Top brass

Khan8217;s Musafir Music group, a dazzling assortment of bandwallahs, kalbelia dancers and fakirs is a well-known Indian act in Europe. It has performed at events like the football and hockey world cups, shared stage with Bob Marley and has packed European and North American itineraries for the next two years.

8216;8216;All this is because of the blessings of the Almighty and the power of Rajasthani culture,8217;8217; Khan, 41, says, speaking to the Sunday Express on phone from Paris. Born into a musical family, at 13, Khan started playing drums in Jaipur8217;s brass bands. But he soon became a trained tabla player and started teaching music at the Rajasthan University. His tryst with Europe began almost two decades ago when he visited Paris with a music troupe.

8216;8216;Going from one festival to another, I was exposed to different music styles. And I noticed that amidst this diversity, brass bands were always very popular,8217;8217; he says. A decade later, Khan returned to Jaipur and began putting together his own group, picking up the best performers in the various local bands that played at weddings and celebrations.

UNDER Khan8217;s baton, the bandwallahs soon developed a style of their own, a riveting mix of Rajasthani folk, Bollywood songs and Gypsy sounds. All tuned and prepared, the group made its debut in Europe in the Nineties and soon became a sensation. People were swept off by the brassy beats of the ten-member band. A kalbelia dancer and a fakir, who perform amazing acrobats, soon joined the mix.

8216;8216;People are fascinated by this queer mix that explodes with energy. Their colourful turban, shervani and camel-leather boots add to the spectacle,8217;8217; says Khan. The band8217;s high point came during the Paris World Cup when it was asked to perform during the inaugural festivities. An invitation to the hockey world cup in Utrecht soon followed.

DURING the past year, the band has performed in 140 European cities and at three dozen international festivals. 8216;8216;We are now going to Canada and North America, the first Indian band to do so,8217;8217; says Khan. But Khan8217;s iconic status in his hometown isn8217;t because of his own success. It is what he has done for the local artistes, mostly Muslims with gypsy backgrounds, which has made him a hero. Khan spends a lot of time scouting for local talent. He then trains them and takes them with his troupe for the overseas gigs.

In the past five years, more than 150 local trumpeters, dancers and fakirs have toured Europe with Khan8217;s band. Some of them are still with him; others have branched out. His efforts have changed the lives of many. Some of his troupe members earned less than

Rs 2,000 before they joined his band. Now, most of them live a comfortable life.

Mohammad Ramzan, a dugga base drum player, had incurred a debt of more than

Rs 50,000 as a bandwallah in Nagaur. 8216;8216;I owed that money to the owner of the band and since I could have never repaid the debt, I was destined to serve him forever,8217;8217; says Ramzan. Ten years ago, Khan spotted the dugga specialist and made him part of his band. 8216;8216;I have repaid all my debts, bought a bit of property and got my children enrolled in good schools,8217;8217; says Ramzan. 8216;8216;My life and living standard have changed completely,8217;8217; he says.