Clinton Cerejo is an Indian singer and composer.
Personal life Clinton Cerejo was born into an academically inclined family with no known musical background. His father was an engineer at L&T and his mother is a French professor. His elder brother is a software professional and his younger sister is an editor for medical journals in the United States. He completed his graduation in Commerce from Poddar College in Mumbai and was on his way to pursue a degree in M.B.A before his friends convinced him of his musical talent.
During his younger days, he was influenced by great producers such as Quincy Jones, Trevor Horn, Arif Mardin, Stevie Wonder, Babyface, Hugh Padgham, Peter Gabriel, Roland Orzabal, and Roy Thomas Baker. Clinton married Dominique Cerejo, who was his college friend and is now an established singer.
He is married to fellow singer Dominique Cerejo and has two children, Evania Cerejo and Noah Cerejo.
Career During his time at college, he would often have jam sessions with his friend Siddharth Haldipur (of music director duo Sangeet-Siddharth fame). It was on one such session that Amar Haldipur (Siddharth's father), who is a famous arranger and violinist, noticed Clinton and took a liking to his voice. Amar introduced Clinton to Anand Modak, the music director of a Marathi film Mukta and soon he was performing his first song in a recording studio. It was an English song for a Marathi film, picturised on an African-American.
After a series of sporadic recordings, he started lending his voice to many advertisement jingles, including the popular "Kiss Me, Close Your Eyes" jingle for Cadbury. During this period he worked with Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Lezz Lewis, Ranjit Barot & Louis Banks. Some of his contemporaries at that time were KK and Kunal Ganjawala, who went on to become playback singers. Clinton and Kunal sang a lot of jingles together.
Realizing that his voice was not versatile enough to be a successful jingle singer, he started looking at other areas of interest.
A. R. Rahman, while working in an adjoining studio, happened to overhear one of Clinton's vocal arrangements for a song and when they met a month later, offered Clinton the opportunity to work with him. Soon his work was noticed by many and other projects followed.
Eventually Clinton went on to work with many leading Indian music composers performing various roles in the music department. Later on he composed various songs which were featured in Coke studio. One of the famous songs is "Madari", sung by Vishal Dadlani and Sonu Kakkar.
Discography As composer Films Year Album Notes 2011 Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 songs2012 KahaaniBackground Score Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu2015Tevar2016Kahaani 2: Durga Rani SinghOriginal songs, Background ScoreTe3nJugni2019Badla 1 song, Background ScoreSection 375Background Score 2020YaaraReleased on ZEE5Background Score2021 Chehre Background score Bob BiswasReleased on Zee52 songs along with Bionca Gomes, Background score2022 Love HostelReleased on Zee52 songs along with Bionca Gomes, 2 instrumentals, Background Score Dobaaraa1 song along with Bionca Gomes, Background Score2023 I Love YouReleased on JioCinema3 songs along with Bionca Gomes, Background Score BlindReleased on JioCinemaAll songs along with Bionca Gomes Jaane JaanReleased on NetflixBackground Score along with Bionca Gomes 2024 Bhakshak 2025Dhoom DhaamReleased on Netflix All songs along with Bianca Gomes
Non-film work Year Album Notes 2005 Jawani Diwani (Hindi) Clinton composed the title track for this album which was sung by Bobby Moon2012"Madari-Coke studio"Composed the song2013 Reunion Song Composer for Google India Google Search Advertisement 2016 Jammin Inquilab Mera Khwab by Sanam and Clinton Cerejo Ishq Abhi Bhi By Clinton Cerejo And Sanah Moidutty Tonight We Dance by Clinton Cerejo & RaagaTrippin 2018 Jammin Season 2 Kya Karoon? And Mehram by Clinton Cerejo and Prakriti Kakar Naina Thug lenge By Clinton Cerejo And Salman Ali Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga and Safar by Clinton Cerejo & Gajendra Verma
