Priya Ragu

Priya Ragu, born in 1986 to Sri Lankan-Tamil parents in Switzerland, is a Swiss singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in 2020 with her debut single, “Good Love 2.0.” Raised in Canton St. Gallen City, she was immersed in her Tamil heritage through family jam sessions and performances in her father’s Kollywood-inspired band, where she sang alongside her father on tabla and her brother, Japhna Gold, on keyboard. Despite her conservative parents’ disapproval of Western music, she secretly practiced pop songs and continued nurturing her musical passion while working as an accountant and technical buyer for Swiss International Air Lines in Zürich. In 2017, she briefly moved to New York to chase her musical dreams but ultimately began collaborating remotely with Japhna Gold. Together, they created a unique blend of R&B, soul, hip hop, and Tamil music they called “Ragu Wavy.” This collaboration led to her critically acclaimed debut mixtape damnshestamil, released in 2020, featuring standout tracks like “Chicken Lemon Rice,” “Kamali,” and “Santhosam”—the latter including lyrics written by her mother. The breakout success of “Good Love 2.0” earned airplay on BBC Radio’s Future Sounds and landed her a deal with Warner Music. Since then, Priya has been featured in British Vogue, BBC Radio 1, and the FIFA 21 soundtrack and was recognized by Vogue India as one of the top six musicians to watch in 2021.