Talent knows no boundaries. If it is in a palace, it can also be found in a hut. But the talent that flourishes in a hut is usually exploited due to lack of opportunities and resources. A poor artist struggles throughout his life to get mastery over his art but people never give him the status he deserves.
Specialist Banjo player Ustad Baqir Raza Khan is also a victim of such exploitation. He was born in District Ferozpur, now in India, in 1947, but his parents migrated to Pakistan after partition. He was very much interested in playing banjo even from his childhood, so despite extreme poverty, he bought his first banjo in 1963 and devoted his life to get mastery over it.
His love for music took him to Radio Pakistan where he learnt the science of banjo from various musicians. In 1982, he got approved in the radio and Central Production Unit recorded his tunes. While working for the radio, he worked with various singers, musicians and directors.
He played banjo for Madam Noor Jahan’s some ever green numbers which include Ve tu qarar mera payar mere haniyan, Sonay di taveetri and Koka me paya mahiya. He also played banjo for a song Tere ishq nachaya kar k thayya thayya with Saain Akhtar, for Sad lo ik waar Madinay walay G with Alam Lohar, for Dunya pese di o yaar with Mehdi Hassan, for Tere ishq nachaya gali gali with Masood Rana and for Rukh dolday te akh meri with Madam Afshan.
The musicians with whom he worked are: Debo Bhatacharya, Tafu Khan, Master Abdullah, Nazir Ali, Kalay Khan, K K Rajan, Kamal Ahmad, Wajahat Atray, Anayat Ali and Wazir Afzal. He also worked with famous film director Masood Butt who is still active in Lollywood.
Despite working with such big names and, being a part of all time hits, nobody knows about Ustad Baqir Raza today. He is living at a small village in District Kasur and leading a miserable life. He is not a single example rather a representative of all the deprived artists of the country who demand nothing but recognition.
Ustad Baqir Raza Khan: A journey towards recognition?
