With his unique fusion of hip-hop, R&B, and Bollywood, the multi-talented Raghav became one of the biggest Asian crossover artists in the U.K., with a string of hit singles. Born in Toronto in 1981 and raised in Calgary by his Kayastha Uttar Pradesh Indian parents, Raghav started singing at the age of five after memorizing a Hindi tape that was on constant rotation in the family car. With the support of his parents, he began singing Indian classical music at the local temple and in his school choir. A song he wrote at age 16 was deemed worthy of a National Songwriters Association of America award, and he soon received scholarships from music schools across the U.S. After traveling to L.A. to work with vocal coach Seth Riggs, who had trained Madonna and Michael Jackson, he moved to Liverpool, where he studied at the Institute of Performing Arts. While there, he joined the R&B group 11/7, who went on to receive a nomination for Best Unsigned Act at the MOBO Awards. After being offered a solo management deal, he signed to A&R Records, where he worked with Sly & Robbie and British producer Mushtaq.