We.29.05.24

Totally full of spiritual energy

Ustad Noor Bakhsh, the 78-year-old Pakistani musician Inspired by birdsong and playing the obscure zither-like benju. 

From near Pasni, Balochistan, Ustad masters the Balochi Benju, a folk instrument that in its originalform was a japanese toy instrument. He has played it since he was a child. Noor Bakhsh is well known as a legendary instrumentalist throughout the Makran Coast. Since 2023 he is trailblazing across Europe uniting his South Asian core audience with other curious music lovers in frenetic dance parties. The clash of nostalgia and curiosity adds to the magic of a wholesome performance totally full of spiritual energy: Suffering, acceptance, unconditional love- it all floats through every note this wonderful human being shares with his audience. Ustad Noor Bakhsh is such a legend of the region it is hard to fathom how much his appearance means to Balochi people who sometimes had no chance to see him in decades since they migrated to Europe. And it all looks so simple: With just a minimal duo setup Ustad and Dooshambay light up dancefloors by virtuosic playing deeply rooted in Balochi musical forms and enriched by his knowledge of South Asian Raags. All that he renders in his own, experimental style. The repertoire includes Persian and Kurdish and even Bollywood tunes— anything that floats in his land since before the modern borders of Iran and Pakistan divided Balochistan. He also renders popular and folk tunes in all the major languages spoken across Pakistan. His Sindhi repertoire is particularly novel in that it reflects a beautiful conversation between the neighboring musical cultures of Sindh and Balochistan. And whether you get the references or not: There’s no way around Ustad Noor Bakhsh making you feel the universal power of music that is beyond special.

Support from DJ Booty Carrell

Booty Carrell is the DJ alias of Vinyl archaeologist, Golden Pudel resident and outernational deejay Sebastian Reier. Carrell does his research in the deep spaces of the vinyl universe. He digs into the second wave of musical globalisation. And he sets off where musicians around the world have started to melt regional traditions with a western  gesture. Be it in Tukey, Iran, Romania, Pakistan, France or even Germany.  
This is Noor Bakhsh's version of a tune that is loved and recognized widely across South Asia. Often considered to be an age old folk song, the poet who wrote it is not known. However, the composition that is now widely sung is attributed to the great Master Ashiq Hussain, who composed the tune for a film in the 1950's. The song is an integral part of the Qawwali repertoire and has been rendered by many greats including Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Parveen, Noor Jehan, and others.