Srinagar, 11 Feb (KB): Ishfaq Kawa (25), hails from Shadipora village in Bandipora. He completed his education from higher secondary Sumbal followed by Bachelors in Hotel Management. He lives with his parents, two brothers and a sister.
He dreamed of becoming a vocal artist and this kept him awake during the nights. Ishfaq comes from a humble family of farmers who did not have even the remotest connection with the music. The choice of his parents for him was to study more and get a job but, a determined Ishfaq didn’t fail to keep following his dream.
Ishfaq has become a new musical sensation of Kashmir. His songs get millions of views and his melody melts umpteen hearts.
Talking to Kashmir Bulletin (KB), he said that, “I was interested in music since my childhood but there was no platform available. I used to participate in cultural shows in school. I used to sing Bollywood, Sufi, and Punjabi numbers.
“From 2016, I formally started uploading my songs on YouTube and the response was amazing. I started writing lyrics for my songs. My first song was (Chana Mera). In 2018 I released Madno, which was received well by the audience and more kashmir songs like Zarum na doorer, Asso gindo etc on YouTube which has crossed millions of views on youtube, And as they say, there was no looking back’’.
Unlike other Singers “I spend from my pocket for my music”. I have not earned a penny. I invest my money to popularise music. I wish there were sponsors so that my music could reach more people. My songs are available on almost all musical platforms and people have liked those as well,” he said.
A big fan of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and Arijit Singh, Ishfaq aims to debut in Bollywood one day.I got inspired by listening to Vijay Kumar Malla, a renowned Kashmiri singer.
“Having performed in Chandigarh, Delhi and Hyderabad along with Jammu & Kashmir, I am eager to make a mark in Bollywood. I got very good responses from everywhere. People appreciate our singing style’’―(Kashmir Bulletin)
