Women Musicians in Kashmir Finding Their Voice

In a damp, half-lit room in a small home 20 kilometers from the capital city of Kashmir, five young women passionately play Sufi musical instruments while the cob walls reverberate with the music. This women’s ensemble is the first of its kind in Kashmir, a place full of political uncertainties, violent conflict, and strong patriarchal values. Sufi music, which is the devotional music of the Sufis (Muslim mystics), has been dominated by men for many decades in the Valley of Kashmir.

This group, called Yemberzel — the first flower after winter — is helping to revive the dying Sufi music in the valley. The women, all between the ages of 18 and 24, come from the village of Shilvat in the northern district of Bandipora. Their instruments include a tabla (a drum-like instrument), a sitar (a plucked stringed instrument), saaz-e-kashmir (another stringed instrument), and santoor (a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer).

The Sufi movement, which originated in the ninth and tenth centuries, is based on the concept of “undying love” for the divine. Sufi music sounds like rhythmic hypnotism that sends the listener into a trance. As each tensioned string vibrates and the tabla resonates, the high-pitched voices of the young women sing the poetry of revered Kashmiri saints such as Sheikh Ul Alam, Habba Khatoon, Lala Ded, and Habibullah Nowshehri. The music is known for calming the souls of listeners and believers. The magic lies in the verses of poetry sung steadily, in an unwavering manner. As Western and more modern styles have become more influential in the region in recent years, attention has shifted from these traditional forms, and there are just a few people who are keen on reviving the dying old traditions.

Rehana Yousuf, Irfana Yousuf, Gulshan Ara, Shagufta Lateef, and Shabnam Bashir are committed to defying the odds and overcoming stereotypes and patriarchal values.

“The onus of preserving the cultural heritage of Kashmir doesn’t just lie on men. I don’t think women are any less. I believe that we can achieve anything a man can; there should be no comparison at all.” said Irfana Yousuf, the founding member of the all-female ensemble.

Yousuf, whose father is a musician, was inspired at age 17 to take up music herself and start the all-female group. The group doesn’t just preserve Sufi music, but also serves as an inspiration to countless women of the valley to speak up for themselves and choose to do what they love and not just what they’re forced into doing.

For these women, it was an enormous challenge to step into the limelight, especially in a place where scant space is allowed for women to express themselves. In the villages, women are hardly allowed to move freely on roads due to security reasons and are largely expected to sit confined within the four walls of their house. Yemberzel member Gulshan Ara told the WMC, “We are expected to wash dishes and clean the house, but I genuinely think that there’s much more for us to do than just that.”

One of the group’s most daunting challenges was online hate and abuse that began in 2020, when they started to get media attention. It mostly came from men in Kashmir who threatened them for playing music in public and appearing in videos. Eventually, the women stopped appearing in video interviews, but they have continued to perform at various programs and concerts all over the valley, and have received many awards.

“I read comments that read disastrously upsetting remarks. People, mostly men, had written that we girls are doing this just for money, not for any real musical passion, and that we weren’t ‘good’ women.” said Irfana Yousuf, who plays santoor in the band.

Gulshan Ara, another member of the group, added, “Who gets to decide whether we are good or not? We have taken this up and we will continue, not fearing anyone at all.”

On the brighter side, the women have provided inspiration to women and girls in the valley. They are committed to helping young girls interested in Sufi music and its instruments. “We get a lot of calls from young girls and women who love music and say that they want to take it ahead,” said Gulshan Ara. “We will start teaching and giving lessons to young girls soon. We already have mentored many, but we will look forward to doing it on a large scale.”

“My biggest inspiration has been my father, who himself is a musician. He always encouraged me to pursue what I loved,” said Rehana Yousuf.

Mohammad Yousuf Beigh, who works as a carpenter in the Shilvat Village of Bandipora district, told the WMC, “I have worked very hard on both my two daughters as well as other girls of this group. I want them to achieve heights. I want them to carry the Sufi music gene forward and preserve the culture of Kashmir.”

The rich Kashmiri culture boasts a wealth of ancient literature, language, religion, arts, crafts, and music. But due to the longstanding political conflict in the region, people’s attention has been diverted from preserving these art forms as they deal with the repercussions. The conflict has greatly impacted the psychology of Kashmiri people; according to a survey by Médecins Sans Frontières, 45% of the Kashmiri population suffers from some kind of mental distress.

In addition, women in the region are economically dependent on men, and there are many restrictions on the political, civil, and legal rights of women, including their freedom of expression. But in recent years more Kashmiri women and girls have started taking part in Kashmir art forms despite setbacks and resistance.

“In a world where new forms of music are emerging and there’s greater influence of English songs on us, we should preserve what is ours by inheritance,” said Rehana Yousef. “If we don’t save our nose, who else will? Kashmiri language is our pride and preserving it our duty.”