Shina Music Preserved Through Generations

Yousuf Naseem, a 53-year-old singer from Kangan, has spent three decades preserving Shina music through his performances and recordings. Naseem, who was displaced from Gurez Valley during the 1999 Kargil conflict, continues to carry his cultural heritage with him, even as he resettled in Kangan. He recalls how his family's songs survived the displacement, becoming a vital link to their lost home. His efforts to share Shina music beyond Gurez have introduced the language and culture to new audiences, particularly in Srinagar, where he gave a shopkeeper a copy of his first cassette, Dardistan, to play in the Bohri Kadal market (Al Jazeera (All)). [1]

Fareed Ahmed Kaloo, 67, has dedicated his life to preserving Shina folklore in Gurez Valley through the Habba Khatoon Dramatic Club, which he founded in 1976. Kaloo has traveled extensively on foot, performing at local gatherings and teaching folk songs to younger generations. He notes that after the Partition, Shina culture faced a decline, overshadowed by Kashmiri music, but he has worked tirelessly to keep the Dardic roots alive. His efforts have been crucial in maintaining the cultural identity of the region, even as many of the club's original members have passed away or left due to cross-border shelling (Al Jazeera (All)). [1]

Kaloo acknowledges the evolution of Shina music, particularly in Gilgit, where younger musicians have developed new sounds while retaining traditional elements. He emphasizes the importance of keeping the roots of the culture intact, even as the music evolves. Both Naseem and Kaloo highlight the significance of music as a means of preserving history, memory, and identity in the face of displacement and conflict, ensuring that the songs of the past continue to resonate with future generations (Al Jazeera (All)). [1]

Yousuf Naseem, a 53-year-old singer from Kangan, has spent three decades preserving Shina music through his performances and recordings. He recalls the influence of his family's storytelling and the songs passed down by older relatives, which shaped his early understanding of Shina culture. During the 1999 Kargil conflict, his family was displaced from Gurez Valley and resettled in Kangan, where he began sharing Shina music with new audiences in Srinagar. In Bohri Kadal, a historic market in the old city, Naseem gave a shopkeeper a copy of his first cassette, Dardistan, and asked him to play it every morning, helping to spread awareness of Shina music to those who had never heard it before (Source ID: 1). [1]