Alan Simon

Alan Simon: pioneer of body percussions in Pakistan

By Rafay Mahmood

Karachi

As a three-year-old, he spent most of his time in kitchen, concerned more with the utensils than the food — after all, the latter could not make percussive sounds. The habit continued, but the thought of playing percussion instruments professionally did not occur to Alan Simon; he wanted to be a GD pilot.

All of that changed, however, when he enrolled at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA).Thirty-year-old Simon is now a percussionist and music graduate from NAPA, a Tabla player, and the pioneer of body percussions in Pakistan. Rhythm and percussions, he believes, were always a part of him and by deciding to take it up professionally, he has simply “formalised the craft”.