Beatboxing is a type of vocal percussion that includes the art of imitating drum machines using one’s mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also include mimicking turntablism and other musical instruments, and is an important part of the hip hop culture. Simply put, beat boxing is music created with the mouth. It has been used in American musical genres and in African traditional music in which a performer uses his body as a percussion instrument. Stomping, clapping, and creating sounds using one’s mouth and tongue are examples of beatboxing techniques. Vocal percussion has been used in famous songs such as Pow R. Toc H by Pink Floyd and That Would Be Something by Paul McCartney, among others.
Human beatboxing originated in the 1980s. Doug E. Fresh is said to be among the earliest human beatboxers and perhaps the most famous one. Swifty used the inhale sound technique for the first time. Buffy and Wise were among the other pioneering beatboxers. In 2000, Alex Tew started the first online community of beatboxers. The following year, Gavin Tyte created the very first tutorials on beatboxing. Today, beatboxing uses many modern techniques and has found a place in many movies and songs. Here we look at the beatboxing revolution in Jammu and Kashmir, how it all started and who are the most notable beatboxers or vocal percussionists in J&K.
Sufiyan Rouf, a youngster from Kashmir had the courage to experiment with something unconventional. He introduced Kashmiris to beatboxing and started the culture of vocal percussion in J&K. In 2016, he got to know of beatboxing, which soon turned into his passion and in 2017, he performed on stage and surprised the audience with his fabulous beatboxing. He put his work on social media and got coverage on local media as he was the only individual in Kashmir who practiced beatboxing. Many beatboxers started approaching him for guidance. To encourage young talent in Kashmir, in 2019, he formed a collective called Kashmir Beatbox. Today, the community has 25 artists and is registered with BBX India. He has joint hands with Adnan Manzoor, a rabab player from Kashmir and wishes to collaborate with many pop artists in the Valley. He is an inspiration for many budding beatboxers in Jammu and Kashmir and dreams to project Kashmir’s talent in vocal percussion on the international stage.
Mumin Khan, studying in grade 12 has been beatboxing since childhood. Watching Swiss Beatbox encouraged him to pursue this art. He thinks that vocal percussion is yet to establish itself as a full-fledged art form but will soon draw young talent.
Hayat Shafi, aged 20, is another Kashmiri youth who ventured beatboxing after hearing about this art from his friend. According to him, the ability to create sound using the mouth is fascinating and that young beatboxers should be encouraged to groom their skills.
Anzar is another artist in the beatboxing community of Jammu and Kashmir. He has been training his younger brother in vocal percussion.
Hyder who is 16 years old, is another young Kashmiri beatboxer. His pursuit for beatboxing began when he was aged just 12. He is fond of jamming and thinks that through beatbox battles, the artists can teach each other.
The truth is that there is no training institute for beatboxing and the art evolves with the artist. Different artists have different techniques of vocal percussion and the art gives scope for being inventive. Kashmir’s beatboxers think that the response received for their art is mixed, but many youngsters are turning towards this relatively lesser-known form of music. There aren’t many opportunities in the field and the artists do not get much support from society. However, by uploading videos on social media, and through jamming sessions and beatboxing competitions, the art is growing and garnering popularity, especially among the youth.
The vocal percussionists in J&K are creating a good future for beatboxing and this style of music will soon get popular among the masses and gain wider acceptance from society.
