song, a performance, or a sample.

How do you think about happiness?
My dad. My family. My friends. Gordos burritos. Coconut water. Hiking or a walk around Lake Merritt or Echo Park. The occasional microdose adventure. I love traveling, I love loving, learning new languages, performing, dancing, learning new basslines, and lately expanding my vocal range and runs has brought me a lot of joy. Singing in nature is a big one. Knowing that the people I care about are happy and healthy. I’ve lived in 5 countries now and while I still love to travel, I’ve really learned the people are more important than the place. Those deep, authentic connections where you can be yourself. Messy and true, and love others in their form with all of their unique, endearing parts. So really the answer is love.

Humans are meant to connect. The more I connect with others, with myself, and through music, the happier I am. Helping people makes me feel grounded and whole. Music is that intersection for me; it’s intimate and alive. If I can keep creating with good people, growing in this work to my fullest capacity, and making a positive impact through sound, that’s real happiness for me in my career.

Pricing:

• Hook- $250
• Bassline- $200
• Songwriting / Toplining – Inquire
• Performance – Inquire
• Vocal Sample Creation (Custom Pack or One-Shot) – Inquire

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.Rahana.World
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rahanasound/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/shorts/kCoj4QtDcMw?si=l5U9RzaOanP5L2JG
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3P2W19CZJyaKoM2bwOLoIJ?si=IpRGqDhyQGSxIrW3ld5YAg

Image Credits
Max Carmenar, Tre Pearson, Top Shelf Productions