Siva Kaneswaran
Siva Kaneswaran is a young Irish model and singer best known for his movie-star looks and as a member of the British boy band the Wanted.
Synopsis
Born on November 16, 1988, in Dublin, Ireland, Siva Kaneswaran's peaceful, creative soul led him first to modeling and then to music. His exotic looks, the result of having Irish and Sri Lankan parents, drew the attention of modeling agents, and at age 16 he signed a modeling contract. Through modeling, he was noticed and asked to audition for a new British boy band, the Wanted, which went on to score two No. 1 singles in the United Kingdom.
Early Life
Siva Kaneswaran was born on November 16, 1988, in the Blanchardstown section of Ireland's capital city, Dublin. He grew up in a large family—with seven siblings, including a twin brother, Kumar—of mixed parentage: His mother is Irish, while his father is Sri Lankan. From a young age, he was noticed for his height and his movie-star looks. At age 16, he was scouted by a modeling agency, Storm Model Management. While appearing in advertising campaigns and modeling in runway fashion shows, he learned that many of the physically beautiful people he came in contact with were not necessarily beautiful inside. Siva and his twin, Kumar, appeared in the 2008 U.K. drama series Rock Rivals, playing the roles of twins Carson and Caleb Coombs. The twin siblings also appeared in an episode of the British children's television show Uncle Max, also in 2008.
It was through an advertisement that Kaneswaran was spotted by Jayne Collins, who put together European pop groups Parade and The Saturdays. He was invited to become part of a huge national audition process in England and Ireland to cast members of a new pop group. The resulting group was a five-member boy band called the Wanted, comprised of Kaneswaran, Max George, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker and Nathan Sykes.
Career
Driven by legions of excitable female fans, the Wanted made an immediate impact on the music charts, much like other recent boy bands such as 'N Sync, The Backstreet Boys and their current homegrown rival for fan attention, Brit boy band One Direction. The band's 2010 debut album, The Wanted, rose to No. 4 on the U.K. album charts, and included the No. 1 single "All Time Low." Their second No. 1 hit, "Glad You Came," came from their second album, Battleground (2011).
Personal Life
Kaneswaran is the younger brother of Hazel Kaneswaran, a former contestant on the U.K. reality show Popstars: The Rivals and former member of the singing group Dove. He has dated luxury shoe designer Nareesha McCaffrey for over four years, making him the only member of the Wanted to have a long-term relationship. In 2010, he was briefly romantically linked to superstar singer Rihanna. He is known to be soft-spoken and down-to-earth, and enjoys spending time in his home studio, writing and recording music.
