About Project
Since ancient times, popular South Asian musical instruments have been identified with the sub continents’ culture, religion, customs, folk traditions. Radio Faza, with the grant support from the Arts Council National Lottery Fund, took its listeners on a trip through the evolution of Indian musical instruments as we discovered remnants of them from the history, invention to their use in current South Asian music. The series was named “Music of My Life”.
The series of this musical journey ran through the airwaves of Nottingham and around the world via Radio Faza’s Website, Faceook Live, Instagram and YouTube for seven weeks between August, September and October 2021. The shows were hosted by Radio Faza’s most experienced radio presenter Ajlal Bukhari who has broad experience and association with music, radio, theatre, film & television for over thirty years. Chand Alnaser arranged the guests and coordinated these shows. He is a renowned musician and a teacher and popular amongst the community.
The series has received very positive feedback from the listeners and community members who have commended the efforts of Radio Faza to air such a show that is unique to the South Asian audience of Nottingham and surrounding areas. The show was aired on the radio, Facebook Live, and Faza website; it reached audiences beyond Nottingham and even the UK. Not only listeners from the UK also people from India and Pakistan who tuned into the shows have appreciated team Faza for bringing in such a series. Some requested a continuation of the show with an introduction to other instruments and the history of music.
Episode 1: Tabla
The instrument chosen to start the journey of Music of my Life was Tabla. Tabla is a pair of small drums fundamental (since the 18th century) to Hindustani music of northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Tabla can be documented in India from the late 18th century. Associated initially with courtesan dance traditions, Tabla now is used in various genres and styles of Sub-Continent music. Distinguished players of the Tabla include Alla Rakha Khan and his son Zakir Hussain.
Qaiser Jimmy Khan, a renowned Tabla player from the Punjab Gharana, was the guest and the artist of the show. He played the Tabla from the age of six, and his teachers are his father, the Great Ustad Jimmy Khan and Ustad Tari Khan, famous Tabla players of the Indian subcontinent. During the show, Qaiser played some great musical numbers, talked about his experiences and inspirations, and discussed the history of Tabla during the show.
The show has been very interactive where the audience joined in on-call, via WhatsApp messages and Facebook live comments, asked questions and requested their favourite tracks to be played. Qaiser Jimmy Khan is currently teaching Tabla to learners around Manchester and Oldham area.
Episode 2: Harmonium
Played on a keyboard, a wind instrument, the harmonium was invented in the second decade of the nineteenth century, its forerunner was the orgue expressif, which the Frenchman G. J. Grenié constructed in 1810. As early as 1818, A. Häckel built a similarly made instrument. Harmoniums of today have piano keyboards with six to twenty registers that are operated by levers, like a miniature upright piano.
Chand Alnaser of the Patiala Gharana was the guest of the show who played some great numbers and was hugely appreciated by the listeners. Chand has played the harmonium since he was very young and took training from Ustad Fazal Dukhya Khan, a very renowned musician of the Pakistan region. Chand is teaching music around the Nottingham area.
During the show, listeners discovered some interesting facts and the history of a musical instrument born, died, and reincarnated during its 230-year existence. The harmonium was invented in the West, but it is now primarily found in the East, notably the Indian subcontinent; many people mistake it for an Indian instrument.
Episode 3: Shehnai and Dholak
North Indian double-reed conical oboe called Shehnai. Except for a flared metal bell connected to the bottom of the instrument, the Shehnai is composed of wood and is 12–20 inches (30–50 cm) in length with six to eight keyless finger holes along its body. The Shehnai is a challenging instrument to play with a two-octave range since the performer needs to master delicately nuanced embouchure and fingering techniques.
Ustad Sagir Khan was the guest who played this instrument. Sagir Khan belongs to the famous Patiala Gharana and has played Shehnai since he was a child. Inspired by Ustad Bismillah Khan, he learned the art from Ustad Tafu Khan. Today, Sagir teaches students in the Bradford area.
The Dholak has been built since about 1300 AD and is most commonly played in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Dholak and other two-headed drums are used across the subcontinent to accompany songs or other instruments in numerous folk genres, devotional traditions, and family functions. A rope is laced through tuning rings to attach drumheads to the drums. Players can adjust the tension in the drumheads by sliding these rings up and down.
Sabir Masih of Punjab Gharana was invited to join the show where he played music of some famous songs, talked about his experiences and inspirations, and gave information about the instrument Dholak and its history. Sabir learnt the art of Dholak playing from Ustad Iqbal Khan and is teaching Tabla and Dholak to students around the Birmingham area.
The audience hugely appreciated the show. As before, the show was very interactive. The audience got involved via all communication platforms and appreciated the efforts of the musician and the Radio Faza team.
Episode 4: Tumba
Tumba is a traditional musical instrument from the Punjab region of northern India. The single-stringed instrument with a high pitch has been a part of Punjabi traditional music for centuries and is now immensely popular in Western Bhangra music. Tumbi. Ek Tara or King are other names for it.
Punjabi folk singer Lal Chand Yamla Jatt popularized the Tumba in the modern era (1914-1991). Punjabi artists such as Kuldeep Manak, Mohammed Sadiq, Didar Sandhu, Amar Singh Chamkila, and Kartar Ramla embraced the Tumbi in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Kanwar Grewal and Saeen Zahoor, both Punjabi Sufi vocalists, are among the other recognised users.
Tariq Mehmood is a popular person amongst the South Asian community as he is one of the very few people who play this instrument in the UK. He does not have a family background in music, but he has learnt the art and now professionally plays and sings along. He is currently not teaching the instrument as he believes he needs to master the art himself. However, with his singing abilities and playing the instrument, the audience appreciated his talent and participated in the show. The requests to play some traditional folk songs flocked in.
Tariq also discussed the famous Tumba players and talked about the instrument’s history in response to audience questions.
Episode 5: Bansuri/Flute
Bansuri is a sensitive instrument that can flawlessly play practically all of classical music’s subtle graces, curves, embellishments, and hues. Because it’s a portable instrument, it’s easy to transport from one location to another, and environmental variations have little or no effect on the seasoned bamboo.
Nouman Raja joined Music of My Life, where he talked about various types of Bansuris and played some soothing music. The audience loved the tunes and widely participated in the show. Nouman does not have a musical family background, but he has learnt the art very well. He sings as well and has performed throughout UK and Europe.
