Circa 1972.
A mundane Government job in Delhi…
A wife and a son to support…
The arc lights of Bombay seemed a lifetime away for Trilok Singh Loomba and his family. However, this was also the time when his musical composition on the theme of freedom had won him the prestigious National Award. It was perhaps all the encouragement he required to move to Bombay, in the hope to convert the momentum garnered with the win of the National Award into a successful career in music. The decision to move to Bombay was a calculated risk for Trilok, his wife Veera and their son Rishabh. For years to come, Trilok Singh Loomba straddled two diverse worlds – that of a government officer by day and music composer by night.

Soon the family added a fourth member … a baby girl they decided to name Raageshwari. Her birth was reflective of the transition the family had undergone and yet she also symbolised the growing presence of music in their lives. Her name, meaning ‘queen of ragas’ was a clear indication of what destiny had in store for her. ‘Ragz’ as she is popularly known today, is a nickname that she was given while working with Sunil Sahjwani and his team behind the scenes of ‘BPL Oye’.

Raageshwari’s formative years were spent in the humble environs of middle-class Bombay. Her parents worked overtime in order to make ends meet, but never stopped short of providing the best for their children. Their days would often begin at 5 am as they finished their daily household chores before heading to work, only to return late in the evening.

The time that the four of them spent together was quality time in the true sense of the term. Rishabh and Raageshwari grew up in a household that came alive when their parents returned home from work. Their evenings were filled with fun, laughter, friendly banter and above all, MUSIC. Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Shankar-Jaikishen and others who inspired their father, in return formed the musical influences that Raageshwari grew up with.

While her father formed the major source of creative influences in Raageshwari’s life, her mother Veera on the other hand, became what she describes in retrospect as the “invisible force” in her life, providing a sense of solidarity at home. It came as no surprise when Raageshwari, an extrovert, took to the performing arts early on in life. Her love for the microphone grew so intense, that if she ever saw one anywhere - be it an office, a school function, or even her father’s presentation at work- she would cry till she got to sing “Come, come rain, come again” on the microphone and entertain those around her.