BOSTON—Meet Selina Banerjee, a 13-year-old 8th-grader at the Boston Latin School, who has produced her first professional CD, which will be released during the upcoming Learn Quest Academy of Music Conference April 18-20 in Greater Boston. She is Learn Quest Academy’s first student to producer her own album.
“It is a very proud moment for Learn Quest that one of our students has produced a professional CD after learning music at the school for six years,” said Pradeep Shukla, president of Learn Quest Academy of Music. “She started learning music at the school when she was only six year old. We are very excited that professional musicians have made the track for her songs.”
Banerjee’s debut album, Aayee Bahaar, is a tribute to her illustrious great-grandfather Pankaj Mullick. The album has 8 Hindi songs, seven of which are from films. It was recorded at Kolkata’s historic HMV Recording Studios where all the great singers and composers of the Indian film industry have recorded songs.
“Selina makes us Bostonians very proud of her accomplishments and she continues to amaze me. Congratulations to her, her mother and teacher Pradeep Shukla,” said Siraj Khan, who gave Banerjee one of the first opportunities to sing Bollywood songs in public in Boston. “Selina brings a new and fresh flavor to these unforgettable hits of her great grandfather.”
Khan said that Banerjee’s great grandfather, Mullick, who along with RC Boral, is credited with introducing playback singing to the Indian cinema, was not only an excellent composer, but also a great singer himself. Among his immortal numbers are Ae kaatib-e-taqdeer, Chale pawan ki chaal, Do naina matwaare (also sung by KL Saigal), Ye raatein ye mausam and, of course, Aayee Bahaar. Some of the Saigal gems are in fact, composed by Pankaj Mullick e.g. Mein kia janoon kia jadoo hai.
“Selina has been an integral component of most of the musical events in which I have been involved with in Boston. In fact, more often than not, she has opened the program with her lovely voice and set the tone for the entire evening,” Khan said. “One of the most unforgettable experiences of my life has been when she was on stage with me opening the Geeta Dutt tribute evening Hawaaon ke Taraane on May 14, 2011 with Jeevan ke pat khol re tohe pia milenge, just three days after her father’s death.”
Banerjee is a talented singer of the younger generation who comes from a musical family. Her paternal grandfather Mr. Pranab Banerjee was a musician and lyricist at All India Radio in Kolkata for more than 50 years, and her maternal great grandfather Mullick is a celebrated name in Hindi and Bengali film music and an early exponent of Rabindrasangeet.
Selina started learning music at the age of two years from her mother. Then, she started receiving her formal training in Hindustani classical vocal music since the age of six under Pradeep Shukla at Learn Quest Academy of Music in Waltham. She is blessed with a mellifluous voice and enjoys singing both light and classical music and western music.
Banerjee’s first performed a solo Bengali song (a Salial Choudhury song) at age of 5 at the a Bengali Organization in Boston, as a part of their cultural program during Durga Puja. She has been singing from the age of 2 years.
“Selina was interested in music at a very young age. The musical environment at home probably attracted her towards music,” said her mother, Sucharita Banerjee, adding that her daughter is a versatile girl:
· She is a recognized member of the Treble Choir and Gospel Choir at her school.
· In early April, she will participate in the Gospel music festival in Ithaca, New York.
· She has been selected twice in Junior District Music festival of Massachusetts in 2013 and 2014.
· She participated in a summer program at Berklee College of Music in 2012.
· She sings in Bengali, Hindi, other Indian languages, and English.
· Banerjee has also published a book, My Preschool Graduation, at the age of 6 (available in book stores and at Amazon.com).
· She started swimming at the age of 18 months. Now she is a recognized member of Boston Flaherty Swim team.
In addition, Banerjee has participated in many local events of the O.P. Nayyar Memorial Trust such as O.P. Nayyar Nites and Geeta Dutt Nite. She has also participated and won awards in the New England Hindi Manch Sa Re Ga Ma Pa competitions, Boston Sargam singing competition, LearnQuest Academy of Music’s classical music competition. She performed at the annual award function of Celestial Minds. She also has performed with her school’s Treble and Gospel Choir at school events and Black History month celebrations around Boston.
The recording of Banerjee’s debut album was done at the HMV Studio in Kolkata during her visit to her grandparents in July 2013. It took almost two years from start to finish.
“The main reason for the long time is that the tracks were made and the recording was done in India, but she could only go to India during the summer,” said her mother. “Though studio was booked for 6 days for recording, she finished her recording in 3 days.”
The CD will be marketed in India by Mystica Music Pvt. Limited, India. All the copyright of the CD belongs to Sucharita SenBanerjee. Music of the CD was arranged by Ashis Sengupta, New Delhi, India. Banerjee’s picture was taken by Prashant Singh of Masti Photography.