Daily Times

The 30th death anniversary of renowned Pakistani musician and classical singer Ustad Muhammad Juman is being observed on Today (Jan 24).

He was born in 1935, at Sourh Goth in coastal area near Karachi, with an essence of music right from his birth as his father, Haji Ahmed Sakheerani Baloch, was also a musician. Some music scholars are of the view that Ustad Juman is the third greatest Sindhi musician, while first is Beejal who sung the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai from ‘Shah Jo Risalo and second is Shah of Sindh.

He went to Ustad Mubarak Ali to get perfection in singing, who taught him to show his art on Tanpoorah invented by Beejal. Ustad Juman passed his first audition at Radio Pakistan, Karachi, and got recognition as a singer by singing Shah Abdul Latif Bhittais classical poetry.

Later, he was offered job there as a flute player. With the existence of Radio Pakistan, Hyderabad in 1955, he, like other Sindhi artistes shifted to Hyderabad in order to promote Sindhi singers and musicians as the radio station was near the residences of Sindhi performers. With Hameed Naseem, he worked at the newly-established radio station as a flute player and panel staff artist.  Master Nazar drew his attention towards composition. In the meantime, he studied Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai devotedly as a musician, and other material available in Sindhi language on the subject. Later, he proved himself a great musician by performing Raags (music) of Shah Bhittai in a distinct way, which surprised the then musicians.

The last days of the third great musician and distinguished singer were not different from his mentors and artistes. Usually, singers breathe their last in miseries and without any care on the part of government and so was happened with him. He left this world with smile over his wrinkled face and sparkle in dim eyes.