PULWAMA: Santoor, a traditional Indian musical instrument, is not new to Kashmir. Many people think that Santoor originated in Kashmir with the Shatatantri Veena (100 strung instrument) in Shivite traditions.
It is worth noting that Kashmir has produced numerous great Santoor musicians, including santro maestros such as Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and Bhajan Sopori. These two Santoor masters are undeniably revered as saints of the Santoor art form.
Naseer Ahmad Mir, a 22-year-old teenager from the remote hamlet of Chakoora in the Pulwama region of south Kashmir, has pursued santoor playing as a passion, despite the fact that he feels the art is limited to a few Gharanas in Kashmir.
Naseer believes that Santoor playing has not reached the people as it should and cannot reach the masses as it should.
Naseer is Pulwama’s first professional Santoor player with a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts and a specialisation in Hindustani classical Santoor.
“I started playing folk instrumentsat a young age, and after finishing my 12th grade, I opted to pursue Hindustani classical Santoor,” Naseer explained.
However, he claims that some people look down on his decision to pursue music as a career.
He claims that he has pursued his passion for santoor playing with the tremendous support of his family and friends.
Naseer, who is now pursuing his master’s degree in Hindustani classical Santoor at an Indian university, intends to pursue a PhD degree in the same discipline.Naseer has a good hold on the art of playing santoor and his magical hands produce mesmerizing tunes as he strikes the strings with the mallets.
Naseer has won many accolades for his musical abilities and has performed at several local and national level concerts.
At present Naseer is training different batches of art students from Kashmir and outside Kashmir through online mode.
“ I give regular lectures every evening,” he said, adding that he wants this instrument to reach the hands of as many people as he could train so that it becomes an instrument of masses and is not confined to a few people only.
“Music is food to the soul and I feel proud that my brother is playing santoor which is used in SufianaQalam,” the elder brother of Naseer said, adding that the art has guarded his brother from other contemporary materialistic gains.
