Ustad Noor Bakhsh

Blending the classical with improvisation, inspiration and character

Thursday 2nd October 2025, Firth Hall, Univeristy of Sheffield

TalkingGigs presents Ustad Noor Bakhsk – Balochi Benju. 2nd October 2025

A review and the story of the gig

This latest event in the Talking Gigs series turned out to be a tale of discovery on many levels that involved more than one journey. So, not just a gig review but a short story as well. But first ...

Ustad Noor Bakhsh - The Gig

After a video conversation with Daniyal we both felt ready for performing the TalkingGigs format with Noor Bakhsh. Daniyal pre-warned that it might not go as 'smoothly' as anticipated.

As I introduced Ustad Noor, Daniyal and Doshambay on stage I felt really pleased that I had completed the circle: from hearing the radio programme – Ustad was now here, in Sheffield, about to perform to a TalkingGigs audience.

The gig started with a short tune to give the audience a flavour of what was to come., with Noor teasing the audience with short electrifying riffs on the Benju. We then went through some questions about Noors’ background, the Benju itself and how things had changed for him since meeting Daniyal. Daniyal also added to the conversation as he was translating for Noor Bakhsh. By the end of the second tune a group of Balochis from Sheffield were getting restless and shouting out. They wanted more music. Noor, for his part agreed and wanted to get started on a proper music session and no more chat. We ended the set on a high with people getting up and dancing egged on by shouts from Ustad Noor.

The second half promised to be explosive. So, after lighting the fuse paper Noor went off at a blistering pace on the Benju with Doshambay and Daniyal keeping the rhythm on their Damburas as Noor Bakhsh intertwined classical raga tunes with improvised riffs. Daniyal added his Bansuri flute to the mix for a couple of slower tunes. The crowd responded and the front of the stage was soon full of whirling, yelling and clapping audience members. The more they cheered the faster and more intricate became Noor’s playing. His fingers were a blur on the Benju’s keys, his other hand rapidly strumming the rhythm of the tune. The audience and musician relationship became almost spiritual, feeding off each other’s energy where, like Gnawa music, it can be used in healing rituals where the session can last for many hours. Unfortunately, the touring schedule did not fit Noor’s free flowing spirit nor his ecstatic music to match. The energy from the crowd kept him playing and playing.

It was clear Ustad Noor was loving the audience reaction and his response was to indulge them with his mesmeric playing style and his obvious enthusiasm for the music. He said that he was only just getting warmed up after 60 minutes, and would have played a lot longer if he was allowed. Sadly, we had to call a halt amidst loud cheering and clapping, with Ustad Noor leaving the stage a hero in the eyes of many that night.

My thanks as always to Nick Potter and his team, the TalkingGigs volunteers, to Daniyal Ahmed for the enlightening video conversation and facilitation, to Doshambay and to Ustad Noor especially for the inspiration. A big Thank You to Pakistan Muslim Centre and finally to the audience for being brilliant and for also raising almost £230 for Sheffield asylum charity ASSIST from our interval raffle.

Alasdair

All photographs by Colin Perkins

Now the backstory ...

The gig with Ustad Noor Bakhsh was the completion of a circle that started with a radio programme on the BBC World Service “Outlook” series. It was here that investigative journalist Mobeen Asar, from Huddersfield, travelled to Pakistan and the more remote Balochistan region, to follow the search for an elusive musical maestro. Anthropologist and musician Daniyal Ahmed from Karachi University had heard some otherworldly music 2 years previously. He later learned it was Noor Bakhsh playing an electrified Benju, and so began the project to track the man and his music down. Mobeen joined Daniyal, and recorded the final stages of his journey when he finally came across Noor playing his benju at a village roadside whilst he was waiting for his motor scooter to be repaired. This fateful meeting was pure chance due the Noor’s mechanical breakdown and it was to change Noor’s life.

The background to Daniyal’s interest in Noor Bakhsh

Habib University, in Karachi, is the only university in Pakistan, offering a degree in South Asian music. Students learn various instruments, and are also given a complete introduction to the theories, styles, structures, and histories, of what is considered one of the greatest living musical traditions in the world. As part of this endeavour, they regularly host public performances of established musical maestros which become a source of inspiration and learning for students, and memorable experiences for the university community.

Noor Bakhsh’s transformation

Daniyal’s meeting at the roadside was a watershed moment where one journey ended and another began. Noor was soon to be recording his music in Karachi and playing live to audiences. This was greatly different to playing to locals in Balochistan and to his goats when he was shepherding. With Daniyal as his road manager Noor went on to playing to sell out crowds in Europe and the USA - a far cry from the arid places of Noor’s homeland. He was now a touring musician and getting the plaudits he deserved along the way.

“What a great story I thought, and what a brilliant TalkingGigs it would make!”

An Opportunity Arises.

After the Outlook radio programme I did some research on Noor’s music finding that Daniyal had produced a short album called Jingul. I played several tunes from the album on my own radio programme Global Sounds with WorldCelt on Louder Than War radio, content that I’d ‘spread the music’ a little bit further. Then in the middle of this year Nick Potter, the music programmer for Sheffield University Concerts got in touch, as TalkingGigs has a successful collaboration with him. “Do you think Ustad Noor Bakhsh would make a good TalkingGigs? “ “Absolutely”...”sign him up straight away”, I said….and after the usual agent formalities, we did just that.

I sought help from my local city councillor Nighat Basharat about some Pakistan community involvement, and after an introduction, and meeting, with the Pakistan Muslim Centre in Sheffield they really helped advertise this gig to their community.

This really made the gig the inclusive event myself and Nick hoped it would be.