SELAN

Location:
CHICAGO, Illinois, US
Type:
Artist / Band / Musician
Genre:
Soul / Electro / Pop
Site(s):
Label:
Selonius Records
Type:
Indie
"Selan is a true genius."
- Louie Vega, Grammy-- winning producer & remixer
"Selan's singing comes from the heart.
you feel every ounce of soul, every smidgen of emotion.
He's a great talent."
- DJ Spinna, hip-hop producer & remixer
"The choices Selan is making as a young musician
separate him from "the norm" and keep him reaching for a place
that we should all reach for - the pursuit of the very best of us."
- Leon Ware, singer/songwriter/producer,
Marvin Gaye, Quincy Jones, Maxwell



An in-demand keyboardist/composer for new school stars like Adele, Kelis, Kanye West, Rihanna and Raheem DeVaughn and old school veterans like CHIC, Stevie Wonder, Alejandro Sanz, Roy Ayers, Leon Ware and Roberta Flack, Selan is transitioning to an alternate universe: Solo Artist. His upcoming debut album is an unmistakable blend of retro soul, futuristic production and irresistible pop hooks.
Raised in Queens, NY, Selan (pronounced "salon") was born to a Jewish-American father and an Indian mother from Trinidad. Even before Selan was born, his parents had become attracted to the pacifist ideology of the Jehovah's Witness faith and decided to convert. Young Selan was cultivated as a rising star in the ministry - but fate yanked him in a different direction. Having taught himself to play the piano at age three, Selan was blessed with perfect pitch and total recall (the ability to play any song instantly from memory).
"When I was young I loved going to music stores, where I would play on all sorts of keyboards there. A crowd would usually form around me and people would be amazed at the maturity of my playing. But my father would always escort me away, in fear that all of that type of attention would eventually lead me away from the religion."
Barely out of his teens Selan was recruited to play keys for the hit TV show New York Undercover. Demand for his prodigious talent snowballed. He became the musician of choice for Louie Vega and Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez of Masters at Work as well as DJ Spinna. His electrifying keyboard solo on the hit MAW remix of Nina Simone's "See-Line Woman" helped rocket the Verve Remixed compilation to worldwide popularity and his contribution to Louie Vega's remix of Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly" netted a 2006 Grammy--. Selan has played, sung live or recorded for everyone from Lenny Kravitz, David Byrne, Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott to DJ Jazzy Jeff, Pink, Jessica Simpson and Usher.
While he prepares to release his full-length debut album, "Space Flight", Selan is bridging the gap with songs like the vintage Off the Wall-esque "Into the Light" featuring M1 of Dead Prez. The album also features:
-Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest, Lucy Pearl)
-Nile Rodgers (legendary producer/guitarist from the group CHIC, also producing/writing for Madonna, David Bowie, Duran Duran)
-Emily King (Grammy-nominated recording artist formerly signed to J Records)
-Melissa Jimenez (featured artist with Wyclef Jean, Kumbia All-Stars)
"I've enjoyed recording and collaborating with so many artists and getting to travel the world," says Selan. "But now I need to express myself fully as a singer, songwriter and producer. It's time."
SELAN HAS WORKED AS A MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR:
Miley Cyrus
R&B singer JOE
Bobby Brown
2005 BET Christmas Special
Amel Larrieux
Leon Ware
Asha Puthli
KEYBOARDIST/BACKGROUND VOCALIST:
Kelis
Rihanna
Usher
Pink
Jessica Simpson
Adele
Trey Songz
Stevie Wonder
Roberta Flack
Roy Ayers
Alejandro Sanz
Shakira
Terence Blanchard
Patti LaBelle
Angie Stone
Lina
Faith Evans
Heather Headley
Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child)
Ashanti
Bobby Valentino
Sara Devine
Chico DeBarge
Dwele
Carl Thomas
Toshi Kubota
Blackstreet
Kenny Latimore
Groove Theory
Eric Roberson
Lizz Fields
Angela Johnson
Vikter Duplaix
Dewey Redman
Nuyorican Soul Band (Masters At Work)
Elements Of Life Band (Louie Vega)
Cirque Du Soleil
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Guru (Gangstarr)
Busta Rhymes
Chuck D
Queen Latifah
Doug E. Fresh
Dres (Black Sheep)
Mystikal
Shanice
Stephanie Mills
Freddie Jackson
JT Taylor (Kool & The Gang)
Allyson Williams
Jody Watley
Bebe Winans
Jocelyn Brown
DJ Spinna
Vinia Mojica
Wunmi
Lisa Lisa
Boyz II Men
Ashford & Simpson
N'Dea Davenport
Carleen Anderson
Les Nubians
Afu-Ra
Kyle Jason
Divine
Tami Davis
Men of Vision
Karina Pasian
Raul Midon



RECORDING RESUME:
Kanye West
Platinum Pied Pipers
Waajeed
Raheem DeVaughn
Curtis Mayfield
Leon Ware
Lenny Kravitz
Earth, Wind & Fire
D'Angelo
Lauryn Hill
Jill Scott
Stevie Wonder
James Ingram
Roy Ayers
Erykah Badu
David Byrne
Brian Transeau (BT)
Afrika Bambaataa
Run DMC
Black Eyed Peas
Roy Hargrove
Q-Tip
Mos Def
Phonte (Little Brother)
Pharoahe Monch
Louie Vega
Elements Of Life
Blaze
Cirque Du Soleil
Vikter Duplaix
DJ Spinna
The Free Radikalz
Amel Larrieux
Leela James
Stephanie Mckay
Musiq
Rahsaan Patterson
Anita Baker
R. Kelly
J-Lo
Tamia
Aaliyah
Spice Girls
Agent K
Carleen Anderson
Chronkite
Bebe Winans
Stephanie Mills
Tania Maria
Thievery Corporation
Sergio Mendes
Candido
Mark De Clive-Lowe
Dynas
Masta Ace
Complex
Goapele
Lizz Fields
Kenny Bobien
Stephanie Cooke
Toshi Kubota
Moses McLean
Champion Soul
Al Jarreau
Allison Crocket
Roni Size
Jocelyn Brown
Bob Sinclair
New Sector Movement
Reel People
Angela Johnson
Playgroup
Malena Perez
DJ Gregory
Dimitri From Paris
Misia
The Ananda Project
Blackbyrds
Sara Devine
India
Ashanti
Jeff Timmons
Todd Terry
Tony Humphries
Roger Sanchez
Frankie Feliciano
Alix Alvarez
Mr. V
Franck Roger
Louis Benedetti
Betty Carter
Billie Holiday
Jazztronik
Bah Samba
Tom Jones
Jimmy Sommers
Gordon Chambers
Alma Horton
Kim English
N'Dea Davenport
The Brand New Heavies
Pushim
Mike Phillips
Ursula Rucker
Jody Watley
Eamon
Bah Samba
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