As music producer (For other composers) Year Album Album Artist 2006 Omkara Vishal Bhardwaj 2007 Come One Come All The Fine (band) 2009 Kaminey Vishal Bhardwaj 2010 Ishqiya Vishal Bhardwaj 2011 7 Khoon Maaf Vishal Bhardwaj 2012 Mauje Naina MTV Coke Studio season 2
Singer YearAlbumSongsLanguageComposerLyricist1999Taj Mahal"Thirupachi"TamilA. R. Rahman2000Kandukondain Kandukondain "Smayiyai"Alai Payuthey "Endendrum Punnagai" "Pachchai Nirame" "Maangalyam"Thenali"Thenali"200112B "Anandam"Harris JayarajOne 2 Ka 4 "One 2 Ka 4"HindiA. R. Rahman2002Vasu "Sportive Boys"TeluguHarris JayarajKing "Saturday Sunday Holiday"TamilDhina2003Darna Mana Hai "Homework"HindiSalim–SulaimanBoys "Secret of Success" TamilA. R. Rahman"Please Sir"Bhoot "Ghor Andhere"HindiSalim–SulaimanNaaga "Nayudori Pilla"TeluguVidyasagar & Deva2004Manmadhan "Thathai Thathai"TamilYuvan Shankar Raja2005Kanda Naal Mudhal "Pushing It Hard" ThamaraiNeal 'n' Nikki "I'm in Love"HindiSalim–Sulaiman"I Just Wanna Spend My Life With You" Ek Ajnabee "Tere Liye Meri"Vishal-ShekharSameer2006Omkara "Beedi"Vishal BhardwajGulzarKalvanin Kadhali "Ivan Kattil"TamilYuvan Shankar RajaHappy "Chal Chal Re"Telugu2007Sunday "Sunday Theme"HindiAmar MohilePartner "Do U Wanna Partner"Sajid–WajidSanjay Chhel2008Vaaranam Aayiram "Oh Shanthi"TamilHarris JayarajYuvvraaj "Dil Ka Rishta"HindiA. R. Rahman2009All the Best: Fun Begins "Kyun"PritamWake Up Sid! "Kya Karoon"Shankar–Ehsaan–LoyJaved AkhtarSiva Manasula Sakthi "Eppadio Matikittaen"TamilYuvan Shankar RajaRide "Rangula lokam"TeluguHemachandraLuck "Aazma – Luck Is The Key"HindiSalim–SulaimanKonchem Ishtam Konchem Kashtam "Egire Egire"TeluguShankar–Ehsaan–Loy2010Kanimozhi "Penne Pogathey" TamilSatish Chakravarthy"Thada Thada Endru"Prithvi "Hejjegondu Hejje"KannadaManikanth KadriKarthik Calling Karthik "Hey Ya!" HindiShankar–Ehsaan–LoyJaved Akhtar"Hey Ya! (Remix)"Ishqiya "Dil To Bachcha Hai (Remix)"Vishal BhardwajGulzar2011Oosaravelli "Love Ante Caring"TeluguDevi Sri PrasadPyar Ka Punchnama "Baanware"HindiClinton Cerejo, Hitesh SonikLuv Ranjan7 Khoon Maaf "O' Mama" (Rap Vocals) Vishal BhardwajGulzar"Doosri Darling"Veppam "Oru Devadai"TamilJoshua Sridhar2012Blood Money "Arzoo"HindiSangeet Haldipur, Siddharth HaldipurKumaarVicky Donor "Kho jaane do"Abhishek AkshayJuhi ChaturvediEkk Deewana Tha "Phoolon Jaisi"A R RahmanJaved Akhtar, (Malayalam lyrics:Kalyani Menon)2013Run Raja Run "Shanthi Om Shanthi"TeluguM. GhibranOne By Two "Baat Kya Hai"HindiShankar–Ehsaan–LoyAmitabh BhattacharyaRaja Rani "Chillena"TamilG.V PrakashEk Thi Daayan "Kaali Kaali" HindiVishal BhardwajGulzar"Yaaram"2015Jil "Emaindi Vela"TeluguM. Ghibran2016Te3n "Haq Hai" HindiClinton CerejoAmitabh Bhattacharya"Kyun Re"Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh "Anandoloke" "Rabindra Sangeet"2017Kaadhali "Kaadhal Kaadhal"TeluguPrasan Praveen ShyamMeri Pyaari Bindu "Iss Tarah"HindiSachin–JigarKausar Munir2024Article 370 "Aandhi"HindiShashwat SachdevKumaar
Awards and nominations Year Category Nominated work Result Ref. Mirchi Music Awards 2010Best Programmer & Arranger of the Year"Dil To Bachcha Hai" from Ishqiya 2012 Background Score of the Year Kahaani rowspan=2 2017 Best Song Producer (Programming & Arranging) "Julia" from Rangoon Filmfare Awards 2020Best Background ScoreBadla
References
External links Official Website of Clinton Cerejo
In Conversation with Clinton Cerejo – Music Aloud's interview Clinton Cerejo: The mehnat behind the music – An exclusive Drift interview Rediff interview with Clinton Cerejo