Notes from the Valley: Srinagar witnesses a unique music competition

Students performing during “Shireen Saaz”. (Source: Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

In Kashmir, art has often not got the kind of space it needs to flourish. A unique music competition, held recently in Srinagar, showcased the rich heritage of the Valley. Children from 160 schools participated in “Shireen Saaz”, an inter-valley music competition that was organised by the DP Dhar Memorial Trust. One of Kashmir’s biggest musical events, it saw boys and girls from different schools play and sing old Kashmiri folk songs, reviving the forgotten songs of the Valley.

Vijay Dhar, Chairman of the Dhar Memorial Trust, said the aim of the event was to promote Kashmiri language as well as Kashmir’s cultural heritage. “Initially our budget was one crore but some sponsors backed out and we scaled down. This was one of the biggest Kashmiri musical events in the past 26 years,” said Dhar.

In fact, programme coordinators travelled across the Valley to extend invitations to various schools.

The stage was set inside Srinagar’s Delhi Public School, which had a replica of a traditional Kashmiri house as the stage backdrop. Shazia Mir, a participant from the Government Higher Secondary School in Bandipore, said they reached the finals after three rounds of stiff competition. “This event not only gave us exposure but also helped us perform in front of a big audience,” she said. Her school didn’t have a music teacher nor any instruments but Shazia, like many other students, still remembers the songs of Kashmir.