Young singer sets lofty ambitions

Millions of people around the world consider Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar as inimitable singers par excellence. Yet, for hundreds of others with singing talent, the greatest tribute they could pay to the immortal celebrities is to render their numbers on live and electronic formats.

Aucklander Ajay Maini belongs to both categories – he not only eulogises the two singers, but also emulates them at performances and private functions.

The result was a CD comprising ten songs that range from love and happiness to pathos and tragedy released recently.

“My ambition is to raise my profile as a quality singer performing at quality shows. I am on the threshold of an exciting phase in life,” Ajay said.

He said he was grateful to Auckland based popular singers and teachers Sandhya Badakere and Amit Sengupta for encouraging his talent.

Singing was not initially a breadwinning proposition for Ajay, who has a degree in Commerce from the Guru Nanak Dev University (Punjab) and work experience as an accountant. He was enrolled to qualify as a chartered accountant but destiny steered him towards music.

“My father (Ram Lubhaya Maini) loves music while mother Kanta is a good singer. The combination of interest and talent encouraged me to take up singing as a hobby, which is turning into a (moonlighting) career,” he said.

Ajay has had his share of challenges in life. His work stint saw him at a chartered accountant firm in India, and later at a restaurant owned by his father.

There is sufficient talent running in the family to catapult him into fame some day.

His cousin brother Neeraj is a television programmes producer, while his wife is a songwriter who penned his first album called, ‘Jagadambay.’

But Ajay believes that talent must be cited and promoted, rather than through a circuit breaker called influence.

“I am confident that I will make it big someday,” he said with confidence.