Kashif Saleem, popularly know as Kashif was found dead by a neighbor yesterday at his home in LA. He might have died a day earlier.
Anyone into R&B and in their late-forties has to know Kashif. If you don’t, listen out for the bells because it’s school time!
A multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, record producer, artist, composer, author, director and educator who taught himself to play a $3 flute at age 7, he made sweet music for himself and all.
Where do I start? – Whitney, Melba Moore, Evelyn King, Howard Johnson, Kenny G, George Benson, Dionne Warwick, Melissa Morgan, Stacy Lattisaw, Al Jarreau and on and on.
At one point, he also taught a course on recording music at UCLA. He was an innovative synthesizer player and was known to be one of the early experimenters in electronic music.
What is so prominent in his songs is a powerful bass line. It draws you in on a magical trip of notes and hooks that leaves you bumping your head and shaking whatever mama gave you (If mama give you anything, that is!).
My all time favorite Kashif song has to be “I Just Gotta Have You (Lover Turn Me On)”, a hit from 1983. A bumpy track, it is an amalgam of sweet soul, that winding bass line and catching vocals. Like my friend JT said, anyone who can write a song that starts with “Eee! Eee” has to be a genius. That song is genius. Kashif was a genius!
The song takes me back to days on that hill called Kwabotwe when dreams were vivid and everything looked possible.
“Stone Love” is another…reminds me of a time of change and decisions…aaah! Music!
People who make such good music shouldn’t die but then what do I know. I am a mere mortal, detached from reality and in reality, people die. Even the good ones…sigh!
So Kashif, if you had to go up there , well make sure you get them bumping their heads to that bass line! Eeee! Eeee!