This is how instruments are made
on Jali Kothi lane in India.
For over a century,
90% of the country's brass band instruments have come
from this small neighborhood in the city of Meerut. And many
of the more than 100 small shops still make trumpets,
tubas, and bugles mostly by hand.
But with public gatherings limited,
the livelihoods of manufacturers and musicians are at stake.
Muhammad Samar has been working
at Nasir Ali & Company for nine years.
He shows us the basics of how a brass instrument is made.
Next, workers create the bell.
Craftsmen solder the brass pipes
into place with a welding gun
that uses a special mixture of silver and copper.
Then, they pour water into the instrument
to make sure that there are no holes.
At another workshop in Jali Kothi,
technicians are busy making valves and pistons.
The pistons are then soldered on.
Next, they dip the entire instrument
into a tank with an electric charge
and coat it with a thin layer of nickel or silver.
The instruments go through one more round
of polishing before they are packed and ready for sale.
A trumpet made in Jali Kothi starts
at around 5,000 rupees, or $68.
That's much cheaper than in the US,
where it sells for twice as much.
Still, the music equipment industry in India is massive,
bringing in $6 million annually.
One of the most successful manufacturers
is the Rose Band Company, established in 1860.
The owner, Aziz ul Rehman, says
a well-made brass instrument is an investment.
Sadly, the industry is lagging
behind the times.
Many manufacturers say they can't afford
to upgrade their equipment and need financial help.
Sales have also dropped in recent years
because India imposed a 28% tax on musical instruments.
This year, manufacturers suffered another blow
when business came to a standstill during the pandemic.
For the first time in over a century,
Rose Band Company started selling its products online,
all over the world.
But most brass instruments are still sold in India
to local bands that perform at weddings,
funerals, and religious festivals.
35-year-old Ravi Kumar and his band
are getting ready to play at a wedding in Delhi.
Today, the band has
been hired by the groom's family.
They play local tunes to entertain guests.
Then the party moves to the wedding hall.
By Indian standards, this is a small affair.
Many weddings have over 1,000 guests.
But the government has banned large gatherings,
putting pressure on the $50 billion wedding industry.
Musicians like Ravi are now struggling.
But Ravi hopes that traditions
like this will outlive the pandemic
and that business will be booming
once again on Jali Kothi lane.