Benju

Not to be confused with Banjo.

A Benju, Benjo (Sindhi, Balochi: بینجو) is a type of Zither fitted with a keyboard, commonly used in the Sindhi music^[2][3] and Balochi music.^[1]

Not to be confused with Cither.

Benju

Benju
String instrument
Classification	(Chordophone), String instrument
Developed	Balochistan[1]
Related instruments
Bar zither, musical bow, stick zither, tube zither, raft zither, board zither, box zither, harp zither, trough zither, frame zither

The Benju holds a significant place in the Sindh and Balochistan's musical heritage.^[4] It produces a rich overtone and creating a mesmerising sound that has become an integral part of the folk music in Balochistan.^[5]

Baloch musicians gradually adapted it for contemporary performances and developed and enchanting textural template.^[6]

Today, in all regions of Balochistan, especially in the cities, binju is used in all kinds of music along with common Balochi instruments.^[7]

Construction and play

It is about 1 meter long, 10 –12 cm wide and the soundbox is about 5 cm high, with six strings. Strings 1 and 2, 5 and 6 are used as bordun (drone) strings and tuned to the tonic and the fifth or fourth. In relative pitch C and G or F. The middle strings 3 and 4 are tuned unison to F or G, and they are fretted and can be shortened by pressing down the metal keys. The scale is chromatic from G to A, B flat or B. The right hand plays the strings by using a wooden or plastic plectron, the left hand is fingering the keys.

The benju is played mainly as a solo instrument accompanied by dholak and tambura. Sometimes it is combined with Suroz.

Players

• Abd-ur-Rahmân Surizehi, born in Iranian Balochistan, has been referred to as the instrument's greatest performer. He now lives in Norway.^[8]

• Bilawal Belgium, Benjo player from Mirpur khas, Sindh.^[3]
• Ustad Noor Bakhsh,^[9] born in Pakistani Balochistan, has played the benju since the age of 12. Although he spent most of his career playing at weddings and other small gatherings, his work has found an international audience late in his life. An album, Jingul, was released in 2022.^[10] He appeared on the first Boiler Room show in Karachi on June 20, 2022. In 2023 embarked on a 10-country European tour, including a performance at the Roskilde Festival.^[11][12][13]

References

1. Sykes, Jim (2023). Sounding the Indian Ocean. University of California Press. p. 135,330. ISBN 9780520393196.
2. Boulos, Issa; Danielson, Virginia; Rasmussen, Anne K. (7 September 2021). Music in Arabia: Perspectives on Heritage, Mobility, and Nation. Indiana University Press. p. 294. ISBN 978-0-253-05752-5.
3. A, Sheikh, M. (26 April 2012). Who's Who: Music in Pakistan. Xlibris Corporation. p. 79. ISBN 978-1-4691-9159-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. "Ustad Noor Bakhsh (Balochistan) & DJ Daniyal Ahmed (Karachi)". fomobremen.info. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
5. Baloch Culture: Baloch Musicians, Pre-Islamic Heritage of Balochistan, Hinglaj, Lasbela District, Paratarajas, Lasi, Sarpara, Rostam Mirlashari , Edição Inglês , ISBN 1158114125
6. Prof. Jim Sykes [(2023) Sounding the Indian Ocean
7. "آشنایی با ساز بینجو (بِنجو)" (in Persian). 2020.
8. "Projects - TrAP". trap.no. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
9. "Ustad Noor Bakhsh". Retrieved 19 July 2023.
10. "Ustad Noor Bakhsh: Jingul Album Review". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
11. "'Totally full of spiritual energy': Ustad Noor Bakhsh, the Pakistani musician discovered on the side of a road". guardian.co.uk. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
12. "from Nagoya to Makran: The tale of the Baluchi benju". August 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
13. "rom Nagoya to Makran: The Journeys of Ustad Noor Bakhsh: A Baloch Musician Beyond Compare". Retrieved 31 December 2023.

External links

• BalochistanMusic blog Archived 2008-04-17 at the Wayback Machine