The characteristics of the Punjab Baaj of tabla are said to have been based upon a strong foundation in the pakhawaj with many senior practitioners and musicologists unanimously agreeing that the initial evolution of Punjabi tabla was abriged from pakhawaj based compositions.
The Punjab gharana itself is often referred as a ‘Gharana of Pakhawajis’ as the earlier exponents were reputed pakhawaj players accompanying the musical form of Dhrupad, popular in North India up until the first half of the 20th century. Mian Faqir Bukhsh, Mian Qadir Bukhsh, Baba Malang Khan, Bhai Naseera and Bhai Santoo are some of the illustrious names associated with the Punjab tradition of Pakhawaj playing. Mian Qadir Bukhsh and Baba Malang Khan are in fact considered as bridging forces between the Pakhawaj orientated tradition moving over to a recognised style of tabla playing.
With the paradigm shift in popularity of dhrupad towards khayal, musicians focussed purely on the tabla. Senior tabla players based in Pakistan state that the Pakhawaj was restricted only to initial training to strengthen the hand of young students, a practice no longer followed.
The following link is of a performance by the last recognised master of the Punjabi Pakhawaj tradition, Ustad Talib Hussain, who was tragically murdered in 1993. The clip was recorded in the late 1980s at the Lok Virsa studios in Islamabad.
The lack of popularity of the pakhawaj has meant that there are currently only a handful of musicians performing the Punjabi style of Pakhawaj. However, as a result of social media websites there is now growing awareness of this great tradition and of its remaining masters.
The triumvirate of Sukhwinder Singh Namdhari, Bhai Baldeep Singh and Allah Lok in particular have attained recognition and exposure through concerts and presence on media portals such as www.youtube.com creating a resurgence of interest amongst youngsters.
Ustad Sukhwinder Singh alias ‘Pinky Singh’ is considered amongst the foremost tabla players in the world, having been trained in the Benaras Baj by the legendary Pandit Kishan Maharaj. Alongside his prowess over the tabla, Sukhwinder is an outstanding pakhawaji, having been groomed by Ustad Nihaal Singh, a leading disciple of the legendary Bhai Nasira.
Realising his responsibility of being a vital custodian of an exclusive tradition, Sukhwinder Singh has been devoting a greater amount of energy in propagating the Punjabi Pakhawaj also known as Jori Pakhawaj or Saath to audiences and his students.
The undernoted link from the Darbar Festival in 2009 showcases Ustad Sukhwinder Singh’s mastery over the Jori-Pakhawaj.
Bhai Baldeep Singh is associated with the Sultanpur Lodhi- Amritsari Baj and is regarded as the tradition’s authoritative head or khalifa. Bhai Baldeep boldly claims that the Amritsar gharana is an independent entity to the widely recognised Punjab gharana and that certain members of his gharana were responsible for training some of the doyens of the Punjab gharana, primary amongst them, Ustad Bhawani Das/ Din, widely regarded as the founder of the Punjab Baj.
Bhai Baldeep is a multifaceted individual with immense knowledge of both vocal and instrumental music and is presently foreseeing activities as the Head of the Anad Conservatory in Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala. Further information can be obtained via his website www.bhaibaldeepsingh.com and www.anadfoundation.org
A clip of Bhai Baldeep Singh performing in Delhi, Asif Ali Khan accompanies on the sarangi.
Here are a couple of clips from youtube posted by anadfoundation of Sukhwinder Singh and Bhai Baldeep performing a rare duet.
The pakhawaj Punjab tradition in Pakistan is solely being represented by Ustad Allah Lok. A gifted tabla player, Allah Lok took up the Pakhawaj rather late in his career when aged in his early 40s as a reaction to the tragic death of Ustad Talib Hussain in 1993. He was trained under Ustad Inayat Khan, a disciple of Baba Malang Khan. The following link consists of an interview conducted with the Pakhawaj maestro in Moti Mahal, Lahore in 2003 for the Sadarang Archives website
Allah Lok has won immense respect amongst classical music listeners for persisting with a tradition in a country without any takers. Here is an excerpt of the ustad performing the 9 beat rhythm cycle at a concert organised by the Lahore Music Forum in February 2012.
The trio of Sukhwinder Singh, Bhai Baldeep and Allah Lok represent an important gateway to the Punjab legacy and are working diligently in training up the next generation of talented students such as Gyan Singh, Parminder Singh Bhamra and Qamar Abbas. It would be a great service if somebody could bring the three together to join hands and produce an audio-visual document safeguarding the priceless repertoire they possess, if only......
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