A song expressing the pain and trauma of Kashmiri migrant pandits is creating waves in the West.
The rap song highlights the suffering of pandits who had to leave the valley because of violence
SRINAGAR: A song expressing the pain and trauma of Kashmiri migrant pandits is creating waves in the West. A 26-year-old non-resident Kashmiri Pandit rapper is going places with the song which highlights the suffering of the thousands of people who were made refugees in their own land by militancy.
California-based rapper Ashish Kaul aka Emcee Hash has not only penned the song – Panun Kashmir (My Kashmir) – but sings it as well.
“I wanted to write a song that would highlight our story, our struggle. I hope to inspire the Kashmiri community as a whole (Hindus, Muslims and all) to realise that it’s not about religion, but about terrorism, and it’s time to take a stand and unite to destroy this horror,” Hash told DNA via e-mail from California.
Hash’s grandfather suffered a stroke after he was forced to migrate from Srinagar. The pain of his grandfather had tremendous impact on Hash.
“I did not personally experience the exodus and the atrocities that have scarred my brethren. But at my home in the US, I am deeply hurt witnessing the condition of my grandfather who suffers from dementia caused by the stroke. Circumstances forced him to sell our lovely ancestral home (where I spent the formative years of my childhood) in Srinagar,” he says.
“I could not begin the song until I found the perfect instrumental. But as soon as I heard a beat created by Rapid Fly Beats, I got to writing, and when I did, I could not stop till the song was complete. Having completed the lyrics for the song in early August 2007, I forwarded them almost immediately to my harshest critics, my family and friends, and all of them gave a positive feedback,” Hash says.
Produced by Steve Burich, the song was released on November 17 and there has been no looking back since. “I did not get a chance to actually complete this track until very recently due to schedule conflicts with my producer in California. Finally, on Saturday, November 17, we completed the track and released it. It is a hit.”
Hash never lived in Kashmir, though he visited the valley every summer till 1988 when trouble began. His family, however, was born and brought up primarily in Kashmir. Having migrated to Australia and then to the US since 1992, he has incorporated multiple cultures in his life.
“I started writing songs around 2001 and recorded on my PC microphone using simple beats. Even then, my friends were excited and I knew I had found something in myself that I could not hold back,” he said.
“I have performed at multiple events, including campus shows, IIT Alumni events and certain clubs in California, to excited responses and I will continue to perform as the album is completed,” he added.
Hash’s album is scheduled for release next year. “I began recording with a producer in October 2006 and since have been working diligently to complete the album which will contain 13 or so songs and will be released in early 2008.
“The content of the album is diverse – stories of terrorism, love, pain, struggles of being a musician and some fun tracks that depict the experiences of my life,” he says.
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