The Sachal Ensemble Albums

The Sachal Ensemble Biography

The musicians of The Sachal Ensemble come from the Pakistani city of Lahore, for hundreds of years a thriving center of the arts on the Indian subcontinent. By the 1960s and '70s, Lahore was the home of "Lollywood," the Pakistani equivalent of India's Bollywood film production center, employing many musicians who were virtuosos on their instruments and had developed a distinctive sound and sensibility. But in 1977, with the establishment of a conservative Islamic regime and Shariah law in Pakistan, music was outlawed as "a sin against God." Esteemed musicians were soon out of work, having to hide their instruments away to take jobs in coffee shops or driving rickshaws. The members of The Sachal Ensemble literally risked their lives to continue making music -- their life's passion.