Rana
Born November 16th, 1981, this singer/songwriter began her journey as an artist when she was only four years old. From the moment she could reach the keys on the piano, she knew what she was born to do. Even before graduating Berklee College of Music in 2003, the Northern Virginia native has been playing in notable music venues in and around DC, New York, Boston, along the East Coast in bars and clubs such as Felix in Adam's Morgan, The Bitter End, The Underscore, and Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, and Bill's Bar, Copperfield's, and Harper's Ferry in Boston, MA. Rana is very spirited and extremely determined, and she shall continue to strive toward her ultimate goal, whether it is via a cult following or with international recognition, to touch people, to move people, to inspire people.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
www.myspace.com/ranamansour
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
I play the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown (Washington DC), at the Felix Lounge in Adam's Morgan (Washington DC) on Wednesday nights, and also at other venues on specific dates. Check back often!
Your musical influences
So many great musicians out there. It's all about the music that is created from the pure and simple love for it. Here are a few: Sting, Sting, Sting, Sheryl Crow, Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, Al Green, Chopin, Ray Charles, Beethoven, My dad, ex-boyfriends (if I had a dime for every song I wrote about an ex...), Rumi, Crosby Stills & Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, The Foo Fighters/Dave Grohl, The Counting Crows, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dave Matthews (the later stuff), Tom Petty, Pete Yorn, Ryan Adams, The Wallflowers, Stone Temple Pilots, Seal, George Michael (I know, I know, but you can't deny that some of his stuff is really good), Prince, Nikka Costa, Fiona Apple, John Williams, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss and Union Station, did I already mention Sting?, Chick Korea, Rimsky-Korsakov, Janis Joplin, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Radiohead, Albert Camus, my 12th grade English teacher, Muse, Elton John, U2, The Funk Brothers, Steely Dan, Garth Brooks, Harry Connick Jr., The Smashing Pumpkins, Howard Shore, I know I'm leaving out so many people but the list goes on and on...
What equipment do you use?
I lucked out as a singer/songwriter. All I really need is my keyboard, my mic, and my voice. A band is always nice, though.
Anything else?
I've learned that sometimes you have to take a couple of steps back in order to move forward. ANYBODY can do ANYTHING they want to do. Four wise men once said, "All you need is love." I couldn't agree with them more.
