(headline image: Ustad Noor Bakhsh – Photo by Jan-Eric Wendt)
Ustad Noor Bakhsh is a renowned musician from Pakistan’s Balochistan Province. Bakhsh is particularly well known for his mastery of the benju, a keyed zither played with a plectrum.
Although Bakhsh is well-trained in classical raga (or raag), an art form better known to the public, his passion lies in playing music specific to his native Balochistan, where he is considered a legend. Bakhsh only began to gain international acclaim well into his seventies, after videos of him performing went viral on Instagram.
Bakhsh’s debut album, Jingul, is named after a small bird that has built nests in Noor’s house. The critically admired debut was released digitally in September 2022 on honiunhoni, and came out on vinyl through the UK’s Hive Mind Records on September 15, 2023.
The album was recorded live on location, over a memorable sunset on the Shadi Kaur creek, close to Noor’s village, near Pasni, Balochistan. Noor plays an electric benju, amplified using an old pick up and a Phillips amp that he found in a market in Karachi three decades ago.
Balochistan straddles the space between modern day Pakistan and Iran but its music, particularly that of Makran, evokes the well documented migrations and seafaring; historical intimacies with Africa, Persia, and Arabia, via the greater Indian Ocean world.
Musicians on Jingul: Ustad Noor Bakhsh on electric benju; Jamadar Gohram on damboora; and Doshambay on damboora.
In 2025, Bakhsh was one of the Aga Khan Music Awards 2025 finalists.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.