Ustad Noor Bakhsh, who hails from the town of Pasni in Balochistan, is a master of the traditional Pakistani instrument Benju, which he has been playing since childhood.
The musician has long been known as a legendary instrumentalist throughout the Makran coast, but gained wide international attention only after his latest videos - his performance at BOILER ROOM caused a powerful wave of admiration - the video received over 78,000 views.
The Benju was once a Japanese children's toy called a taishōkoto before it was taken over by Baloch musicians and transformed into the sophisticated folk instrument it is today. Noor Bakhsh plays electric Benju. He carries on the legacy of his teachers and inspirations like Bilawal Belgium and Misri Khan Jamali, but his own music is influenced by various traditions and musical forms far beyond Balochistan.
His virtuoso playing is deeply rooted in Baloch musical forms and enriched with knowledge of South Asian raagas, which he also performs in his own experimental style.
For listeners unfamiliar with Baloch music, Noor Baksh's Benju's electric tone and melodic ornaments will remind you of Ali Farka Toure's style, while the polyrhythmic sixes and eights with lots of experimental innovation and improvisation will make the body move very much like West and East African music.
This is not surprising, given the historical, intimate connections
