Bilal Khan, a prominent Rabab player with three national accolades, runs a music academy in Islamabad, in an effort to keep traditional, classical, and folk music alive.

With instruments and classes ranging from Rabab, guitar, violin, Tabla, and Attan (traditional Pashtun dance), ‘Ahang Kada’ offers a rich musical and fine arts experience rooted in the authenticity of the subcontinent.

Mr Khan hails from a small village called Thana in Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With a Bachelor’s in Sociology from Malakand University, he is the only person in his family to pursue a music career. “My mother was always supportive of my career. My father was initially opposed because people used to say things to him about me pursuing music, but he soon came around…,” he said.

When asked where his passion for music began, he said, “I used to have a cassette tape recorder with headphones on to listen to music when I was a kid; on TV, I used to watch Rabab players so there was always this excitement present.” From practising his brother’s friend’s Rabab to sitting at local musical gatherings in his village, Mr Khan’s informal Rabab journey began at a very young age. “…we are the people of the Gandhara civilisation, so there were always local orchestras and musical gatherings where I used to sit,” he said.

“However, I faced many problems with where I studied. I remember once my friends did a mini celebration for me at the university after I won an award. However, we were told to leave the premises due to the restrictions on activities related to fine arts. Things like music are not celebrated in the university because of the strict environment.”

Disillusioned with these experiences in his village, he shifted to Islamabad in 2016 for further studies, which exposed him to a completely different way of experiencing music compared to his hometown in Malakand. With a little nudge from his friends, he brought his Rabab to university and started playing. His performances quickly drew a crowd, captivated with his music.

“It was so new to me because the environment was totally different. From getting kicked out of my previous university for playing music, I was being celebrated here instead. It felt amazing,” he said. “Soon, I started getting requests from fellow students wanting to teach them Rabab.”

“The first place I rented had its restrictions, e.g., noise complaints due to it being a residential area and the space issue. However, when I saw people’s interest and passion, I thought this work could be carried out on a broader scale and have a greater impact. That is how the idea of Ahang Kada was born.”

Despite a lack of proper finances, he still pursued his passion with the support of a few friends. He opened a small academy, which then shifted to a bigger space with the influx of more students.

With the help of his friends and Pinterest boards, Mr Khan worked tirelessly day and night to build and design Ahang Kada. Since then, it has sparked the interest of many, and its success has only grown.

Every Friday, Ahang Kada hosts ‘Shaam-e-Ahang’, which consists of different segments, from classical/folk music to dance, theatre, and poetry sessions. For such great work, Mr Khan doesn’t put a price on these segments, but even if he did, nothing could quantify the magnitude of his contribution to the fine arts in the twin cities. — The writer is an intern at Dawn

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2024