| ARTIST OF THE MONTH |
Sufiyan
Malik
Tell us how and when you decided to pick up the rabab ? What are your thoughts on the Indie music scene?
After I mastered my spanish guitar skills and won the Kashmirs
got talent bagging the 1st position, many people started playing
the same style and I was told by my grandmother and other
family members to pick up the kashmiri Traditional instrument
especially Rabab. I also thought it is only upto us kashmiri
youngsters either to let this culture die or to make efforts to keep
it alive. After that picked up rabab and I’m in love with it till now. I think after a year indie artists will create a boom in India. Hardly
anyone gets in bollywood, all are independent and are doing great
in music. Artists you’ve collaborated with and your experience
What’s your favorite thing about the instrument?
The sound of the instrument just touches your heart. The echo
from the 16 sympathetic strings give goosebumps to the
people hearing.
How did you enter the music scene at first? What
challenges did you face?
After winning Kashmirs got talent I was already in the scene. I
made a music video called Firdaus in which I played the theme
song of Pirates of carribean and fused it with my composition. It
went viral on Social media and got a lot appreciation from around
the world.
The challenge was to make people except this change in music. It is
tough to get appreciation from kashmir.
24
The
Score Magazine
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I have collaborated with many musicians for music videos.
Collaborated with Yawar Abdal on one of his single ”Baal
mareyo”. While on my USA tour collaborated with musicians
from California. Performed a poetry set with reowned poet Zareef
Ahmed Zareef. Collaborated with artists in pune and formed a
collective band. Experience was amazing, all loved the concept of
my music.
Who are you inspired by in your genre of music?
I was inspired by old kashmiri musicians. I used to listen to a lot of
old kashmiri songs in mehfils(Gatherings) where Rabab was used a
lot. Got inpired, transformed and fused it with western instruments
that gave it a new sound. People are happy back home about what i
am doing
Tell us about your upcoming projects
Soon a collaboration with Gajendra Verma on a song and a
collaboration with Alif Band is on the way. Scoring for a bollywood
movie is also planned for this year and also some experimental
music videos with Rabab is in the making.