With a push from platforms like Coke Studio and Nescafe Basement, classical music, particularly musical instruments, have made a comeback in Pakistan
By Fatima Rehman, Marsha Tayyab, Ayesha Pervaiz, Nimr Latifi, Hamza Khan & Behjat Rehan
KARACHI: Raza’s grandfather would play harmonium with his friends on their terrace after the sun set in the West. The seven-years-old would enjoy listening to them play every day, simultaneously developing a deep appreciation for the art. His passion for art grew stronger with time, but soon he was forced to make some rationally difficult choices. When he joined medical school to become a professional doctor, Raza knew it could possibly be the end of his dreams. But he made sure he kept his passion alive.
“At first, it was difficult for me to practice music on a daily basis along with my studies, but I had to prioritize and manage my time. Playing the instrument was not only a recreational activity for me but also a form of catharsis for my soul,” said, Daniyal Raza, sharing how he juggled his passion and his profession.
Currently a house officer at a reputed government hospital, Raza believes that classical music helps him cherish the positive things around him and face the day-to-day challenges of life confidently. Thus, he decided to invest himself in preserving the future of the art form by teaching young passionate children.
“I still remember how chaap tilak from Coke studio kept me going in those toughest years of medicine,” he added. The first time he told his mother about his inclination towards learning the art and pursuing it as a career, she felt as if he had gone too far following his love for a mere hobby. She spent an hour convincing him to drop the idea of taking it up as a profession. “Times have changed now. Sometimes my mother also hums to my melodies.”
Platforms like Coke Studio and Nescafe Basement have reignited interest among the youngsters for classical musical instruments. The National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) and the Art Council are the few noteworthy institutes that are working towards resuscitating the classics – lost in an era of pop.
“In the past years we have witnessed more students enrolling to learn the tabla than the ones opting for drumming. Their inspiration stems from the great compositions of Ustaad Bashir Khan and Ustaad Ghulam Abbas, who to date impress the admirers of classics,” said Amjad Ali, trainer of tabla at NAPA.
“This profession has been passed on to me by my father; he would always tell us brothers that only he who who sits here out of you seven will be able to master to this art; fortunately I was the lucky one,” said Ali who is one of the few tabla masters in Pakistan, an instructor, as well as an expert in repairing these instruments. He primarily works as a clerk at the University of Karachi (KU) and at five in the evening comes to NAPA to pursue his passion.
“It is not considered to be a respectable job to repair these classical instruments. Even though there is no recognition for these instruments in this generation, I still feel honoured to be associated with this profession because of my admiration for the creative space this art provides me with,” he said. Ali has been in the field for over 40 years.
Ali is optimistic about the future of classics, “The young blood of this generation will take this form of art to heights never achieved before. I spend most of my time motivating students to listen to a variety of folk and classical music to develop a panoramic sense of the overall music scene.”
“These sitars are mainly manufactured in India. You would hardly find any locally made. In Pakistan there aren’t many people who repair these exquisite instruments. It was my curiosity and my father’s great knowledge of these instruments that taught me to bring them back to life,” said Ali and added that he has ten to 12 sitar players who get their instruments repaired; most people don’t even know about any sitar repairers in Karachi.
The most intriguing question that arises amongst all is how these beautiful and rare musical instruments are made. According to Ali, “Two types of wood are used to prepare sitar, one being Tun wood (Cedrela Toona) and the other is Teak wood.”
Central to a sitar are the strings and bones that make the bridge for the rhythmic tune. It takes at least two months to prepare and manufacture a perfect sitar. There are six things - tumba, tabali, gullu, daant, khutiyan, and pardey - that make up a sitar. Other things are called manka, batakh bareechian and julf. The price range of a sitar starts from a minimum of Rs50,000 exceeding to more than Rs100,000.
Currently, Zafar Ali Sahab is also one of the very few people who teaches students how repair their instruments along with other basic teachings.
“The shift of youngsters to classical instruments is like a ray of light which has potential to do wonders if this art is pursued with persistence and consistency,” Ali expressed.
