For a Valley that has been haunted by a shadow of gloom, Kashmir hides a vibrant heritage of music and art. Aabha Hanjura is more than familiar with it. As the daughter of Kashmiri Pandits forced out of the region during the exodus in the 1990s, she was raised on stories, ditties and songs from the region.

The musical heritage

“I wanted to set the tone from my first album — the sonic identity established by the Kashmiri rabab or sarangi that sounds different, and the santoor is the sound of the mountains — which originated in the valleys,” says the Bengaluru-based artiste.