RUEBBEN Chelvan is a 28-year-old singer, songwriter, producer and performer with his roots firm in the Malaysian music scene.
With a sound that blends soul, funk, disco, jazz, blues, acoustic pop and R&B, his music is far-reaching and has garnered the attention of listeners worldwide.
His debut EP 'Live A Little' showcases his evolution as an artiste along with collaborations and sounds from various talents in the region.
PETALING JAYA
Set to perform in 'Generasi DFP' at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur at 8.30pm on Sept 25, Ruebben was born in 1996 in Puchong and grew up in Petaling Jaya.
"I studied at La Salle PJ and that was where I met my producer/guitarist Ben Variyan although we did not start making music together until we were in university," said Ruebben in a recent interview.
"I moved to the USA to pursue my degree in Civil Engineering at Purdue University. I came home after graduation in 2021."
Ruebben, the third of four siblings from a musically talented family, admitted that being a musician was not always on the radar for him.
"I aspired to become many different things at various stages of my childhood but the one thing that remained constant was music.
"It was only toward the end of secondary school and early university days that I noticed how people reacted to my music and performances that made me believe that maybe, there was something here worth pursuing," he said.
He credits his family and friends as an amazing source of support from the time he began.
"My parents have shown their support and encouraged me in more ways than buying tickets and streaming my songs."
At 16, Ruebben picked up the guitar and realised that he wanted to write songs and since then he has been having fun doing so.
"I began taking vocal lessons around the age of 11 and was given the best advice — keep singing so that I will retain my range when I hit puberty."
TRAINING
His training ground was the open mic circuits around the Klang Valley.
"Performing unfinished songs in front of crowds that know nothing of you and owe you no sympathy is one of the best ways to improve as a performer.
"I learnt so much about stage presence, interacting with people, making mistakes and owning them."
BEE GEES
Ruebben grew up listening to the sounds of the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.
For some reason, music from the 1970s and 1980s always got his groove on.
The most memorable concert he attended was a John Mayer concert in Indianapolis a decade ago.
"I've been a long time Mayer fan and what I loved about that concert was how he interacted with the crowd and made us feel like we were part of the show."
JAOTIM
His favourite performing venues in Malaysia are Merdekarya and Jaotim.
"Both places are a favourite for people in the local indie music scene and they are among the best places to meet other musicians."
He greatly enjoys working with his bandmates Ben Variyan (guitar), Matthew Ong (keyboards), Sarah Iskandar (drums), Jhayhan Rajan (bass), Najmi Zainal (trumpet) and Zulhusni (trombone).
"Over the past few years, they have helped to bring the vision of my songs to life and we have spent many studio sessions toiling over the various permutations of the songs to find the best version that ends up on streaming sites."
OVERSEAS
When asked about his next projects, Ruebben said that he has two more new releases planned for the end of the year.
Next year he will play in more live shows and music festivals and he also hopes to perform overseas.
"If I ever have the opportunity, there are three venues I would love to headline in the future — the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, the O2 Arena in London, and DFP alongside the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra!"
Ruebben would love to take on the challenge of writing for or scoring an entire movie and dreams of performing a song for the opening or ending of an anime as Japanese cartoons have been a huge influence on his childhood.