There is a valley at the end of the road in Nagar that is home to glaciers, lakes, and high mountains. It's the land of yaks, markhors, and snow leopards. It is also the home of a young boy whose voice rises above the chorus of mighty glacial rivers.
We had just finished eating our dinner at Gloria Hotel in Hoper when our host announced that his nephew would sing for us. Soon appeared a little boy wearing thick glasses. As he began singing, everything came to a standstill-the wind, the gushing waters, and our breaths. The kid blasted his lungs out with his higher notes sending vibrations in our eardrums.
His throat was sore from a singing competition with some tourists a couple of days ago, but that didn't stop him. He sang one song after another, and we kept asking for more.
"I once sang at school, but my teacher became angry and started beating me. After that, I haven't dared singing there, Haha!" he said.
Hussain is 12 but looks much younger. His family jokingly calls him Trump due to his whitish skin and hairstyle.
The next day, I recorded a Sufi song in his voice using a pocket voice recorder at the hotel. Then, we went out for a small video shoot. My camera gear-the Sony Alpha 7R3, the DJI drone, and the DJI Osmo pocket-have all become defective on the bumpy roads of Gilgit Baltistan during my cycling trip. Therefore, I had no option but to use an iPhone for the shoot if I wanted to showcase his talent to the world.
The entire shoot took about two hours, out of which we spent half of the time walking to different locations. I found Hussain Mehdi to be not only talented but also confident and well-mannered. He guided us to some epic viewpoints in Hoper and did all his takes with great patience and enthusiasm. He won our hearts when he bought cakes and juice for us at the end of the shoot.
Hussain Mehdi wants to have a mentor for singing. His uncle has promised that he would secure permission from his family if we can find a teacher for him. Please help!
If you are in Hoper, go to Gloria Hotel and let him mesmerize you with his singing.
Hussain Mehdi-The Echo of the Mountains!
4 авг 2021
