Airtel [v] Mobile Singer Sarnali Bhowmick launches her first music album

Media Release, May 4

MUMBAI

Stardom is just a phone call away… this truly holds good for Kolkata born, Sarnali Bhowmick who was judged the winner of Channel ’s Airtel Mobile Singer by none other than the ‘Godfather of disco’- Bappi Lahiri. Towering over thousands of contestants in a first-of-its kind nationwide hunt on a wireless platform, Sarnali emerged as the country’s latest singing sensation. A dream come true, Sarnali not only got a once in a lifetime opportunity to sing but also star in her own remix video along with Bappi Lahiri. This rising young talent is all set to make her debut in the music world with the launch of her first music album- Mobile Singer, which was unveiled in the presence of the ‘Godfather of Disco’ Bappi Lahiri at Landmark, Infiniti Mall on May 2, 2006. Also present at the launch was Bappa Lahiri and Super Singer Ravindra Upadhyay.

Sarnali’s debut music album is a perfect blend of remix songs from the yester years and contemporary melodies. It also showcases the melodious voice of the talented runners up of Airtel Mobile Singer- Jyoti Sahu and the winner of Samsung Super Singer- Ravindra Upadhyay.

In addition to the foot-tapping remix version of ‘Hum ko aaj kal hai…’ from the movie Sailaab, the other compositions in the album are equally peppy and lively remixes like ‘Dance Dance’, ‘Dil to Dil Hai’, ‘Pyar Chahiye’ and ‘Disco Station’ to name a few. Remixed by none other than Bappi da, the tracks are fun, racy & energetic which are sure to get you grooving.

Making it’s way to music shelves across the country, this music album launched by Sa Re Ga Ma Music is a must listen for all age groups. During the launch of her album, mobile singer winner, Sarnali said, “Interacting with Bappi da on Mobile Singer has been tremendously encouraging for me. It has given me a platform that most would die for. I thank them for recognizing my talent, nurturing it and giving me an opportunity to launch my own music album. Now, my dream to make a mark in playback singing will soon become a reality.”

Having won the coveted title, Sarnali is really keen to take up singing as a full time career. Her mentor and guide on this journey, Bappi Lahiri was all praise for this young singer from Kolkata. ‘She has the potential and the talent to sing and I would like to wish Sarnali good luck as she begins her journey in the music industry.’

The hunt for Channel ’s Mobile Singer kick started in November 2005, wherein budding singers got an opportunity to practice & participate from the comfort of their homes, their cars, their offices – wherever they were. All they had to do was dial 64676 from their Airtel mobile phone to register and sing any one of their favourite Bappi-Da songs as part of the initial audition phase. From the entire pool of entries received, the best were shortlisted. Bappi Da was aided by vocal experts at the local and national level to ensure that everyone got a fair shot at winning. The finalists were flown down to Mumbai to spend some quality time with Bappi Da learning the tricks of the trade and honing their skills before the winner was finally declared.

So as Sarnali proclaimed as the next voice of India, begins her musical journey with her album launch, Channel has done it yet again… it has found yet another hidden talent from the pool of Indian singers and has added another feather to its cap.

STAR is a leading media and entertainment company in Asia. STAR broadcasts over 50 television services in nine languages to more than 300 million viewers across 53 Asian countries. STAR channels cover all genres including general entertainment (Star Plus, Xing Kong, Star Chinese Channel, Star One, Star Utsav, Star World, Vijay, Phoenix Chinese), sports (ESPN, Star Sports), movies (Star Chinese Movies, Star Gold, Star Movies), music (Channel ), and news and current affairs (Star News, Star Ananda, Phoenix InfoNews Channel). STAR controls over 20,000 hours of Indian and Chinese programming and also owns the world's largest contemporary Chinese film library, with more than 600 titles, featuring superstars including Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Bruce Lee. In partnership with leading companies in Asia, STAR businesses extend to filmed entertainment, television production, cable systems, direct-to-home services, terrestrial TV broadcasting, wireless and digital services. STAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation. www.startv.com

For more information, contact:

Shiraz Bhavnani/ Poonam Nikam

Vaishnavi Corporate Communications

Tel: 5656 8787/ 9821718954