Kashif (musician)

Kashif
Kashif in 1985
Born
Michael Jones

(1956-12-26)December 26, 1956
New York City, U.S.
Died September 25, 2016(2016-09-25) (aged 59)
Playa Del Rey, California, United States
Other namesKashif Saleem
Occupations
  • Singer
  • musician
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Synthesizer
  • keyboards
  • vocals
Years active1974–2016
Labels

Kashif Saleem (born Michael Jones; December 26, 1956 – September 25, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from New York City. As a teenager, Kashif joined the funk group B. T. Express. He studied Islam and changed his name from Michael Jones to Kashif. He 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.