75th Republic Day: Teen Rabab player, winner of PM Bal Puraskar, says he wants to revive Kashmiri folk music

Fourth-generation Rabab player Ishfaq Hamid, 13, from Kashmir's Baramulla district, received the Pradhan Mantri Bal Puraskar from President Droupadi Murmu on January 22, 2024.

A 13-year-old Rabab player from Kashmir Valley who has infused new life into what is considered the soul of Kashmir’s folk music, has been honoured with Pradhan Mantri Bal Puraskar.

Ahead of 75th Republic Day, Ishfaq Hamid of north Kashmir’s Kreeri area of Baramulla district, 48 kilometres from Srinagar, received the award at Vigyan Bhawan New Delhi on January 22.

The teenager, who is a fourth-generation Rabab player in his family, said that he was over the moon to receive the award from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi. “I am super delighted to receive the distinguished accolade. I am also grateful to the government of India for recognising my achievements and bestowing me with such a prestigious award during my short musical journey. I was selected for this award along with 19 exceptional children from the country,” said Hamid.

Hamid, who has performed in various musical events across India, added: “I was only eight years old when I started learning to play Rabab from my father. I have played Rabab in Lucknow, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and other cities of the country and very soon I will be performing in famous concerts of the world.”

Hamid and his father, Abdul Hamid Bhat, also participated in the Republic Day parade.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha took to X, formerly Twitter, to encourage the teenager for his achievements in the field of art and culture. “Congratulations to young maestro Ishfaq Hamid on winning Pradhan Mantri Rasthriya Bal Puraskar! Your achievements in the field of art & culture have brought immense pride to J&K. May your success continue to inspire others to pursue their artistic passion.”

The Rabab prodigy got a chance to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 23 at the Prime Minister's residence. “It was so heartening to know that PM Modi loves Kashmir’s traditional music. He even encouraged me and appreciated my skills of playing traditional musical instruments,” Hamid told Moneycontrol.

Apart from playing Rabab, Hamid is also a skilled Matka player and received the NGO Sarhad’s Bhai Mardana National Award in 2020.

The Rabab, a short-necked lute whose body is carved out of a single piece of wood, arrived in Kashmir from Afghanistan. The instrument is made from the trunk of a mulberry tree, the head from animal skin, and the strings are either gut (from the intestines of young goats) or nylon.

The outer portion of the Rabab, an instrument that has found fewer takers in recent years, is made from the skin of either sheep or goat. While Afghani Rabab has seven strings, the Kashmiri Rabab has 22 strings.

Hamid comes from a family of well-known Rabab artists. His great-grandfather Sanaullah Bhat, grandfather Ghulam Qadir Bhat and father Abdul Hamid Bhat have toured countries like Afghanistan, Peru, Russia, Pakistan, Venezuela and Canada to play the Rabab to a global audience.

The Bhat family's musical legacy continues, with Hamid emerging as the fourth-generation Rabab player who has achieved musical success in a short span of time. “I am following in the footsteps of my father and other family members who are also my idols. My ancestors have introduced Rabab in the Kashmir Valley and it is my duty to revive their legacy. I want to take the rare traditional art globally to revive Kashmir’s traditional music," Hamid said.

Rabab was popular in the 16th century in classical music circles in middle Asian countries until sarod and sitar stole its thunder and the instrument faded into near oblivion.

Currently a sixth-standard student, Hamid wants to continue his studies and plans to learn music to become a professional musician. “I was luckily born in a family of Rabab legends. The musical environment in my home served as the catalyst for me to embark on the musical odyssey. I am optimistic that my melody will continue to inspire and mesmerise people for years to come,” he said.

Hamid, however, attributes his success to his father, Hameed Bhat, 58. “I want to walk in my father’s shoes. From the beginning, he has enthusiastically taught me to play Rabab, also known as 'the lion of instruments', which has sparked more interest in me to learn the traditional music.”

Expressing joy in his teenager son’s achievements, Bhat said the award is a testament to the musical legacy of the Bhat family. “I am thankful to the Central government for finally recognising the talent of Rabab artists of Kashmir by bestowing a national award on my son.”

Bhat, who has more than three decades of experience as a Rabab player and showcased Kashmir's musical heritage at last year’s G20 Summit in New Delhi and Kashmir, told Moneycontrol: “I think rabab is in our blood, which is why my son has mastered the Rabab at a very young age and earned accolades.”

Since the instrument is facing a steady decline in popularity, the Bhat family has been running a music institute, Rabab gharana, in Kashmir’s Baramulla district to keep the traditional musical instrument alive for generations. “We have established the music institute in 2017, and so far, seven youths have learned to play Rabab (here).”

Bhat also suggests that the government should come forward to revive the Rabab culture by holding programmes at Union territory and national level, involving youth in learning musical instruments and providing a platform to the musicians.