City's iconic bandmasters uprooted by anti-encroachment drive.

Byline: Ayaz Ahmed Laghari

KARACHI -- Prior to the recent anti-encroachment drive, Karachi's Garden area was a hub for bandmasters. Now, save for one shop still open for business, there remain only the ruins of others.

Thirty-year-old Tahir was sitting outside the sole surviving makeshift shop in Garden. He is a full-time band piper at New English Pipe Band and Brass Band. He claims that he can play any musical instrument included in the band. 'It is our forefathers' business. My father has a job in the police band. I was offered a job in the police department too, but at the time the private pipe band business was more beneficial so I rejected the offer. Now I regret my decision,' said Tahir.

'A member of a band earns hardly Rs12,000 in a month. First, we separate an amount of money for office rent and other expenses. From the remaining amount, and ghor (money showered on the bride and groom) given by the clients, an equal division is distributed among the band members.'

Tahir said the band is skilled at entertaining people according to their particular preferences which are garnered by the clients' accents. 'Once we know who the client is, for example Pakhtun or Baloch, we know what to do.'

He complained, however, that people do not want to spend much on bands. 'They should understand that we run this as a business with a rented office and we work in a group, unlike the dhol-wallahs (drummers) who have no offices but can be found at various traffic signals of the city.'

Tahir has his own band business in Hyderabad as well. However, he works in Karachi for better earnings.

'I don't think bands are being replaced by disc jockeys and fancy surround sound systems. Bands are still considered a mandatory part of wedding celebrations,' he said dismissing any idea that bands were on the decline.

Meanwhile, bandmaster Farhan disagrees and complains of the decline in the business.

'Not only have sound systems and drummers impacted our business, even the government is making the situation worse. They do not recognise these bands as an integral part of our culture. They don't even pay much attention towards the miseries of famed artists, let alone poor bandmasters,' said Farhan.

While lashing out at the city government, the bandmaster said: 'Ramaswami Road and 'Bajay Waali Gully' in Saddar were centres of bandmasters with dozens of offices but those shops were removed in the name of a 'master plan' for the city. Bandmasters then re-established their...