In Kangan, in central Kashmir, 53-year-old singer Yousuf Naseem has spent three decades preserving Shina through music.
Sitting on his veranda, he plays a six-stringed rabab. His songs carry memories of migration, loss and the home he left behind.
Born in Dangithal, near the Line of Control in Gurez Valley, Naseem remembers long winters, family storytelling and songs passed along by older relatives.
“The elders in our house were our library,” he says. “Whatever they hummed, we sang.”
During the 1999 Kargil conflict, his family was among those forced to leave Gurez. They resettled in Kangan.
“We lost everything,” he says. “But the songs travelled with us.”
Naseem began taking Shina music to new listeners in Srinagar. In Bohri Kadal, a historic market in the old city where many Dard families work as wazas, or chefs, he gave a shopkeeper a copy of his first cassette, Dardistan, and asked him to play it every morning.
His voice began travelling through the market.
“People would ask what language it was,” Naseem says. “It was Shina. For many, it was the first time they had heard it.”
While Naseem carried Shina music beyond Gurez, Fareed Ahmed Kaloo worked to preserve it within the valley.
At the Shina Cultural Centre near Dawar, young musicians gather as Kaloo, 67, adjusts his harmonium and begins to sing. He wears a traditional shoka and white pakol cap.
Yousuf Naseem, 53, a Shina singer and rabab player, plays on the veranda of his home in Kangan, Indian-administered Kashmir [Ishtayaq Rasool/Al Jazeera]
“Gilgit, Kargil, Gurez, Drass – our pride, our own, This is our Golden Garden: Dardistan, our home.”
Kaloo leads the Habba Khatoon Dramatic Club, a cultural group founded in 1976 to preserve Shina folklore in Gurez.
“After Partition, our culture faded,” he says. “Kashmiri music dominated, and our Dardic roots went silent.”
For years, he travelled between villages on foot, carrying a harmonium and a tumbak naari, a clay percussion instrument. He performed at weddings, fairs and local gatherings, accepting food, a place to sleep or a small honorarium as payment.
“We didn’t do it for money,” he says. “We did it because someone had to, and no one else would.”
Some of the club’s earliest members have died. Others left amid cross-border shelling and never returned. Kaloo stayed, teaching folk songs to younger generations.
He now listens to new tracks on his phone and admires how musicians in Gilgit have developed their sound while retaining elements of traditional Shina music.
“They’ve gone far ahead of us,” he says with a smile. “As they should. Our songs must evolve, but never lose their roots.”
The “blue tsunami” in the 2026 midterm elections flipped control of both the House and the Senate last week, bringing a wave of Democrats, some with backgrounds in the arts.
The influx of newly elected officials — artists, musicians, dancers and even a former Prada model among them — comes just weeks before Congress will take another look at the Trump administration’s proposed 2027 budget, which requests $1.5 trillion in defense spending and, once again, seeks to nix funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Last year, Congress intervened against some of the arts cuts, but that didn’t stop the administration from terminating hundreds of NEA grants worth more than $27 million nationwide.
Next year’s massive reconfiguration of power, however, brings with it a number of elected officials with creative backgrounds, some of whom even incorporated music, dance and art into their campaigns and promises to constituents.
U.S. Representative-elect Claire Valdez, says art is the first language she knew. “It is a language that crosses all kinds of divides and gives voice to something that is otherwise inexpressible and has tremendous power to change,” she said. “I think that transformation is needed now more than ever.”
Here’s a look at some of the elected officials who have a little razzle-dazzle on their resumes.
Iowa Governor-elect Rob Sand
Then-model Rob Sand walks the runway in the Prada menswear spring 2003 ready to wear runway show in Milan, Italy.
(Davide Maestri / Penske Media via Getty Images)
It’s been 20 years since Iowa chose a Democrat to govern the state, but Iowans just elected a former Prada model to strut into office next year. The New York Times profiled Sand in 2019, noting that the Brown University and University of Iowa College of Law graduate doesn’t like to talk about his days modeling in Paris and Milan. Back then, he worked his way through college and ultimately earned a J.D. degree.
The cat’s out of the bag, though, and Sand seems to have surrendered to the social media attention and even leaned in. “I’m disappointed to learn images of me modeling for Prada are circulating,” he wrote alongside a grayscale fashion editorial. “Because this shot from Italian Vogue is much better.” He also launched a “My Model Governor” tee, featuring a chic twenty-something Sand showing off his sought-after bone structure.
It’s been about two decades since Sand, repped by IMG Models at the time, graced the catwalk for Giuliano Fujiwara and other high fashion designers. After college, he traded the runway for a courtroom, and in 2018, was elected state auditor as a Democrat, serving two terms. The now 44-year-old governor-elect appealed to Iowan voters using a campaign centered on public education, affordable living, anti-corruption and bipartisanship. His campaign slogan is: “Not redder or bluer, but better and truer.” He’s a Jesus-loving hunting enthusiast whose first job was catching chickens, and he insists that he’s more interested in public service than two-party politics.
