Dr. Valentino Almeida, Associate Director of Technical Operations at Vertex is a man with a golden voice. He will be featured in the fabulous musical Chaaya Geet, musical program comprised of popular Hindi Bollywood songs from different eras.The event will be held on April 11th at the Chinmaya Maruti Auditorium in Andover and is a fundraiser for the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA. He shares a little insight into his work and his music.

I acquired my Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Kansas USA and have worked in the Pharmaceutical industry for the past 15 years in various capacities. I have been involved in the development and approval of several pharmaceutical products at various stages of clinical development including management of commercial technical operations. I have been fortunate and had the opportunity of working in different therapeutic areas such as Oncology, Neurology etc.

Can you describe your musical journey?

I was often asked to recite poetries in school functions and frequently won elocution competitions. When I asked the judges what was the one thing that stood out in these performances, most of them said my voice and the ability to modulate it so well. So I decided to develop this skill further and took voice lessons. It was not until late into my college days that I actually took interest in signing and learning music. I learnt singing (light vocals only) at the Kalyan Sangeet Vidhyalaya for several years and then took private singing lessons from Pandit Prakash for a few years. I learnt the art of singing professionally on stage as well as in recording studios from Nandi Duggal, who is a popular vocal trainer and a sound engineer in Mumbai. Since then I have had the opportunity to work with music director Kuldeep Singh for TV serial Nukkad, performed and won several prestigious music & singing competitions in India as well as here in the USA. I have been blessed to be part of a very vibrant music fraternity here in the New England area and happy to have had the opportunity to sing and entertain my local audiences over the past few years now. Recently I have been selected by the Shankar Mahadevan Academy (SMA) to teach their music curriculum here in Boston in collaboration with the Academy of Creative Arts.

What is your proudest musical moment?

The proudest musical moment is when I am able to touch the hearts and minds of my audiences with my performance. I believe that music is the language of the soul and although being in Sur and Taal are the basic requirements of a good singer, the unique ability to express those different feelings and emotions through your singing is equally important.

What is the secret to good karaoke singing?

The same singing rules apply to both live and karaoke singing which are taught in most music classes or courses you take. So I would rephrase the question to what is the secret of good singing. Practice is the key!! Keep singing because if you do not use it you will loose it. Like any instrument your voice needs to be trained, regularly exercised and maintained in good health for it to optimally perform.     

Who are your favorite composers?

R.D. Burman, Rajesh Roshan , Shankar Jaikishan, O. P. Nayyar &  Jatin-Lalit
 
Can you tell us a little about Chaaya Geet?
 
Chhaya Geet is going to be musical program comprised of popular Hindi Bollywood songs from different eras. It will have songs for people of all ages to enjoy and have a fun filled evening with family and friends. I am honored to be sharing the stage with very talented artists from the New England area. The program is scheduled for the 11th of April 2015 at the Chinmaya Mission Auditorium in Andover MA.

Why did you choose to do a fundraiser for Ekal?

Some of us are fortunate to have received great education and opportunities to build our knowledge and social skills. Unfortunately there are millions of children in India who cannot say the same. I strongly believe that education is very empowering and that every child should be provided that opportunity to learn. Ekal Vidyalaya focuses its primary education programs in underprivileged communities of India. Ekal Vidyalaya mission is also to nearly double the current number of schools by the end of 2015, providing education to over 3 million children. We do realize that a lot of support is required to achieve this goal and decided that we could do our little bit for the organization’s success.

What is the secret to be able to keep up your musical hobby while continuing to manage your profession and take care of your family?

The underlying secret is I love them all. So I always try prioritizing my work which helps. Besides family, friends and colleagues have also reciprocated and supported me without which I think none of this would be possible.