Selan
Encyclopedia
For the fictional character from the Al-Qadim campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons, see Selan (Dungeons & Dragons).
Selan (born Selan Lerner in Queens
, New York
, United States
) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, musical director and producer who is known for combining electronic
, pop, and soul music
. He possesses perfect pitch and musical total recall, also known as eidetic memory
. He is of Trinidadian and Jewish heritage.
Selan has collaborated extensively with "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzales of the house music production team Masters at Work
. Most notably he plays the extended keyboard improvisation on the Masters at Work
remix of Nina Simone
's "See-Line Woman" which appears on the highly successful 2002 Verve Remixed
collection. Selan co-wrote the music for most of DJ Spinna
's Intergalactic Soul album, which was released in 2006 on Shanachie Records. He also co-produced, co-wrote and was a featured artist on "Back 2 U", a standout track on that same album.
His 2004 single "Unconditional Love," produced by DJ Spinna, was released on the Wonderwax record label. Selan's solo single "Gravity" was released in 2005 on Louie Vega's Vega Records. He is the co-writer of the song "Focus" which appears on Concrete Rose
, the multi-platinum 2004 album by American R&B singer Ashanti
. He also appears as a co-writer on the songs "Marathon" and "Desire" which appear on the 2007 Grammy-nominated second album Love Behind the Melody
by Raheem DeVaughn
.
As a side musician, he has performed with Adele, Alejandro Sanz, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, R&B singer Joe, Stevie Wonder and Roy Ayers just to name a few. He's recorded with and/or for Kanye West, Aaliyah, David Byrne, Earth, Wind and Fire, R. Kelly, Musiq Soulchild and many others. Selan's keyboard work on the house remix for Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly" helped DJ/producer Louie Vega win the 2006 Grammy award for BEST REMIX. He has been a member of Little Louie Vega's Elements of Life Band and also plays keyboards and sings background for the classic disco/R&B group CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers.
In 2012 Selan plans on releasing his debut album, "Space Flight", which features contributions from Ali Shaheed Muhammad
of A Tribe Called Quest
fame, legendary producer/guitarist/songwriter and artist Nile Rodgers
, M1
from the revolutionary hip-hop group Dead Prez
, recording artists Emily King
and Melissa Jimenez.
Currently, Selan is a keyboardist, vocalist and trumpet player in the house band for Rosie O'Donnell
's "The Rosie Show" which airs on Oprah Winfrey
's OWN network.
Space Flight (forthcoming debut album) (2012)
Selan (born Selan Lerner in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, musical director and producer who is known for combining electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, pop, and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. He possesses perfect pitch and musical total recall, also known as eidetic memory
Eidetic memory
Eidetic , commonly referred to as photographic memory, is a medical term, popularly defined as the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme precision and in abundant volume. The word eidetic, referring to extraordinarily detailed and vivid recall not limited to, but...
. He is of Trinidadian and Jewish heritage.
Selan has collaborated extensively with "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzales of the house music production team Masters at Work
Masters At Work
Masters at Work is the house/garage production and remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. They first worked together using the name, which had been given to them by mutual friend Todd Terry , in 1990...
. Most notably he plays the extended keyboard improvisation on the Masters at Work
Masters At Work
Masters at Work is the house/garage production and remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. They first worked together using the name, which had been given to them by mutual friend Todd Terry , in 1990...
remix of Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
's "See-Line Woman" which appears on the highly successful 2002 Verve Remixed
Verve Remixed
Verve Remixed is a series of albums released by Verve Records centered on the concept of classic Verve tracks, remixed by contemporary electronic music producers and DJs...
collection. Selan co-wrote the music for most of DJ Spinna
DJ Spinna
DJ Spinna is an American hip hop music artist and producer, who, according to Allmusic.com, has "remained strictly an underground artist despite his astonishing talent."-Biography:...
's Intergalactic Soul album, which was released in 2006 on Shanachie Records. He also co-produced, co-wrote and was a featured artist on "Back 2 U", a standout track on that same album.
His 2004 single "Unconditional Love," produced by DJ Spinna, was released on the Wonderwax record label. Selan's solo single "Gravity" was released in 2005 on Louie Vega's Vega Records. He is the co-writer of the song "Focus" which appears on Concrete Rose
Concrete Rose
- Release history :- Charts and certifications :- Year-end charts :- Credits :* Won "Engineer to the Stars" Bee Allen – engineer* Chuck Amos Hair – stylist* David Ashton – engineer* Seven Aurelius – harp* Ashaunna Ayars – marketing...
, the multi-platinum 2004 album by American R&B singer Ashanti
Ashanti (singer)
Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and model. She rose to fame in the early 2000s. Ashanti is most famous for her eponymous debut album, which featured the hit song "Foolish", and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release...
. He also appears as a co-writer on the songs "Marathon" and "Desire" which appear on the 2007 Grammy-nominated second album Love Behind the Melody
Love Behind the Melody
-External links:* at Metacritic...
by Raheem DeVaughn
Raheem DeVaughn
Raheem DeVaughn is an American singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Love Experience , reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles "Guess Who Loves You More" and "You". His second album Love Behind the Melody was released in January 2008...
.
As a side musician, he has performed with Adele, Alejandro Sanz, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, R&B singer Joe, Stevie Wonder and Roy Ayers just to name a few. He's recorded with and/or for Kanye West, Aaliyah, David Byrne, Earth, Wind and Fire, R. Kelly, Musiq Soulchild and many others. Selan's keyboard work on the house remix for Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly" helped DJ/producer Louie Vega win the 2006 Grammy award for BEST REMIX. He has been a member of Little Louie Vega's Elements of Life Band and also plays keyboards and sings background for the classic disco/R&B group CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers.
In 2012 Selan plans on releasing his debut album, "Space Flight", which features contributions from Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, producer who enjoyed a great deal of fame as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the group released five studio albums from 1990 to 1998....
of A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
fame, legendary producer/guitarist/songwriter and artist Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
, M1
M-1 (rapper)
Mutulu Olugbala also known by his stage name M-1 is a rapper, activist and author known for his work as one half of the political hip hop duo Dead Prez along with his friend stic.man...
from the revolutionary hip-hop group Dead Prez
Dead Prez
Dead Prez stylized as dead prez is a hip hop duo from the United States, composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City, New York. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with socialist lyrics focused on both militant social justice and Pan-Africanism...
, recording artists Emily King
Emily King
Emily King is a Grammy-nominated American singer and songwriter. She started her career in 2004 and her debut album East Side Story was released three years later in August 2007...
and Melissa Jimenez.
Currently, Selan is a keyboardist, vocalist and trumpet player in the house band for Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
's "The Rosie Show" which airs on Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
's OWN network.
Solo Discography
- Unconditional Love (single) (2004)
- Gravity (single) (2005)
- Alwayz Sumthin (DJ Spinna remix featuring Phonte and Sage) (single) (2007)
Space Flight (forthcoming debut album) (2012)