Texas’ new Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson
Texas state Sen. Nathan Johnson speaks against a bill that would add new abortion restrictions in Austin, Texas.
(Eric Gay / Associated Press)
From the top of the ballot to the bottom, Republicans lost their long-held grip on Texas last week. Democrat Nathan Johnson was elected Texas attorney general, an office held by Republicans for 28 years. This isn’t the first time Johnson flipped Texas either. Back in 2018, he was elected to the Texas state Senate, and while he’s impressed Texans with promises to root out corruption, restore traditional consumer protection and shift away from the high-profile culture wars of prior officeholders, he claims glory for something else:
“In the 2000s, I wrote the musical scores wall-to-wall of 67 episodes of ‘Dragon Ball Z’ and five of the movies,” he told Texas Sen. Taylor Rehmet in a video posted to Facebook. “It was a lot of fun … And even then, it got me street cred with my kids’ friends, and it gave me a creative outlet and a cultural connection that very few people had the opportunity to have.”
The Texas Attorney General-elect worked on “Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest,” “Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might,” “Dragon Ball Z: Broly — Second Coming,” “Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn” and “Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon.” He also ran a music production company and composed classical stage music.
Speaking to Texas Standard after the midterm results were in, Johnson chalked up the blue wave to a “national revolt against meanness, against hateful speech and divisiveness.”
“People indulge in those sorts of things when everything else is feeling great,” he said. “But at a time when corruption is confronting us in the face and people are super anxious about their economic future, there was a whole-scale rejection of Republican leadership.”
U.S. Representative-elect Bobby Pulido
Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy winner, sings during his last concert, La Última Desvelada, at the Bert Ogden Arena.
(Gabriel V. Cardenas/For The Times)
Another Democrat elected in the Lone Star state is the Latin Grammy-winning Tejano music star Bobby Pulido, who will represent Texas’ 15th Congressional District. Pulido said he’s willing to trade his three-decade stage career and take a hefty pay cut to step into public service. He won 62% of the total vote of Texans across the Rio Grande Valley and central Texas on a platform of affordability, healthcare access, immigration reform and reconnecting with working-class Latino voters.
“I give you my word tonight that I will never forget where I came from,” Pulido recently said during an Oct. concert, “La Última Desvelada” (The Last Restless Night), in his hometown of Edinburg, Texas, per TejanoNation. “I did music for me, but I’m running for Congress for you … Because I’m not going to Washington to serve a political party, I’m going to serve you.”
Pulido defeated Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz, who took jabs at his showbiz background during her campaign. “This election isn’t about who you want performing at your niece’s quinceañera,” she said earlier this year, according to the Texas Tribune.
The Tejano star responded by performing at quinceañeras across the congressional district, which only boosted his popularity in the region. “In south Texas, a quinceañera isn’t just a pachanga. It’s a rite of passage that brings family and neighbors together,” said Pulido in a TikTok clip in March. “And honestly, that’s exactly what this campaign is about. We want to bring people together, not tear them apart.”
U.S. Representative-electClaire Valdez
Congressional candidate Claire Valdez won her race against Brooklyn borough President Antonio Reynoso in the New York 7th District to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.).
(Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)
Valdez, a visual artist and union organizer, was elected to represent New York’s 7th Congressional District with a campaign message that espoused the need for artists to “change our political, our economic, and our social order.” Valdez’s political aspirations are personal: She moved to New York to pursue a career as an artist and quickly realized the financial realities of making art under capitalism. Art should never be a luxury for the rich, she argues, but a necessity for all.
“This district represents more artists than almost any other district in the country, and yet we live in a city where it’s almost impossible to have the studio space, the time off, the money, the resources, the healthcare to make the art that we need in our society to shine,” Valdez said in a campaign speech earlier this year.
“I did not come to politics through electoral ambitions … I came to this place via my union. My union taught me that when people come together, we can organize for incredible things. We can move literal mountains, and we can beat back all the other people who make our lives a living hell, who have made this city unaffordable and impossible to thrive in, impossible to be an artist in. We deserve and demand a life of dignity, beauty for every single person, no matter where you are from. That’s what’s on the table, my friends.”
Valdez worked as a program assistant in the visual arts department at Columbia University, where she became a union leader. In 2024, she was elected to the New York State Assembly to represent the 37th District in Queens. Last week, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani backed the candidate, who won 83% of the vote.
Los Angeles Mayor-electNithya Raman
Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman arrives with supporters standing nearby to claim victory in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
(Mario Tama / Getty Images)
Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman was first elected to the L.A. City Council in 2020, and last week, she became the first challenger to defeat an incumbent Los Angeles mayor in more than two decades. While Raman didn’t turn L.A. blue, the democratic socialist did beat Mayor Karen Bass, a more moderate Democrat, turning the city a deeper, more progressive shade of blue.
