Ustad Noor Bakhsh

Ustad Noor Bakhsh is a master of the benju, a keyed zither that is a folk instrument of Balochistan, a province of Pakistan. He plays an electric benju, whose sound is produced via an old single coil pickup and a small amp he purchased in Karachi two decades ago: there is no electricity in his village, and he runs the amp from a motorcycle battery. You’ll see him use this set-up at Lotus. (Noor Bakhsh spent much of his life as nomadic shepherd and played weddings and other communal gatherings before becoming a professional musician later in life.) His virtuosic playing is enriched by knowledge of South Asian ragas, and his repertoire includes Persian and Kurdish tunes that are part of the cultural fabric of Balochistan from before modern borders divided the region among Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. For those unfamiliar with the benju: Noor Baksh’s playing is reminiscent of Ali Farka Toure’s style, his polyrhythmic sixes and eights powered with innovation and improvisation. It’s music for grooving and dancing.