Adnan Sami: Wooes & Wows Kashmir

Adnan Sami is back in Mumbai after what he describes as  the most memorable live concert of his life.

Invited to Srinagar by the Mehbooba Mufti, Adnan regaled thousands of  Kahmiris in Srinagar on Saturday night.

“By now I’ve done hundreds of concerts the worldover. Of course each one is special. And of course I get butterflies in my tummy even now before every live performance.  But this was in a different  league altogether,” says Adnan as he relives  every moment of what he describes as “magic in paradise.”

It all started with a call from Ms Mufti’s office. “When they asked me if I ‘d perform in Kashmir I didn’t even think about it. I said yes without a second thought ,and no money was discussed , none taken. Come on yaar, this is Kashmir.  Jannat mein gaane ke liye paise nahinlete(you don’t take  money  to sing in paradise.”

Nor did Adnan think twice about taking his wife and newly-born daughter Medina to the troubled Valley. “It wasn’t as if  the tension in  the  Valley vanished for me. It is there. But we need to go beyond despair and head towards repair. This healiing can only happen when more artistes from the worldover perform. And what better healer than  music? I am proud to say  I am the  first major artiste from Mumbai’s entertainment world to perform in Srinagar, and I’ve come back supremely  blissed by the welcome that I  got from music lovers there.”

Any regrets? “Yes, I wish I had been to Srinagar earlier. I had been to Kashmir to shoot for my song in Bajrangi Bhaijaan in 2015. But that was  just in-and-out. This time I  got a chance to meet people , mingle with the people, sing for and with them. Kashmir has such wonderful people and  is so so beautiful.I performed right at the foot  of  the Dal Lake, So  we can safely say there was never Dal moment during my concert, ha ha.My wife daughter and I got a  chance to see some of the gardens  before we returned. Now I can’t wait to go back for a longer visit and for another concert.”