Dubai-based India’s ‘nightingale’ gets 1 million views on her original song 'Chalte Chalte'

Gulf Today Report

Like the UAE, India is a powerhouse of innovation and talent. This applies to its teenagers too. Specially where Bollywood songs are concerned, they have shown that they are wizards with their voice.

A Dubai-based 15-year-old girl, Shirene Sanjay, has hit sky-rocketing fame on social media – when she garnered  over a million views on YouTube for her first original song, "Chalte Chalte."

The teenager, who admires the crooning talents of Beyonce and A.R. Rahman, launched a YouTube channel in 2017 and started recording her songs in various languages.

In total, her eponymous channel has received more than three million views since the launch.

Shirene 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'.

A Grade 11 student of Delhi Private School, Dubai, Shirene sings in English, Hindi and Punjabi, her mother tongue in order to spread the message of peace and tolerance across the globe.

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.

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."

"My mother has told me that as a baby, I used to crave two things – food and music. So, indeed music has been a fulfilling element in my life," the teenager said.

A Starbucks server asked Shirene for a picture.

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 lot of encouragement from my family, especially my maternal grand mum, inspired me to start official training in music.

"I would like to be a playback singer and also do some shows to get more audience appreciation,"Shirene said.