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Category: INTERVIEWS/PROFILES

Published: 23 August 2018

JAMMU: Aabha Hanjura, an award-winning singer, live performer, composer and songwriter who seeks her inspiration from the deeply embedded Sufi influence in the Valley of Kashmir launches her latest single, Khanmoej Koor.  The track is from her forthcoming album, Aabha Hanjura & the sound of Kashmir, a popular melancholic piece sung at most Kashmiri weddings. The song has been written by Lt Nazir Das, a poet from Kashmir.

 

Aabha's music is a unique mix of fresh modern and compelling vintage influences that render a matchless sound which has a universal appeal. Khanmoej Koor by Aabha Hanjura, captures the anxiety in the bride’s mind as she nervously embarks upon the journey to her new home. Its features her shyly imploring her brother to bid her adieu as she takes the long walk towards a new life, her feet and soul burdened by the weight of memories.

 

Aabha Hanjura’s Kashmiri Folk Ensemble a live project which features authentic Kashmiri instruments like rabab, santoor, Kashmiri saarangi and the percussions of Kashmir like, tumbaknari alongside a LIVE band that creates a unique sound that is truly her’s.

Sharing about Khanmoej Koor, Aabha says “Khamoej Koor is a deeply personal song for me & while it’s ready to release I can’t help but feel that with this track,I will be baring a part of my soul for the world to see, while this is an artist’s job, it’s a bittersweet feeling. Everything about the song & the video is a page from my own life.”

Over the years, Aabha has enthralled audiences with her concerts across India. An eclectic live performer, Aabha castes a spell on the audience with her inimitable ardour and breathtaking energy. ‎She is the founder and the front woman of India's popular Sufi, Folk rock ensemble, 'Sufistication'.  "Khanmoej Koor is the latest single from eclectic folk pop singer & composer, Aabha Hanjura’s forthcoming album, Aabha Hanjura & The Sound Of Kashmir.

 

A popular melancholic piece sung at Kashmiri weddings , the song has been written by Lt Nazir Das, a poet from Kashmir. Sung by a Kashmiri bride, to her brother, the song tugs at your heart, for its gut wrenching poetry. 

 

The poignant narration of the song captures the anxiety in the bride’s mind as she nervously embarks upon the journey to her new home. As the valedictory reality sets in, the bride is overcome by nostalgia as her mind wanders through the events that symbolize “bidding goodbye” & she warily takes leave. She hesitantly implores her brother to bid her adieu as she takes the long walk towards a new life, her feet and soul burdened by the weight of memories.”

• Aabha Hanjura & The Sound Of Kashmir

An album in the working for 2.5 years, this album is a labour of love of eclectic folk pop singer & composer, Aabha Hanjura who is a pioneer in reinventing the rare and unique accents of long lost Kashmiri folk sounds and instruments.The album also features an ensemble of vintage instruments like the reflective 'rabaab' that embodies the depth of the valleys accompanied by the melodious "santoor" reminiscent of meandering wild rivers finished with the rustic sound of the "tumbaknaari" that evokes the calm sense of homecoming signified by the Dal Lake. A first of its kind, Kashmiri pop album, it consists of some of Aabha’s original compositions & some Kashmiri folklore , covering the work of some of the most prominent saints, poets & dervishes of the valley. The debut single, Hukus Bukus,from the album went on to become a viral sensation ,garnering more than 1.5 million views on YouTube.

• About Aabha

Aabha Hanjura is the founder and vivacious lead singer of the eclectic folk-pop band Sufistication. An award winning singer, live performer, composer, and songwriter, she has established herself as a unique independent musician since starting off in 2012. She is a pioneer in reinventing the rare and unique accents of long lost Kashmiri folk sounds and instruments. Her latest single, Hukus Bukus, from her forthcoming album, Sound Of Kashmir, a viral sensation, went on to garner more than a million organic views on YouTube, reaching a global audience and not just her core fans in J&K and the rest of India. Aabha recently successfully concluded a historic mega concert in Kashmir, that was attended in large numbers by both her fans and the crème de la crème of the valley’s society & was also awarded as the Best Folk Artist of 2017, at the 6th Artist Aloud Awards.