Young composer and singer YAWAR ABDAl is currently doing the gig circuit in town. He tells Ramya Palisetty how he wants to mainstream Kashmir’s poets
For singer Yawar Abdal, music is the voice of the soul. The place where you are doesn’t matter. Even if he was asked to sing in a train compartment, he wouldn’t hesitate. Music needs to be honest and it shouldn’t be performed for the sake of fame or money. It is incidental that he is a success today and sought out by Delhi pub lounges for live acts.
As a kid, the composer and songwriter used to hum songs habitually. “I used to feel the music more than anyone. When you feel something deeply, the possibilities to learn are immense. The whole process of music revolves around learning. At each and every step, you come across something new.”
He began his journey in music through an academy, Music Club, in Pune where Muneem Nazir was his mentor. It had open Sunday jams and Abdal used to sing his originals there. “I was quite appreciated and everyone I knew wanted me to record my own songs which required funds.” So he started working at an IT company for almost two years. Within that period, he also did a couple of gigs in bars and pubs. “I saved up money from my earnings and recorded my first music video, Tamanna.”
Tamanna was composed six years ago. It was based on the poetry of Mehjoor, Mirza Ghalib and Amir Khusrau. The three legendary poets were chosen for his composition because in his family, there was a predominant culture of sufism. “My grandfather and father used to read books written by Sufi poets. When I sat down to compose, this idea was stuck in my head. In the beginning, the Persian part was incorporated and slowly, Urdu and Kashmiri were also integrated into the song as I wanted to do justice to all the three poets.”
Being a musician is filled with struggles. No one knows how to begin, where to start and how to foray into the industry. There is no fixed formula. “We have a very vague idea that reality shows like Indian Idol might be the easiest path for a common man to get into the industry. To carve an identity, a musician needs to forget the very basic needs like sleep and food and begin from the bottom.” In Abdal’s case, singing wasn’t his only passion. He was in love with composing. “I have an immense passion for composing originals and it is what I prefer over singing.”
Through his melodies, the musician is trying to reshape the idea of Kashmir. “Music shapes a culture. Kashmir is known for its beauty but the music is not very well-known. I want to fuse Kashmiri poetry with Western influences so it resonates with the people and the younger generation understands their native culture and heritage.”
In an age where everyone is imitating the West, he is one of the few singers who wants to dig deeper into traditional roots. “The idea is to mainstream our traditional and folk music. In Kashmir, we have a rich heritage of Sufi poetry. We won’t find this culture in the West and we need to preserve it.” Kashmiri singers are finally finding a permanent place in the hearts of millions. “When an artist from a certain region makes a mark, others follow because it is no more an unchartered territory. A lot of musicians come up and tell me that they want to be just like me. There was a time when I was one of them. I had the same journey but Muneem Nazir guided me in the right direction.”
Music is a gift bestowed upon him but he does not draw inspiration from musicians only. “Everything in this world is inspiring. There are personalities in the pages of history who have enthralled me.”
Currently, he is pursuing MBA for his family. Something he is using to understand the music business. “In India, there is less respect for a local artist but if you have made it in Bollywood, you are treated with some respect once you have made it past the door. The only way to sustain yourself is by doing gigs. You don’t earn a lot if you release your own songs.” With his eyes closed like he is feeling the lyrics of the song, he performed live at Drunk Art. It is the brainchild of restaurateur Aman Aggarwal and is trying to promote a whole new experience of drinking responsibly.