Ustad Noor Bakhsh (Belutschistan / Pakistan)

Ustad Noor Bakhsh is a legend and the living archive of an infinitely rich musical tradition. The soundscapes he elicits from his ‘Balochi Banjo’ are unique.

His virtuoso playing is deeply rooted in the musical traditions of Balochistan, but spans a wide range of Indian raags, which he performs in his very own experimental style, and includes Persian and Kurdish melodies as well as Afghan ghazal.

Ustad Noor Bakhsh plays an electric version of the ‘Balochi Banjo’, which he amplifies with a small, ancient guitar amp. This gives this instrument – a zither played with keys – a special flavour. The ‘Balochi banjo’ has a peculiar history, as it originally comes from Japan, where it is known as a toy instrument for children called taishōkoto. In Balochistan it became a complex folk instrument with its own cultural technique that combines the sounds of the entire region between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.