Kashmiri singer Qaisar Nizami gets Grammys 2022 nomination for his song 'Nazninay'

Popular singer Qaisar Nizami has received Grammy awards 2022 nomination for his song `Nazninay` (O Beauty). This makes him the first-ever Kashmiri to get a place in the prestigious nominations.

Kashmiri singer Qaisar Nizami. (Photo credit: IANS)

Acclaimed Kashmiri musician and singer Qaisar Nizami, best known for his song ‘Harmukh Bartal Zagai’ has been nominated for the prestigious Grammy award, one of the highest honours in the musical category. The artist was nominated for his song `Nazninay` (O Beauty), which was composed in collaboration with a US-based music composer and santoor player Ehsaan Matoori`s multinational `The Voice and Bridges` project, reported IANS.

Nizami's Grammy nomination marks the first time for a Kashmiri singer to find a place in nominations for the prestigious honour.

Nizami`s Grammy announcement read, "It is a matter of joy that the famous composer Ehsaan Matoori in collaboration with the greatest musicians of the world brought out an album in which many countries lend their voices and the voice of Qaisar Nizami, the legendary singer of the Valley, also is included in the album titled `The Voices and Bridges`, which speaks in itself about the music and poetry."

Urging voters Kashmiri music lovers to vote for him in abundance, Nazim said, "Never before has any singer of the Valley had the privilege of having had any of his songs chosen for the Grammy Awards." According to IANS, the first-round voting for the nominations ended on November 5. The next round will take place between December 6, 2021, and January 5, 2022, in time for the event slated for January 31, 2022.

According to previously published media reports, Nizami was connected with Matoori when he found himself stranded in the U.S. as a result of the first Covid-19 lockdown in India.

Nizami had gone to the US to perform in a concert at the University of North Texas College of Music, Denton, Texas, when the lockdown was announced, resulting in the suspension of all international flights. That was when a professor at the university, Sadaf Munshi, introduced him to Matoori, who was working on `The Voice and Bridges` project since 2019 to explore the musical traditions of different cultures.

`Nazninay` has Kashmiri and Farsi lyrics -- Kashmiri poet Ibrahim Miskeen`s `Pur Mah` (Full Moon) in Kashmiri and the late Iranian poet Fereydoon Moshiri`s `Beneshin Mara` (Stay With Me) -- alternating with each other.

The nominations for the 2022 Grammys (or the 64th Grammy Awards) will be formally announced at a live-streamed event on November 23.

(With inputs from IANS)