When music is a bridge to helping others

Kashmiri singer Baabarr Mudacer strikes chord of empathy while helping the needy in his own way

Srinagar: Every song he sings, every video he makes, every view he gets on YouTube is aimed at just one thing – helping those who can’t afford to help themselves. Baabarr Mudacer, one of Kashmir’s most high profile musicians, is a young man determined to be more than just about song.

The 26-year-old, whose music ranges from rap to soulful Sufi, said he views his work not just as a means to success and fame but also as a way to help others. “I am just a bridge… I give the account number of the family directly to the people willing to extend support. My only contribution is to verify their story and later make an appeal through my official YouTube channel,” he shared.

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Mudacer, who counts Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Bob Marley as his inspirations, dropped out of college in 2012 to focus on his music. Two years ago, he started a music company MAD (Music And Donate) to combine his passion for song and his commitment to causes as eclectic as his muses.

Earlier this week, Mudacer performed live at an event organised by the Jammu and Kashmir tourism department in Pahalgam. Crowds cheered as he came on to the stage, and the applause grew louder when he announced was singing for a young boy in Bandipora who was in an accident last year and suffered serious injuries in his abdomen.

“Today, I am singing for a small kid in Bandipora who was hit by a truck last year. His parents have sold off everything to provide him with medical facilities and have exhausted whatever they had. I am just making an attempt to help them out,” he said.

The audience, mainly the young, were enthralled when he started singing “Mast Qalandar”, a Sufi song completed by 17th century poet Bulle Shah. The concert ended with a rap song Mudacer penned, depicting his childhood to the “naav” (name) he has earned as a musician.