Music has opened all blocks in my life, says Dubai’s 14-year-old nightingale

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Shirene Sanjay started her musical journey at the Dubai Gurudwara.
Shirene Sanjay started her musical journey at the Dubai Gurudwara.

Dubai - The teenager launched a YouTube channel in 2017 and started recording her songs in various languages.

By Saman Haziq

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Published: Thu 28 Feb 2019, 8:26 PM

Fourteen-year-old Dubai resident Shirene Sanjay is known as the nightingale of her community and friends, as her mother, Dr Imneet Madan, says she was born with a 'sweet and strong voice'.
In order to use her talent meaningfully, the teenager launched a YouTube channel in 2017 and started recording her songs in various languages to spread the message of peace and tolerance across the globe.
She started her musical journey a few years ago, when she sang at the Dubai Gurudwara during the annual Gurupurab ceremony. Striking the right chord, Shirene gained popularity and was invited to religious gatherings and community events where she lent her melodious voice at various programmes.
Recognising her daughter's talent, Imneet started enrolling Shirene in professional vocal lessons under the guidance of studio coach Sreejith Pillai and her music teacher Monique Hebrard. "I realised that my daughter had a great potential and this was something that could not only benefit the society but also would give satisfaction and happiness to her."
Shirene, who lost her father at the age of two, said her songs were also a tribute to her loving father who was also a singer.
"I got into singing ever since I was a baby. My father used to sing very well, and was always into live performances. So I guess, I inherited this from him. I started my first performance from a religious place - the Gurudwara. With so many blessings around me, I mustered the courage to launch my own channel and, in a short span, I managed to have more than 1,000 subscribers."
Calling herself 'a UAE girl of Indian origin', Shirene said she knew that people who live here are of different nationalities,  which is why her channel covers four different categories of songs.
"It engages diverse nationalities, age groups and mindsets as I  sing in different styles and different languages - English, Hindi, Punjabi and devotional."
A topper, with scores above 90 per cent in academics, Shirene said: "I take my vocal lessons once a week, and I do the recording periodically. Since I am in Grade 10, appearing for my CBSE board exam in a few days, time is really short. But I am blessed to have all the support from my brother, Yuvraj, and my mother and music teachers. All these people have devoted their Fridays to my recording schedules. I usually study all night long to be able to afford the time out from studies to do the recordings, practice and videos."
Describing music as her 'breath', Shirene said: "My target is to keep learning, producing and creating the best music ever in all the coming years. To me, it's not a task, it's like breathing, as it has opened many blockages in my life. From being an introvert, it has helped boost my confidence to be able to reach out to people."
Talking about her wall - her mother - the budding singer said: "My mother helps me choose the songs and even adds her own lyrics to make my songs more attractive. My brother is learning music production so that he would soon be able to give his inputs."
Shirene added: "No matter where we come from, we all have been gifted with a unique talent. We just need to witness the right spark to bring out the talent. For me, the spark was always my family's confidence in my voice."
saman@khaleejtimes.com


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