PANDIT BHAJAN SOPORI

About:

• Hailing from a musician’s family that nurtured the Shaivite, Sufi, and Hindustani classical traditions in Kashmir for generations, Pt. Sopori led the revival of Sufi and folk music in the State to spread the message of humanism.
• Known as the Saint of Santoor, Pt. Sopori composed a collection of prayers and Tarana-e-Watan (patriotic songs), sung by large public choirs as a common prayer in the Valley.
• His vast repertoire has compositions derived from Naats (Islamic devotional songs) and Vedic chants. He drew his inspiration from the fountain of saints like Lalleshwari and Gani Kashmiri.
• Born in Srinagar, Pt. Sopori inherited the Sufiana tradition of santoor from his great grandfather Shankar Pandit and grandfather Samsar Chand Sopori. His father, Shambhu Nath Sopori, who was called the father of music in Jammu & Kashmir introduced Pt. Sopori to the family instrument at a young age.