- Cassette tapes preserve authentic Sufi music acoustics lost in digital formats
- Restored vintage players sell for $150-$850, reflecting cultural value
- Only 3 active repair workshops remain in Srinagar
- 72% of archival Sufi recordings exist solely on analog formats
- Gen Z Kashmiris host monthly cassette-listening gatherings
In the shadow of the Himalayas, Srinagar's cobblestone streets echo with a sonic paradox. While global music consumption shifts to streaming platforms, Kashmiri artisans like Farooq Ahmad Shaksaaz maintain cassette players as sacred objects. These devices, some older than their owners, transmit centuries-old Sufi verses through warm analog vibrations that devotees claim synchronize with human heartbeat rhythms. Digital files flatten the soul of our music,explains Abdul Hamid Khan, noting how compression algorithms dilute the sarangi's metallic shimmer.
This cultural preservation movement faces material challenges. Mohammad Ashraf Matoo, one of Kashmir's last cassette-mechanics, sources 43% of replacement parts from dismantled airport PA systems. His renovated Sharp RT-115 model, featuring hand-carved rubber rollers, recently sold for $620 to a Delhi-based sound archivist. Meanwhile, Srinagar's Radio Khanyari station runs weekly programs using exclusively cassette-sourced recordings, attracting 15,000 monthly listeners despite having no digital presence.
Youth-driven initiatives blend tradition with innovation. The Valley's first Cassette Culture Festival (2023) drew 850 attendees, featuring workshops on tape-loop spirituality. Surprisingly, 38% of participants were under 30, drawn to cassettes' tactile rituals as an antidote to algorithmic playlists. Rewinding a tape manually makes you listen intentionally,remarks 24-year-old curator Zooni Wani, whose Instagram series #TapeTuesdays documents rare Sufi collections.
