The making of an Indian English singer

As a 16-year-old, Sharina Ahmad has big dreams . The teenager from Bodh Gaya in Bihar sees herself as an English vocalist on the global stage; the people and media in her hometown could not agree more. 

In the last few months, she has been on a high, with offers for performances within the country and from event management companies in Germany, Netherlands and Dubai. Her fan base has been gradually inching up. She has put out over 100 cover songs on YouTube and music lovers from Dubai, Nigeria, Vietnam, the Philippines, USA and UK have followed her with their appreciation, suggestions and comments.

Barely three years ago, Sharina developed the desire to learn and speak English with an American accent. “I come from a small village Cherki, where people hardly know English and we do not get good English teachers either; though Bodh Gaya is a popular international tourist centre,” she says.

As a child, Sharina would receive praise for having a sweet voice and she developed the urge to learn to sing English songs. A typical Gen Z kid fed by the internet and social media, Sharina decided to use it to her advantage. During the two years of the COVID-19 scare and lockdowns , Sharina trained herself with the help of three things – a full-length mirror in her room, karaoke and her mobile phone to download videos and google all relevant information.

“I was under no pressure as the class X board exams had been cancelled and my focus was on searching for the most popular English singers and their compositions, translating the song to understand the meaning and practicing the vocals in good rhythm, right pronunciation and pauses,” shares Sharina, who has now shifted to Delhi with her father for better exposure and opportunities.

For four months, Sharina shut herself from the world and sang along 24×7 with her favourites, Justin Bieber, Arianna Grande, Serena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga and several others. “I just knew I had to get my singing to a perfect 10,” says Sharina, now pursuing XIIth through online classes.

When she put out her first cover of Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’, she was told she was not good. “I believe in myself and kept my motivation by reading how many famous musicians struggled and failed before they hit the spotlight,” she says.

Soon an opportunity came her way in November last year when she was invited to perform before an international audience at Bodh Gaya’s biggest water park for tourists. “It was meant to be a two-hour programme but I sang for five hours as demands for popular songs kept coming. People wanted my autograph and to take selfies with me and the organisers had to throw a ring of bouncers around me,” Sharina recalls the evening that still gives her goosebumps.

Ever since, she has performed at various functions attended by the Jharkhand Speaker, ex-CM and deputy CM, MPs and MLAs of Bihar who have all given the ‘Gaya ki Beti’ their appreciation certificates.

Aspiring artiste Sharina Ahmad leading herself into becoming a Western vocalist
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

Sharina’s vocals amaze you., but she has a long way to go and she realises it well. To get the right break in the international circuit, she requires not only money but the right studio and her own album. Right now her social media friend Nandita who is a songwriter is penning lyrics for her on women’s empowerment. Sharina is hopeful to get through it within a month or so. Going with a global event manager could help her but their contractual conditions are strict and too many, which she needs to understand. She is also awaiting an appointment with the Minister of Culture, G Kishan Reddy, as she is keen on contributing to Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.

Sharina has also trained herself into singing one Chinese, six Spanish, three Korean, two Japanese and Turkish songs. “I can catch the vocals of any song within two hours and after that, it is only practised for finesse and perfection,” says the confident singer, who regrets not having a teacher who can lead her to the fulfilment of her dream.