Kashif (musician)
| Kashif | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Michael Jones December 26, 1956 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
September 25, 2016 (aged 59) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Kashif Saleem |
| Occupation |
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| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1974–2016 |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | |
Kashif Saleem, previously Michael Jones (December 26, 1956 – September 25, 2016), was an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, record producer, artist, composer, author, director and educator from New York City. Kashif first taught himself to play a $3 song flute at age seven and later the piano in the basement of his church. At age 15, Kashif joined B. T. Express and performed on stages around the world. He studied Islam and changed his name from Michael Jones to Kashif, which means discoverer and inventor. He crafted his own distinctive sound and later signed with Arista Records enjoying success as a solo artist.
Together with Stevie Wonder, he was considered a pioneer in urban music thanks to his specific synthesizer technology approach and the introduction of MIDI in his production.
Kashif was born Michael Jones on December 26, 1956, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. His only connection to his birth family is his birth certificate, which indicates that his biological mother was incarcerated when he was four months old. He was immediately put in foster care. He was constantly abused physically and mentally by his foster parents, and at the age of six, he moved into a more stable foster home. His introduction to music came in the form of a $3.00 song flute when he was in elementary school. He was instantly hooked and insisted on playing his flute all throughout the school day. His teacher encouraged him and delivered on her promise that she would help to enroll him at a junior high school that had a great music program. That is where he first learned to play trumpet, piano, flute, saxophone, and tuba. By age 12, with the mentoring of his junior high school music teacher (Robert Wedlaw) he had mastered several musical instruments and began performing in some of New York's finest night clubs (Copacabana (nightclub) and Lloyd Price's Turntable).
In 1974, at the age of 15, Kashif was recruited as a keyboard player and vocalist to join the funk band B. T. Express, whose credits included the hits "Here Comes The Express" and "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)", among others. Seeking a more challenging musical assignment in 1978, Kashif exited B. T. Express and landed a job as a keyboardist for R&B musician Stephanie Mills.
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