(honiunhoni, Pasni)

Noor Bakhsh is 80 and hails from Pakistan's Balochistan region at the shores of the Indian Ocean, tucked away on the borders of Iran and Afghanistan. He plays an unusual string instrument with the keys the locals call a "Benju", originally a musical toy which has found its way from Japan to Pakistan. After hearing rumors of this awe-inspiring master musician, ethnomusicologist Daniyal Ahmed embarked on an odyssey to find Noor. Together, they recorded the artist's debut album in situ at sunset with only two microphones, to a stunning effect. Released digitally on Ahmed's own honiunhoni imprint and later physically on the UK’s Hive Mind Records, "Jingul" received rave reviews by the international press.

At home, on the Indian subcontinent, Noor found himself in the unlikely position of becoming a viral star, a perspective most unusual for somebody who doesn't own a cell phone or have access to the internet.

But the story doesn’t end there: blessed with enormous musical abilities, being a top-notch improviser comparable to the greatest Jazz legends, paired with a deep spirituality and a warm sense of humor, Noor Bakhsh became an instant sensation on the international club and festival stages, and somehow, world music’s latest and most unlikely star: 

Since 2023, he has played 80 shows in Europe, including key festivals like Glastonbury, Roskilde, Le Guess Who?, Rudolstadt, WOMEX, and many many more. He also absolved his first extensive US tour. And did we mention that he sold out London's Queen Elizabeth Hall on his first appearance in the UK with Anushka Shanka and other members of the South Asian music royalty being present?

All across Europe, the Ustad and his trusted sidekick Doshambay on Damboora, who are now also joined by Daniyal Ahmed onstage, have been sending people into dancing frenzies.