I Asiya Rafiq, have never stagnated myself for one career. I was always inclined towards co-curricular activities since from my school days, I studied in girls missionary school in Kashmir named Mallinson School.I used to participate in school plays and loved to sing in school festivities. I would like to talk about one event which has helped me to become the person I am today regarding getting confidence in my life.It was during my school days of first stage performance for our 12th batch farewell party where I myself approached to my school principal to get me on the stage as some of my classmates were not willing to make me perform because of their own insecurities but as my principal supported me and she placed my performance on the stage, and I got all the praises & appreciation from students and school faculty and that day I realized that self help is the root of all success and achievements in life and self reliant person should only depend on Allah but do not depend upon others for doing their work.
Then my second stage performance was in my third year batch college farewell party with a skit written and presented by me which again I got highly appreciated. I got more and more interested in singing specially the quality of my vocals, although I was not a trained vocalist, but I believe I was gifted by good voice as my father was also had a great voice.
Coming from a family of professionals background my father was working as a collector in Kashmir and my mother was an educational teacher. I was always pushed for professional carrier other then co-curricular activities, for that reason my singing hobby took a back seat & I never focused on it. The penchant of singing was a lit again when I moved to Mumbai.I studied psychology and I was running my own advertising business in Mumbai when I got a chance to meet a famous bollywood music director Mr Shekhar Ravjiani who appreciated my singing skills and asked me to get professional training. I hired a vocal coach to train me for classical & semiclassical songs as I was more inclined towards Urdu Ghazals & Sufi songs. I remember I always use to attend ghazal events (Mehfils) of Mr Ghulam Ali to his performance visit in Mumbai.
With passing time I was approached to sing in events in Mumbai & I got my first opportunity to sing in Mumbai Kitab Khana,Fort for a book reading session related to sufism organized by Author & Sahitya Akademi Awardee Ms Anju Makhija. I sang few Sufi (Devine) songs for which I got enormous praise & people loved it.
The next occasion I got was due to my appreciation of previous event, when I was invited in National College Mumbai for singing which was attended by Mayor Of Mumbai Ms Indu Shahani & she loved my voice so much that she invited me to her private event. I am really grateful for surrounded by people who appreciated my talent. I had also a wonderful time by performing sufi songs in Cultural Art Studio in Mumbai.
This is how the strings got attached & I was doing more singing than before but still I did not take it as a profession due to the commitments of my advertising business.
After my marriage I shifted to UAE as my husband is working as a best Specialist Children Doctor Pediatrician in Abu Dhabi and I got busy with my family commitments and the change of environment. I was also active in a fashion designing work so in my spare time I got involved with inclusion fashion & inclusion education by volunteering in inclusion activities happening in Abu Dhabi. So again I couldn’t pursue my singing & I didn’t performed for years.
Once on a family visit to Global Village Dubai I notice the stage to perform as a singer & I introduced myself & my singing portfolio to the organizers who were more then happy to willing to make me perform for their event which was a very big platform for me as all the renowned singers from all over the world come & perform there. The Indian & Pakistani diaspora enjoyed the show as the understandable language of song lyrics and so do the other nationalities enjoyed due to the rhythmic vocals. This event was very big for me mainly because it was after this event I started to feel more confident.After that I had my another stage performance at Ramadan Children Event in Marina Mall Abu Dhabi. The event was memorable to me because it was related to children.
Over the years in UAE I got more religiously inclined & I stopped singing in mixed gathering & used to sing in women only events. My recent Sufi singing performance was in Dubai for females only event of 2nd book anniversary celebration “POWER OF PAGES” Book Club in HUB BURJUMAN. Where I got lots of love and appreciation.
As my work rotates around people of determination as an inclusion advocate and an independent artist, I always choose to perform for free in charity events or patients suffering from an acute medical conditions. And other events I am performing, some of our profits we generate are used for a right cause or a right purpose. And I am providing music-duff therapy sessions for children with special needs and these sessions are showing a huge progress among children with Autism, Down Syndrome or other learning difficulties.
I recently shoot a song for people with special needs in turkey which is written by me and composed by me which is still under process. And I keep posting my vocals on my instagram account by singing songs of different singers. I also posted some beautiful lyrics sung by Abida Parveenji.
Now I aspire to sing in such events where there is gender segregation so that myself & other females are more comfortable and the females who are not at ease in male gatherings and want to join permissible entertainment can also come & unwind themselves to lyrics which have social & mental impact rather than the lyrics which are vogue today.
To listen kindly visit Instagram @asiyarafiqq
