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Nāku Faiz Muhammad Baloch:

The Biggest Name
In the Balochi Musical World

By: Hamid Ali Baloch1

If, therefore, we take a glance over the kinds of the Balochi Music, we see
that in this field a lot of best and famous names, such as, Mir Ashraf Durra
Gichki, Rais Darbish, Begum Jan, Mullah Ibrahim, Mulla Ramzan Rami and
others2. But we want to discuss here about the sweet-voiced Late Nāku Faiz
Muhammad Baloch “Paizuk”. About the above-mentioned and Balochi Music
my new book “Zeimer Darya” (the sea of Music) is due to come soon, this is first
book on music with pictures. Inshallah, the time is very near that this treasure of
music will be in your hands.
Nāku Faiz Muhammad Baloch; yes, the leader of the Baloch artists Nāku
Faiz Muhammad Baloch was born at Kasar Kand3 in 1900. His respected father
name was Bashir Ahmad Baloch, who was the residence of Iran. Nāku Faiz
Muhammad was interested to learn Damburag4 and Balochi dance at the age of
fifteen. Nāku Faiz was a singer who visited different countries of the world, such
as, Africa, east and west Europe and the biggest and famed countries of the
Asian continent. And enlightened the Balochi art and music, and he let the
Englishmen danced with his music and sweet tone. Beside, Naku Faiz got his
first marriage at the age of eighteen at Turbat and got a child named Master
Muhammad Shafi. Nāku Faiz Muhammad came to Karachi to earn his livelihood
and settled in Lyari Karachi, and started business and laboring. Naku Faiz got
his second marriage in Karachi.
In the second marriage, he got four sons and four daughters. The musical
Ustād (teacher) of Naku Faiz Muhammad was a famed singer Faiz Muhammad
Ramzan Rami a resident of Pasni or Gwadar. And he learnt music from him and
learnt other light music from Ustād Khair Muhammad.
He worked in the Radio Pakistan Karachi in 1948. At that time, he had
visited Russia, America, Germany, China, Canada, South Korea, Spain,
Afghanistan, Aljazair and Britain and enlightened the name of the Balochi
language. Naku had also learnt Hindi and Sindhi music. It is said, that the
Damburag was his fingers play. Nāku had managed his first musical show at
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Lecturer, Department of Balochi, University of Balochistan, Quetta
2
The above-mentioned names are renowned musicians.
3
Name of a town in Iranian Balochistan in which the total population is Balochi speaking. Kasar kand is
the ancient name of this town but the Iranian government has changed the name into Qasr e Qand…
4
One of the primary Balochi musical instruments, which has been a part and parcel of the Balochi classical
music from centuries.
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Singolane Sarbazi village(Karachi) in the marriage of late Abdul Ghafoor Sarbazi.

