As a complement, for those interested in further information about the balouch banjo, i recommend the reading of the following article by Jean During.

Jean During is a musician and ethnomusicologist who spent 9 years in Iran. He is a reference for his work and knowledge of  sufi and extatic music in central Asia. By the way he quotes Ulrich in the side notes.

According to Ulricus the japanese instruments are actually examples of good craftmanship, the indian not so much. The idea to use piano keys and make them portable by making them their own suitcase is quite nice though.



Thanks, thats a cool video

This one is very nice.

https://www.aparat.com/v/vB4jJ/

Thank you for the link. Great ressource.

I agree, in India the bulbul tarang has still maintained the characteristics of the japanese original model : a typewriter with poor sound. However, in Balouchistan since it arrived 70 years ago the instrument has changed so much as regards esthetic but mostly building and sound that it has taken its place among the traditional instruments like sorud and ghaychak. Yesterday for No rouz, the persian new year, i watched a tv program showing traditional songs and music from all parts ot Iran and there was a balouch benjo in the middle. That's incredible such a new instrument has reached similar status into this traditional and renowned conservative culture !

I put a video of Mohamad Delnavaz a iranian master of benju. He is permanently working with builders to improve the instrument.

That's cool. Thanks for the video. Some photos of these instruments and it's japanese precedessor can be found on the page  of fellow FOTMD member Wilfried "ulricus" Ullrich: http://www.ulrich-instrumente.de/die-hummel/

According to him in 1906 japanese luthier/musician Goro Morita got funding by the imperial government for a research trip in Europe for western instruments (imho some kind of musical industrial espionage ;) ). Back home he started to build a kind of hummel/dulcimer by using typewriter keys: The  Taishokoto. Later these instruments came to India and Pakistan and evolved to the benjo and after second world war  to the bulbul tarang (sounding nightingale, these instruments have piano case and an integrated suitcase, quite handy, sadly the sound not so good according to ulricus).
If you can read German you find the details on Wilfrieds website with many photos.

How cool is this!  Thank you! 

Wow, that is beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

Benjo or balouch banjo. This is rather a dulcimer (zither family) than a banjo obviously.

Dispite the appearances benjo is not a traditional instrument but fairly new in the Balouchistan area and its folk music. It was certainly introduced in Pakistan from Japan, and developed from a toy instrument called taishogoto. Here's a video of Nasim Ali Baloch a master of this instrument. Enjoy.