{"id":164989,"date":"2026-05-27T15:23:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T13:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/?post_type=event&p=164989"},"modified":"2026-06-02T10:58:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T08:58:33","slug":"ustad-noor-bakhsh-pakistan","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/programm\/termin\/concert\/ustad-noor-bakhsh-pakistan-164989\/","title":{"rendered":"Ustad Noor Bakhsh (Pakistan)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This year at DURCHL\u00dcFTEN we invite the independent label honiunhoni<\/a>, and the work of Daniyal Ahmed, the Karachi-based musician, ethnomusicologist and founder of the label. The label\u2019s name loosely translates as \u201cimpossible possibilities\u201d \u2014 unexpected musical encounters that open new worlds of listening. What began as a small archive of field recordings has grown into a platform dedicated to documenting and supporting remarkable regional musicians from across Pakistan.<\/p>\n

After welcoming the extraordinary Baloch benju master Ustad Noor Bakhsh to our stage in a previous edition (2024) , this evening marks our second look into the music and culture surrounding honiunhoni. With Muslim Shaggan and a special DJ set by Karachi\u2019s Lyla Safi, we continue exploring the beauty and diversity of Pakistan\u2019s musical landscapes \u2014 another chapter of these impossible possibilities.<\/p>\n

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Ustad Noor Bakhsh<\/strong>\u00a0is a celebrated master of the benju, a keyed zither central to the musical traditions of Pakistan\u2019s Balochistan region. Born on the Makran coast in Pakistan, he began playing the instrument as a child and spent decades performing at weddings and community gatherings across the region before his music reached international audiences later in life. Playing an electric benju through a simple pickup and amplifier, Noor Bakhsh creates an unmistakable sound rooted in Balochi musical forms but enriched by influences from South Asian raags, Persian and Kurdish melodies, and popular music from across the region. His improvisational style builds hypnotic grooves and trance-like melodic cycles that often send audiences dancing. After the release of his debut album Jingul in 2022, he has toured internationally, introducing global listeners to the powerful, evolving traditions of Balochi instrumental music.<\/p>\n

Ustad Noor Bakhsh (@noorbenju) \u2022 Instagram profile<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jingul, by Ustad Noor Bakhsh<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ustad Noor Bakhsh – Shahbaz Qalandar<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

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