He maintained the musical show till seven days and people came to participate
in it from every part of Liyārī.
Nāku had endured a lot of hardness. He hard labored at the daytime in
Kimāŕī and served the language at night time. His struggle and distresses have a
long story. From morning to evening, heat-stroke of summer and harsh cold of
winter, he worked hard for legal earnings for his children and at the night time
he facilitated the unease life of the people with his sweet music and voice and
sung songs for the people. This was the reason of finger segment disease of
Nāku. But it was his greatness that he never complained to others. He passed his
unfavorable circumstances with joy and happiness. The greatness and goodness
was that, he demanded nothing from the Government. The Radio and TV of
Šalkōt (Quetta) were in the hands of unfair persons, and still the pasture of ills.
They had only some unskilled musicians, lazy and dull. The policy of unknown
persons of Islamabad became changed and the doors of Radio and TV were
opened in Šalkot. This was the happiest time of Naku’s life. This was another
matter, that the rights of Nāku Faiz Muhammad were embezzled by the
luxurious officers. The disloyal life of Nāku crinkled its face and darkened itself
untimely, and the nation till today suffering this.
From Nāku Faiz Muhammad till today, the artists have done more, but he
was the unique person, if you see the next side of the mirror, that is bad and
unclean. Without Nāku Faiz the artists (Baloch artists) are backless. No one had
the sense to let someone coming behind them. If someone has two sons, one is a
banjo master and other is a drumbeater, they are not called real artists. This is a
sorry state, that someone could took the path of Nāku in the field of singing and
music, but it was not so. Nāku took his art with himself and went away.
Only Manzūr Bulaidī, son of Murīd Bulaidī is well prepared in this field.
It is expected that he will enlighten the name of Murīd Bulaidī. It’s a state of
sorry, that the sweet-voiced singer Jāduk took his art to the grave. The Balochi
(language) is therefore, not developed, but the sky of it was broadened but
voiceless. The artists have adorned the sky of expectations like a bride, such as,
Ustād Muhammad Shafi, Ustād Imam Bakhsh Mastana, Ustād Imam Bakhsh
Majnoon, Ustād Rasheed and other who say themselves Ustād.
Our artists are said to be as Ustād. According to Qayyum Sarbazi, I and
other folk musicians don’t know who the Ustāds are. It is the custom of the
world that, Ustad is he, who is a learned and trained man, and teaches others. In
the schools they are called master and in the colleges and Universities, who teach
the students are called lecturers and Professors. They are called Ustād.
Basically, advisor of every work is called Ustād. He provides knowledge
and education. But it is a sorry state that our some artists have still hidden their
arts, and they do not touch them. Knowledge and art are not the things to be
hidden; these bring changes when they are used. These (artists) are behind the
popularity and money. There are some young singers in them who are very
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famous today, but they have famed themselves by money. They also call them as
Ustad. If they had worked whole-heartedly, they would have created fifty or
sixty disciples approximately. The disciples would have become Ustad. But oh
the unknowingness! The artists are very worried that if the youngsters were
encouraged then they will lose their hegemony and no one asks them i.e. they
will lose their earnings. Among the old artists, Ustad Abdul Sattar, Ustad Noor
Muhammad Nooral, Ustād Ghulam Rasool Dinarzai, Ustād Wali Muhammad
Baloch and somehow Ustad Abdul Aziz are the personalities who have worked a
lot in the Balochi art. Their works are admirable. Credits also go to Ustad Jumma
Khan, who is leading the new generation in Pasni. This news spread everywhere
that the artists are poor and deprived class and every one knows about their
distresses. People would be happy, if they (artists) were prosperous, but what is
the sin of this distressed nation? The deprived and distressed artists have kept
stones on their chests, endured the nights and lullabyed their sons for
forthcoming expectations. The biggest disease among the artists is non-
unification. These “fortunate” artists do not tolerate each other. They waste most
of their time criticizing each other and consider backbiting sweetness of their
mouth. Some objective-less people come to the clubs of the artists and work as
message-conveyer. The work of these types of fraud people makes disputes
among the artists. According to Qayyum Sarbazi, this job has been made a habit.
Allegation, conspiracy and revenge are pouring like rain and the experts are
doing their job. The knowledge of revenge of the artists is as gushed out that
(Sar-rech)“Sar” (head) has lost; “Rech” (to pour) is darkened and terrible because
of their deeds. The clean-hearted and sympathizing nation is closing its eyes over
the artists, feeling sorrows upon them. This news is like the strong rock, losing,
and intoxicatingly uprooting itself. What will be the destination of this un-ended
and unadvised destination? Every body knows it.
It seems that the national artists are senseless, and why they do not open
the eyes of the truth? To what destination they ride the horse of self-makings?
How many things would be there in the pack saddle of lie and allegations? Is
anyone become famous of cutting down their hands? The famed artist come to
the sense; do not burn your homes that ashes are not costly. That is it, before the
Nehing (river) and Bolan will take you away, be careful of it. Today’s time is in
your hands but tomorrow’s? No one knows about tomorrow, behind the power
of unification and amity, the sky trembles and the wind takes way the mat of an
individual.
We were discussing about Naku Faiz Muhammad, but we went onward,
these things were necessary to be discussed. Take this news with yourself. If
there was not Naku Faiz Muhammad Baloch, neither there would be Mureed
Bulaidi, nor Muhammad Jaduk and Muhammad Shaif, neither abdul Aziz and
nor Akhtar Channal and Sabzal Samagi and other singers.
That’s why, Nāku Faiz Muhammad has made a structure and color on the
Balochi music and it is still alive today. And God may alive him till doomsday.
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This fragranced garland if for the neck of Nāku Faiz Muhammad, that is spread
today in every aspect of the Balochi Music.
At last, Nāku was a part and parcel of Radio Pakistan Quetta where he
suffered in ill. And he left us and passed away on 6th may 1980, but, when the
artist dies, their arts alive. It’s said that the artistes never die………….