Raman campaigned on a platform centered on housing affordability, public transit expansion, street safety, and a major overhaul of how the city approaches homelessness, but she also has a unique inside perspective on issues that plague Angelenos who work in entertainment. Her husband, Vali Chandrasekaran, is a television writer and producer, with a resume stacked with popular shows including “Modern Family” and “30 Rock.” The two met as undergrads at Harvard, where Raman was active in the university’s arts scene, and contributed to student productions as a designer and choreographer. The two broke up but reconnected on the picket line during the 2007-08 Writers Guild Strike.
According to a profile in the Harvard Crimson, Raman studied classical dance with renowned Bharatanatyam dancer Leela Samson in Chennai, India, and toured with her dance company after she graduated in the early aughts. The mayor-elect told the outlet that she still follows dance when her schedule allows.
“I don’t just watch Indian classical dance, I watch all kinds of dance,” Raman said. “I’m a dance aficionado, and when I’m not busy on the campaign trail, I try and attend dance programs and performances.”
Raman took the stage late on election night during her party on the plaza outside the Greek Theatre, and asked the crowd: “Will you all get on the dance floor with me?” In response to the applause, she said, “Yes, we will dance. We will dance!”
The sons of Snoop Dogg, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jon Bon Jovi and John Mellencamp all gave big-time football the old college try. None made a big impact on the field.
Maybe Bo Bryan, son of country music superstar and “American Idol” host Luke Bryan, will be the first to do so. A three-star quarterback from a mid-sized private high school in Tennessee, Bryan announced on Sunday that he has committed to Georgia, telling Rivals “it was literally a dream come true.”
Although landing a roster spot at a major college is a noteworthy achievement under any circumstances, Bryan faces steep odds. Georgia, a perennial top-10 program and national championship contender, typically recruits passers of Matthew Stafford-level pedigree. Stafford, the current Rams quarterback and slam-dunk Hall of Famer, was the first pick in the NFL draft out of Georgia in 2008.
Bryan, currently sidelined with a broken collarbone, is ranked No. 141 nationally at his position in the 247/Sports Composite. His scholarship offers were from small-school FCS programs such as Tennessee Martin, Austin Peay and North Alabama.
It’s not surprising that the Bulldogs carved out a roster spot for Bryan. His family has been Georgia fans for decades and his coach at the Franklin, Tenn., Battle Ground Academy is a longtime friend of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. As a child, Bryan attended camps run by Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.
“I remember being at games and my parents holding me,” Bryan told On3. “I’ve always been a Georgia fan.”
Bobo called with the offer, and Bryan gave the answer he had already rehearsed.
“I told myself, are we going to shoot for the stars at a place like Georgia, or are we going to stay in the FCS or potentially a smaller FBS school?” he said. “Eventually, I told myself, just shoot for the stars.”
Bryan is hardly the first child of a rich and famous music superstar to take a stab at high-level college football, with the mid-2010s experiencing a rush of attempts.
Cordell Broadus, son of rapper and cultural icon Snoop Dogg, was a four-star receiver at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High, and his 2015 recruitment by UCLA was considered a coup. However, he quit before the season started, gave it another shot the following spring and quit again before the 2016 season began.
“He’s going to pursue other passions in his life and we encourage that,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said.
Broadus’ attempt came on the heels of a four-year stint at UCLA by Justin Dior Combs, the son of music mogul Diddy. The 5-foot-7, 170-pound defensive back saw limited times on special teams and was credited with four career tackles. Combs graduated from UCLA with a degree in sociology.
Meanwhile, Jesse Bongiovi, son of rock musician Jon Bon Jovi, spent the 2013-2016 seasons as a walk-on defensive back at Notre Dame. He appeared in one game in each of his four seasons and was credited with one tackle.
Still another son of a popular musician to suit up for major college football was Hud Mellencamp, a two-time Golden Gloves boxing champion in Indiana who walked on as a wide receiver at Duke. He appeared in two games in 2014 and one in 2015, making zero receptions, and graduated with a degree in history.
Bryan will be competing against a Georgia quarterback commit with more traditional bloodlines: Colton Nussmeier, whose brother Garrett is a backup quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs after a standout career at LSU. Their father, Doug, is offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints.
Whether Bo Bryan eventually fulfills his lifelong dream of succeeding on the Georgia gridiron, he is likely to make a mark in business if his predecessors are a fair indication.
![Yousuf Naseem, 53, a Shina singer and rabab player, plays on the veranda of his home in Kangan, Indian-administered Kashmir [Ishtayaq Rasool/Al Jazeera]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Screenshot-2026-11-13-at-3.50.47-PM-1794603062.png?w=640&ssl=1)
