New Kid On The Block: Neha Borkar Launches Her First Single With An India Tour In Association With A&M Studio
Mumbai: A&M studios which has consistently worked closely with renowned musicians like Rekha Bhardwaj, Shankar Mahadevan, Benny Dayal, Sonam Kalra, Raghav Sachar, and others, is all set to launch Neha Borkar, a disciple of Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan. Known for scouting talent from the unlikeliest of places—banks, corporates, business—A & M Studio’s newest talent comes from an IT job.
Neha Borkar, born in Goa and brought up in Mumbai, moved to the US for her post-graduate studies. Music has been an integral part of her life since she was a child. Growing up, she always found herself singing along to the old melodies, bhajans and ghazals, or tapping her feet to the rhythm of whatever song happened to be playing. Being a Hindustani Classical Music trained singer under Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan of the renowned Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, her passion for music was overwhelming. After completing her Masters in Industrial and Systems Engineering, from Georgia Tech, she started working in Software Development at a company based in Cincinnati, Ohio. “As a child, I was always fascinated by classical music. While growing up, my many salient memories were associated with music. Even in college, I used to participate and perform in all the music festivals,” says Borkar.
We’ve all dreamed of doing it—kicking off our sensible shoes to follow our heart—but few have the courage to actually do it. Pushing her to take her passion to the next level, Ustaad Ghulam Abbas Khan inspired her to pursue music professionally. And now, this Konkani Mulgi came up with her first song “Ise Kya Naam Doon”, written and composed by her guru, while in Mumbai. With eight songs already in the works, Borkar will soon be releasing her first album with A&M Studio.
“I have seen Neha’s musical flair evolve over the time that I have taught her. Her dedication and love for music, backed by her talent and skill, will go a long way in establishing a promising future in Hindustani Classical, Sufi and Pop Music genres,” avowed her Guru, Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan.
On his decision to take on a talent like Neha, Manpreet Singh Kochar, CEO and Founder of A&M Studio said, “Talent finds talent! It so happened that we were signing on Ustaad Saab for a performance in the US and him being an exclusive artist of ours, told us about his student Neha. A&M studio has always been a neutral platform to promote raw and promising talent and once I heard her, I knew she was the right fit for us. Working with Neha is going to be exciting.”
Kick-starting her first India Tour, Neha, serenaded an audience of 300 people with Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan in Delhi last week and will be performing in Mumbai on the 28th of November, in the presence of eminent personalities from the music fraternity. Thrilled about her first performance in Mumbai, Neha said, “Mumbai is my hometown and I am very excited to perform here. This city is replete with talented musicians and indeed a place where dreams come true.”
With a voice that can slice through any noise, words that can match any emotion, passion to last for lifetimes, Neha Borkar is sure to make her mark in the musical industry.