by Steven Seedo
PARAMARIBO — The ambition of Suhail Asruf (16) extends beyond just participating in competitions. Ultimately, he wants to touch the audience as a solo artist with music that should above all convey a message of feeling and warmth. “I want to be a singer who can light up people’s hearts. For me it is important that there is enough feeling in the songs,” he says the True Time for.
With his participation four months ago in the thirtieth edition of the Open School Singing Contest 2026, the young singer has already taken an important step in that direction by being declared the winner. Asruf sees this mainly as an incentive to continue with his musical development. He wants to release his own song in the near future.
“I mainly focus on classic Bollywood songs”
Solo performances
After his successful participation in the student festival, the teenager was approached by bands, but he is not interested in that for the time being. “The music they play is not really for me. I respect what they do, but I mainly want to focus on classic Bollywoodsongs“, explains Asruf.
His dream is to give his own solo performances. He attaches great importance to the music quality. He calls a good sound system and experienced musicians important conditions for a successful performance.
He gained his first experience with a larger orchestra during the ‘Romance Edition, Aao Pyar Karen’ concert on July 26 at the Assuria Event Center, where he performed with the Yaadgaar Orchestra. “That was a very nice experience,” he reflects.
Stimulated by family
Asruf started reciting poems in the mosque around the age of four. At home he sang Bollywood songs. The pleasure he found in this was not lost on his family. His grandfather (nana) on his mother’s side, Rosan Oemedali, played an important role in his musical development, including by letting him take singing lessons with Ilhaam Ahmadali.
The teenager says: “My nana has done a lot for me. He took me to singing lessons and was my accompanist at home. To this day he asks me to sing a song every day.” Also his naniegrandmother Aminakhatoen Oemedali-Bikhie, and his parents have always supported him.
School first
During the corona period he was forced to stop classes. After the Covid-19 pandemic, he decided to put singing on hold. He continued to sing, both at home and – upon request – during private functions. Asruf is also taking singing lessons again, now at the Cultural Center of the Indian Embassy.
Yet music remains on the back burner, especially because he is in the graduating class of the Swami Shraddhanand school (mulo). “Now I have to focus on school first.” During the big holidays of 2027 he wants to go all out and perform regularly. In the meantime, he continues to develop. In addition to singing, he learns to play tabla and keyboard.
