Old Sound Returns

The rabab is finding its way back into Kashmiri life, thanks to young people who never saw it play a central role while growing up.

Its return began in small, everyday moments: someone strumming it by the river after class, a few friends listening in a café, a student bringing it to a college event and catching everyone off guard.

These scenes seem light and fleeting, though they mark a clear shift in how Kashmir relates to its own cultural past.

The music instrument once shaped weddings, winter evenings and neighbourhood gatherings in Kashmir. It filled homes with warmth and carried stories passed down for generations.

With time, modern sound systems took over public life. Craftsmen who built and repaired rababs struggled for work, and the instrument ended up stored away, wrapped in cloth and slowly forgotten.

The revival started when a small group of young Kashmiris decided to learn the instrument. They looked for teachers and often found only a few still playing with confidence.

Students were encouraged to listen to their surroundings because an instrument grows stronger when it pays attention to the world around it.

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