Ali Saffudin performing LIVE at SIFER

Srinagar: If you thought Kashmiri music was out of popular taste, you have your facts wrong. During an art exhibition event, SIFER, Ali Saffudin took the audience on a serene ride with a mix of classic Kashmiri songs jazzed up in a style never heard before.

Ali Saffudin, who is also a songwriter and activist, was performing live at SIFER, an event in which different forms of art like Music, Poetry, Painting, Installations, Photography were showcased.

Ali sang both in Kashmiri as well as Urdu. Starting with a Kashmiri song “Wallov Ha Baghwanov” and being supported by Muazzam Bhat, emerging hip hop singer of Kashmir, Ali continued performing for almost half an hour.

The event was organised by Khytul Abyad, a Post Graduate student of Fine Arts at Beacon House National University Lahore, along with her Juniors (from Institute of Music and Fine Arts, University of Kashmir) and other friends at Nigeen Club, Srinagar.

“While studying at Beacon House National University, I usually showcased my works there but the fact that I belong here, to my valley, to Kashmir, kept enlightening me in a manner that I was intriguingly urged by my conscience to come back and showcase my work here and collaborate with other artists,” Khytul Abyad said.

She also said, “Bringing different artists from different fields together to some place and working with them was one of the objectives which I have successfully achieved.”

In the end, she said that the entire credits went to the students of IMFA without whom the task was impossible to do. She also made the remarks of gratitude to her former collegemates including Saqib Bhat, who she praises of being greatly helpful when it came to the things like organizing the event, formulating the ideas and much more.

Khytul also thanked the artists from other colleges including Anis Wani, Sidra Nazir, Peerzada Muzamil and many others for contributing their valuable ideas and works.

Khytul said that she is looking forward to these special exhibitions in future again.

The works of art like poetry, prose, installations and photography were exhibited. A couple of theatrical performances also took place. Muazzam Bhat, a contemporary hip hop artist also performed a rap. Moreover, Ovais Ahmad did a guitar blue solo. The exhibition ended with the soulful musical performance of Ali Saifuddin, whose mesmerizing vocals gave an exhilarating end to the event.

The artists who exhibited their visual art in this event include Khytul Abyad, Tabiah Mueen, Anis Wani, Numair Qadri, Saba Altaf, Xayd Bhat, Saaqi Bhat, Arbila Zehra, Pariha Majeed Magray, Khursheed Mushtaq Ali, Maumoon Lone.

The artist participants also included Azaan Shah with his photography, Junaid Rather, Rayees Wathori, Tanveer Ahmad Bhat and Tahir Ahmad Najar with their folk theatre, Ali Saffudin with his music, Muazzam Bhat with his Hip Hop, Ovais Ahmad with his guitar solo, Peerzada Sheikh Muzamil with his Short Story, Fayiq Wani, Sidra Nazir, Khawaja Musadiq, Syed Zeeshan Hamadani, Rameez Ahmad Mir with their poetry / writing.