Many years ago, when I first heard the boyish-looking young tabla player Bashir Khan, I was intrigued by his style of tabla playing, particularly his body language. In fact, there was no body language at all; only his hands from the wrist down and his ten fingers moved on the instrument, the rest of his body remained motionless. I wanted to know how this control was possible and how to describe it till, following his death, while remembering him with family, my son-in-law described it: “Ustad Bashir Khan Sahib ka tabla sun kar, balke dekh kar, aisa lugta hai jaise wo tablon ko peyar se sahla rahe hain. (When I watch him playing, I feel as if he is very lovingly caressing the tablas). Oh, how I wish he were alive today to enjoy this appreciation of his art.
Ustad Bashir Khan was no ordinary human being. He was a sufi, a man totally at peace with the world. He had no issue with anyone. He believed in human kindness and sacrifice. He quietly financially supported not only his three sons, their families, and his three daughters. He would not refuse help to others who came to him seeking financial aid. He looked after the widow and nine children of his oldest son, Nazeer. The youngest, Guddu, and his family also lived with him. To his other son, Zaheer, he gave his flat to settle down with his family. I am told he gave away his plot in Surjani Town to a widow. People visiting his house after his death had stories to tell about his generosity.
In the field of his profession, there were not many who could match his skill, particularly his unique and serene style of tabla playing. As a soloist, his skill was immaculate, and as an accompanist he played for luminaries: Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Noor Jahan, Mehdi Hasan, Abida Perveen – and in India he played for Ajoy Chakraborty, Anop Jalota, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and other singers.
He also groomed many shagirds in life. His first disciple was late Dawood Khan, who had migrated to Canada. Among his other shagirds were: Anwar Husain, Mohammad Imran, Napa’s faculty member Yusuf Bashir, and Napa’s first batch student Allen Simon. He had a number of Baloch and Sindhi shagirds.
Bashir Khan was a few months old (he was born in Rajgarh, Rajasthan on 25th June 1946) when his family crossed over to Pakistan the same year from Rajgarh, where his father Ustad Meeran Baksh had been a disciple of Ustad Aagday Khan. In Pakistan, the family settled in Kandhkot, Sindh. Bashir’s boyhood years were spent in Kandhkot, and when Bashir turned 9, his father took him to Quetta and delivered him at the feet of that icon of Punjab Gharana, Mian Karim Buksh Pairna. Bashir received training from his ustad for 13 years, learning the intricacies of the art.
At the completion of his training, Bashir was advised by his Ustad to shift to Karachi to start his professional life. So, the young man came to Karachi and got the job of a staff artiste at the Karachi Station of Radio Pakistan. There was no stopping then. He went places not only in Pakistan but all over the world to participate in music events – Holland, UK, France, USA, India, Nepal, etc.
Among the many exponents of classical music, one has been lucky to enjoy an extremely close relationship with Bashir Khan. It was always a pleasure to be with him at Napa and discuss the future of classical music in this country.
Now that he is gone from our lives, one has every reason to worry about how to keep the fight going to revive the great art. Culture and genuine art are at great peril.
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