Singer Dana Razik features in composer Afzal Yusuff’s new video, ‘Veendum’

Dana is a YouTube sensation, with her covers of film songs often crossing a million views

Dana Razik’s voice is familiar to most music-loving Malayalais. The covers of film songs she did during the lockdown gained millions of views on YouTube in a matter of days since they were uploaded. And Dana became a celebrity in no time. “The response was overwhelming. And I was truly humbled. It also makes me want to keep singing,” says Dana.

Her cover of ‘Theerame’ in Malik crossed a million views soon after it premiered in 2021. ‘Sundaranyavane’ from Oru Halal Love Story, too, crossed the million mark. Dana says she tries to give each song her best. “I listen to a song at least a 100 times before singing it. A singer can afford to take a few liberties when singing a cover, but it is just that I want to do complete justice to the original,” says Dana. 

She features in composer Afzal Yusuff’s most recent single, ‘Veendum’, penned by Kaviprasad Gopinath. Released on YouTube last week, the melodious composition is a nostalgic take on a young woman revisiting her childhood. Dana got a chance to send Afzal her voice sample during an online musical discussion during the COVID-19 lockdown; impressed by her voice, Afzal gave her the song ‘Veendum’.

Though Dana is no stranger to doing videos for her YouTube channel, acting in a music video was a first. “It was a great learning experience for me. We recorded the song in a day and shooting took only about three days,” she says.

The self-taught singer from Thalassery is currently based in Kochi, doing her second year graduation in Political Science from Maharaja’s College. She is also training in Hindustani music.

Hailing from a family of musicians, Dana says she has always been singing. She used to be a regular winner in school youth festivals, already making a name for herself through her ghazals and maappila paattu.

However, it was only in 2019 that Dana became active on social media. She started posting her songs and the response from viewers was extremely encouraging. “Thanks to social media platforms, there is a wider canvas for independent musicians. Music, unlike in the past, does not have to confine itself to films,” she says.