Alghoza also called Beenon () is a paired

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and Ree ...

traditional musical instrument of Sindhi culture, also used by Kutchi, Saraiki,

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

Rajasthani Rajasthani may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India * Rajasthani languages, a group of Indic languages spoken there * Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the state * Rajasthani architecture, Indian ar ...

and baloch folk musicians. It consists of two joined beak flutes, one for melody, the second for drone. The flutes are either tied together or may be held together loosely with the hands. A continuous flow of air is necessary as the player blows into the two flutes simultaneously. The quick recapturing of breath on each beat creates a bouncing, swinging rhythm. The wooden instrument initially comprised two flute pipes of the same length but over time, one of them was shortened for sound purposes. In the world of Alghoza playing, the two flute pipes are a couple — the longer one is the male and the shorter one the female instrument. With the use of beeswax, the instrument can be scaled to any tune. Toonba and algoza

Origin

It originated at around 7500 BC in

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

, it then reached

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and eventually the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

with some modifications. Some Mesopotamian archaic paintings contain a musical instrument very similar to Alghoza. In Mesopotamia, this instrument was called "Al-Joza", which literally means, "The twin". As it reached the

, the "J" in "Al-Joza" became "gh" and eventually the modified form of this instrument which reached the subcontinent came to be known as Alghoza.

Alghoza players

Khamiso Khan Khamiso Khan (; 1923–1983) was a Sindhi folk musician and Alghoza player from Sindh, Pakistan. Personal life Khamiso Khan was born in 1923 in Tando Muhammad Khan city, of Tando Muhammad Khan District, Sindh, Pakistan. His son Akbar Khamiso ...

* Akbar Khamiso Khan *

Misri Khan Jamali Misri Khan Jamali (1982–1921) was a renowned Pakistani artist and Alghoza player from Pakistan. Early life and career He was born in the village Rojhan Jamali in Jafarabad District, Balochistan in 1921. A member of the Jamali family, his fam ...

Allah Bachayo Khoso Allah Bachayo Khoso (; 1935–2012) was a popular Sindhi Folk artist and Alghoza player. Early life He was born in 1935 at village Dadun, taluka Bulri Shah Karim, Tando Muhammad Khan District, Sindh, Pakistan. Career He stated playing Algho ...

* Ustad Achar Samejo *

Gurmeet Bawa Gurmeet Bawa (18 February 1944 – 21 November 2021) was an Indian Punjabi language folk singer. She was known as ''Lambi hek di malika'' () for her long ''hek'' () that she could hold for about 45 seconds. She was the first Punjabi female sing ...

References

;Books * Folk instruments of Punjab Indian musical instruments Pakistani musical instruments Folk instruments of Sindh {{Recorder-stub