Alif: The Voice of Kashmir's Emotional Landscape in Music

Local Samosa had an opportunity to interview the Kashmiri singer, songwriter, and Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival Awardee Mohammad Muneem aka Alif for his latest release ‘Fitna Fitoor.’

Hai woh karta andhera sab mumkin. Khud ko bas raat din jalana hai, Only if we hold on to strength and belief for the light to come through. This is what Alif’s new single "Fitna Fitoor" from the album "Siyah" conveys with its profound lyrics. Mohammad Muneem, or as he likes to call himself Alif in the musical world, has recently released his single ‘Fitna Fitoor’ and is a Kashmiri singer, songwriter, filmmaker, and scriptwriter known for his soulful and hard-hitting music in Kashmiri and Hindustani (Urdu and Hindi) languages.

Alif says, “ I am a product of my mistakes,” as his journey into music and writing began around 2002 when he was in the 12th grade. Although he pursued engineering and completed it, he realized that it was not the career path he wanted to follow. He then pursued an MBA but continued writing songs and making compositions. He felt the need to share his songs with people and make an impact through his music.

The singer’s songs are deeply personal and reflect his state of mind. “Fitna Fitoor is a state of mind where Fitna means chaos and Fitoor means madness. So the chaos we are fighting in this world, how long will we keep fighting to win that and how deep we will dive into ourselves to win this situation,” says Alif on his latest release.

This single is a part of the album "Siyah"(Black), which means dark, and everything occurs here. The source of light, emerging through the darkness, gives us strength. Alif’s 20-plus Songs Album Siyah is divided into four parts: Haal (present), Maazi (past), Mustaqbil (future), and Hayaat (life). As of now, "Haal" which has songs like Khilona, and Dilgeer, and "Maazi" which has compositions like Bazaar, and Dad-Son have been released, while "Mustaqbil" and "Hayaat" are yet to be released.

Muneem has received quite a few recognitions in the past for his various projects. He has won the IRAA Award for the single "Like a Sufi," the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival Award for the single "Lalnawath," and the IIMA Award for "Best Folk Song" for the track "Ride Home." He is also one of the voices behind the recently viral wedding song 'Kya Karie Korimol' on Coke Studio Bharat. However, he considers his biggest achievement to be the ability to continue doing what he loves for an extended period of time. His music's impact on people and their comments about how his songs brightened their day also holds great significance to him because “for an artist, it is important to present himself in front of the audience and relate to them with the writing,” says the singer.

“Voh kahe jo kahe voh kehne do, Koi suntan bhi ho toh kya hoga, me hu tanhah nahi me hu sabke kaabil, jiyo toh kya hoga because tumhe malum nahi tum kaun ho, tum qaid nahi jo izzaazat lo is what Alif aims to convey to the audience through his songs.

Quick 5 ft. Alif

1. Your favorite song currently: Wishlist by Pearl Jam

2. One line from your song that always stays in your heart: Fanus ki khamoshi pe gaur na kar, uska kaam shor nahi

3. Your favorite Kashmiri Cuisine: Saag

4. One place in Kashmir where you would prefer writing a song: Jhelum ke kinare

5. Your thoughts on a hit song: My concept of a hit is different “It is not how many views a song gets, it's about how many people are affected by it. If 5 people are also touched after listening to my song that will be a hit for me

Also Read: Meet Chaand Baaliyan fame, Aditya Agarwal, a singer from Haryana who runs a clinic and a pathology lab!

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