ENT Legends Presents: Rini

A purveyor of slow and sensual R&B, Rini rose to success at the end of the 2010s with heavily streamed hits like “My Favourite Clothes” and “Meet Me in Amsterdam.” The Filipino-born singer/songwriter began his career in Melbourne, then later moved to Los Angeles after his career began to take off. He made his full-length debut in 2021 with the Warner-issued Constellations, followed a year later by the Ultraviolet EP.

Rini was born Justerini Sandoval in the late ’90s, and his earliest musical memories came from his parents’ CD collection, which encompassed everything from the R&B of Michael Jackson to the rock of Bon Jovi. His father was often away at sea and collected instruments on his travels, resulting in Sandoval having a guitar of his own on which he learned his first chords. At the age of ten, he moved with his family to Melbourne and soon become part of a local church community. Bandmates there taught him how to play keyboards, bass, and drums. Before long, Rini was uploading heartfelt covers of R&B chart hits online, and by the age of 17 was writing his own material.