The story of ‘Bina Musicals’ started in the 1920s in Gurdaspur’s Batala village in Punjab. Gian Singh was 8 years old when he lost his mother. His father was an alcoholic and with his mother gone, he had no idea what to do. Not knowing better, he left home and reached Delhi’s Chandni Chowk where his maternal uncle, Anand Singh, lived an aristocratic life, following his passion project of manufacturing high-end musical instruments and selling them at his niche but highly regarded shop. His speciality was the reed or pump organ – the harmonica.
Incredible as it may seem, harmonium started out as a European musical instrument, invented in 1842 by Alexandre Debain in Paris. In its earlier avatar, harmonium was a tall instrument that looked much like a piano – except that wind was blown in through a foot pedal. Though no longer used in western classical music, it was extremely popular throughout the Indian subcontinent. It changed shape and contours to adapt to Asian ethos to what is now the box-shaped version, which remains a master instrument and a favourite among music composers who experiment with the tone and tenor of their compositions. In homes, it is the first keyboard used for introducing musical notes to children. Harmonium is equally popular with Bhajan mandalis in temples, Qawwali groups in Sufi shrines, and Raagis and Panthis in gurdwaras. It needs neither electricity nor a lot of space and is durable enough to last generations. In many ways, harmonium’s success is dictated by its ‘value for money’ perception among its Asian patrons.
Gian Singh became an apprentice at his uncle’s factory and began to learn the ropes of making this highly specialised product in which everything had to be right for the metal reeds to produce musical notes when wind is blown through them. Slowly, Gian Singh mastered enough to branch out on his own. He first opened his shop in Karol Bagh on Arya Samaj Road. The nascent business ‘Delhi Musicals’ did not do well and Gian Singh was struggling.
Though he was still a young boy with barely a shadow of a beard sprouting on his face, Gian Singh realised that his business needed divine intervention. He picked up two harmoniums from his factory and went to Baba Nand Singh Ji Nanaksar Kaleran Wale gurdwara. No one would allow him entry but the young boy kept waiting till the gurdwara head agreed to meet him. Trying the two instruments and finding them melodious, Babaji asked him for their cost. Gian Singh refused to charge and said it was his way to offer seva. Babaji blessed him by saying, “Ab Guru Nanak ne teri bah phad li” (now Guru Nanak holds your hand). Gian Singh came back and decided to start afresh at Katra Rathi area of Chandni Chowk.
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A bulk order
Soon, World War 2 began. “My father Gian Singh ji was told that since the British Army was composed largely of Indian soldiers who were posted in remote areas and had no means of entertainment in their free time, the British were planning to purchase a large number of musical instruments,” says Avtaar Singh, the current owner of Bina Musicals. “He travelled to the officers’ depot and had to wait for two weeks outside the Army office. When he finally met the officer and was asked if he had been waiting for long, Gian Singh said, ‘bas abhi abhi aayaa hoon’ (I have reached just now). He said this so as not to put the officer under any pressure to purchase his instruments. The officer was impressed and placed a huge order for hundreds of harmoniums,” Avatar added.
Gian Singh rushed back and immediately started hiring workers to fulfil the bulk order. He started waking up at 4 am working two shifts and delivering 20 harmoniums a day to the Army. “He had a very fine ear. He could listen to a freshly manufactured musical instrument and figure out if it had any flaw. Within seconds he would point out if there was any errant note and guide the workers on how to correct it,” says Avtaar Singh.
Over the years, Bina Musicals’ harmoniums created a name around the world with its IPR registered in the US, Canada, the UK, and the Netherlands. “Shankar (of the Shankar-Jaikishan musical duo) visited us and bought instruments. The Beatles visited our shop. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Amjad Ali Khan used to purchase harmoniums from our London outlet. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Anup Jalota buy their instruments from us. Renowned actor Balraj Sahni once visited our shop. Our workers were so excited that they surrounded him and requested for his autograph. Balraj Sahni was so sophisticated yet so friendly. He asked each worker about their birthplace, then signed in Punjabi or Urdu depending on where the worker was from. He was a gentleman,” says Avtaar Singh smiling as he remembers special moments at the shop.
Though in his 80s, Avtaar Singh still goes to his Nai Sadak shop every day. It has a showroom on one floor and a large production centre on the top floor. Bought bit by bit from people who migrated to Pakistan, the area now covers an entire block. While the sales remain brisk within India, there are a lot of units that are exported out to the Indian diaspora for whom Bina Musicals’ harmoniums are a means to stay close to their memories and the music of India.
This article is a part of a series called BusinessHistories exploring iconic businesses in India that have endured tough times and changing markets. Read all articles here.