KARACHI: Muhammad Rafiq Abbasi pushed a handcart laden with a water tank that he delivered to a nearby building. After completing the delivery, he entered a small storeroom in a narrow street in Karachi’s old Ramswami neighborhood to pick up a drum. As he struck the instrument, a cloud of dust rose from it, evoking in him memories of a once-glorious past.

Musical bands were traditionally an essential feature of Pakistan weddings. Also referred to as “baajay walas,” these bands played traditional and energetic tunes with the beat of their double-sided drums, also known locally as “dhol” and trumpets to add pomp and zeal to wedding festivities. 

However, as music adopted modern themes over the decades and DJing at wedding functions gained popularity, traditional wedding bands remained no longer in demand. Many who used to play popular tunes at weddings and celebratory parties have switched to other professions to keep their families from starving. 

“I used to be an artist, what has become of me now,” Abbasi, 60, asked. “I am working as a laborer, going to buildings and delivering water.”

A decade ago, Abbasi owned one of the thirty shops in Karachi’s Ramswami neighborhood that housed bajay walas for nearly six decades. About 10 years ago, dealers of automobile spare parts took over the shops as the business of wedding bands dwindled. 

“This entire area used to be known as Baja Gali [street] from here to there,” Abbasi explained. Abbasi said he briefly moved his shop to Karachi’s Garden neighborhood. However, the shops there were too “broken down,” forcing many like him to quit and become laborers instead. 

“We have no means now, our belongings are scattered,” he lamented. 

Zaheer Ahmed, who tied the knot in 1982, recalled the pomp and show put on by a wedding band when he got married. He recalled a time when bajay walas were a necessary part of every joyous occasion in Pakistan. 

“There was an atmosphere for bajay walas at weddings, they were always called upon,” Ahmed told Arab News. “Without them, weddings didn’t feel complete.”

Noor Muhammad Abdul Ghafoor, also known as “Noora,” is one of the few who still operate a band from his small shop in a street opposite Baja Gali. To make ends meet, he provides pick-and-drop services to schoolchildren. 

“People used to call us for every joyous occasion, birthdays, parties, someone buying a new house, starting a business, or even inaugurating a petrol pump,” Ghafoor said. “That would be the occasion of happiness.”

However, times have changed since then. 

“Now even all the joys have become worthless,” Ghafoor said. “We have this art but nobody looks toward us. Nobody comes to us anymore.”

Shahid Ali is a bandmaster who works for Noora. He leads a team of eight, four drummers and an equal number of trumpet players. With a wave of the traditional bandmaster’s stick, he directs the team to perform popular tunes such as Sehra, Shadmani, Luddy and Bhangra. 

Ali blamed solo drummers for the declining business of wedding bands, saying they charged as less as Rs1,000 [$3.60] for an entire performance, putting pressure on wedding bands to lower their rates. 

He said wedding bands don’t make much, adding that a client pays between the Rs10,000-12,000 [$35.96-43.15] range. Out of this, Rs4,000 [$14.38] is spent only on commuting. 

“After dividing the rest, each band member hardly receives Rs700 [$2.52],” Ali explained. “If something extra happens from the top as people give [tips] we feel some support from it.”

Ali’s father and grandfather were members of musical bands too. He said there was a time when bajay walas were regarded with respect by people and would even be featured in films and dramas. 

“It wasn’t about the money, we were just happy,” Ali said. “Now, even that has ended as the TV people have stopped calling us too.”

Ali urged the government to recognize and pay respect to wedding bands, saying that they provide joy to people through their art.

 “In my opinion, our government should recognize us and make us sit here,” he said, gesturing toward his head. 

“The darkness has fallen, it’s gotten dark so we pray to Allah that there should be a ray of hope.”

Pakistan captain Babar Azam called on his side to stay in high spirits as they begin their Twenty20 World Cup campaign off the back of a poor run of form.

Pakistan, T20 World Cup champions in 2009, have performed well in the past two editions of the competition, reaching the semifinals in 2021 and losing to England in the final in 2022.

However, their preparations for this year’s tournament in the United States and West Indies has been far from ideal, with a sobering defeat by Ireland in an eventual 2-1 series victory followed by a 2-0 defeat by England in a rain-affected series.

“Effort is in our hands, but results, we do not know,” Babar said in an episode of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast released on Sunday.

“How we present ourselves on the ground, our body language and how we communicate with each other will matter. We must be positive, so results will come... Conditions in the USA may pose challenges as we are going there as a national side for the first time.

“We are in the process of collating various cricket and match-related information from players who have played there, which can help and assist us in our preparations.”

Pakistan are in Group A of the World Cup and begin their campaign against hosts US on June 6. They will then take on arch-rivals India in one of the event’s highly-anticipated matches three days later.

Pakistan and India have faced each other seven times at the T20 World Cup, with Pakistan winning just once.

“An India-Pakistan match is always the most talked about; it is discussed too much wherever you go in the world,” Babar said.

“The players get different vibes and excitement. What will happen is that everyone supports their country, so the focus is on that match. The whole world is focused on the day when the India-Pakistan match is held.

“Naturally, there will be nerves, but we need to keep our focus, stick to the basics and play easy cricket. It is always a pressure game; the more you keep cool and calm, believe in your skills and hard work, then things get easier.”