Australian Singer-songwriter Reuben De Melo on his Goan roots, global collaborations and more

Tucked away in a corner of Goa where he speaks to us from, Australian singer-songwriter Reuben De Melo is in the midst of recording a music video for a new song slated to release early next year. “I am here in my village after nearly six years, with my family, and it feels truly special,” he says. This trip is a significant one, both professionally and personally for the musician, who was the winner of The Voice, Australia, in 2024. 

For the first time, Reuben, who was born in Goa and is now based in Perth, will be coming to Chennai as a part of his India tour to bring his music to audiences here, for ‘A Night with Reuben De Melo’ at Radio Room on Wednesday. “I will be doing a mix of originals which include my latest EP When The Show’s All Over as well as covers, encompassing folk, acoustic-driven pop, and reggae” he says, of the set list planned. 

A mining worker turned full-time musician, Reuben says he was raised on reggae and country music, and credits Bob Marley and The Wailers as massive influences as well as Johnny Cash. “Goan singers like Lorna Corderio and Alfred Rose too were major influences for me. Goan music is so eclectic, sort of like a calypso-jazz fusion, and it is all about rebelling, standing up for your rights and for each other. I always get a feeling of family from our music,” he says.  

His win on The Voice, Reuben says, has allowed him to put his music in front of audiences internationally. “Now when I tour across Australia or other parts of the world, I do have people come up and request some of my original music. This has given my songs and my identity as an original artiste a lot more credibility,” he explains. 

As he gears up for his concert in Chennai, Reuben says the word ‘performing’ is a daunting one, and he prefers to think of it as expressing himself. “When you say performance, you think it is for the people rather than yourself. But when you express yourself, it allows you to be vulnerable, open and encourages reciprocation,” he says. 

With global collaborations like Ed Sheeran’s ‘Sapphire’ dominating the music discourse in India through 2025, Reuben says that he has been exploring collaborations with Indian artistes as well, and has also been in touch with musicians Dhruv Ganekar and Raghav Sachar. 

“Music is vital, especially when you have the respect to sing or try to sing in different languages or collaborate with other nations. I would love to collaborate with every nation in the world,” he says. 

At Radio Room, MRC Nagar, on December 3. RSVP mandatory. Contact 80725 98838