GurmatSangeet

yak araj guftham paes tho dhar gos kun karatar

2011-10-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hopkinton
September 30, 2011

Bhai Dharam Singh Zakhmi Ji with Bhai Shamsher Singh Zakhmi, Bhai Hariqbal Singh Zakhmi and Bhai Amrik Singh Zakhmi

There are always some shabads that inexplicably grab your attention, at a very visceral level. I’m pretty sure I first heard Bhai Sahib Dharam Singh Zakhmi Ji and his Jatha sing Yakk Arz Guftam decades ago, as a boy, growing up in Gangtok. The rendition that has been stuck in my head is a part of a set of LPs, released in 1969 to celebrate the 500^th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Naak Sahib. I’m sure that every Sikh household that owned a record player, must have bought that set when it was released. It features shabads by Guru Nanak Sahib, sung in Nirdharit Ragas by some of the leading lights of Gurmat Sangeet and Shastriya Sangeet of the day. Ragis like the legendary Bhai Samund Singh Ji, Bhai Dharm Singh Zakhmi Ji, Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh Gurcharan Singh Ji, Bhai Devinder Singh Ji and Bhai Bakshish Singh Ji. Renowned singers such as the redoubtable Sardar Sohan Singh Ji of the Agra Khayal Gharana and the queen of Thumri/Dadra Siddheshwari Devi Ji.

Of course at that time I didn’t really care who Bhai Sahib Dharam Singh Zakhmi was! Raga Tilang didn’t mean anything. Yakk Arz Guftam, revealed to Guru Nanak Sahib in Farsi didn’t speak to me, but unbeknownst to me, seeped into my soul!

Decades later. I have been blessed by the Sangat of a few enlightened souls, who have introduced me to both Gurmat Sangeet and Shastriya Sangeet. The Gurmat Sangeet Project has been in existence for several years now. Tilang is probably of all the beautiful Ragas that appear in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, my clear favorite!

Tilang does not seem to be a ‘major’ Raga in the Classical world. A quick search in my Itunes throws up many Thumris and short instrumental pieces in Mishra Tilang, which is such a cop out J, but there are few Tilang recordings. It seems to be to be squarely relegated to the Light Classical shelf, though I do discover fairly long instrumental pieces by Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee. Interestingly I find a sixteen minute Dhrupad Alaap by the inimitable Faiyaz Khan Sahib, which tells me that at some point Tilang must have been considered worthy of serious exploration. I have never come across any recordings of the Maliks or anyone from the Dagar tradition singing Tilang, but the Faiyaz Khansahib recording gives me hope. As an aside the recording I have is incomplete L The alap terminates abruptly and there is no bandish! The best recording I have by far is a masterful Khayal by Ustad Mohammad Hussain Khan Saharang, the Patiala maestro, who unequivocally ranks in my list of all time favorites. His Darbari, BTW is unrivalled. Perhaps Pandit Pran Nath’s Darbari comes close. But I digress!!

Tilang by contrast, thrives in the world of Gurmat Sangeet. Beautiful shabads abound by some of our best known Ragis of yesteryear and today. Tilang in Gurmat Sangeet is such a passion of mine that I must devote another article to introducing my readers to some of my favorite Shabads. But now let us return to the topic at hand….. Yak Arz Guftam. Without further ado….here is the shabad:

http://server.sikhsangeet.com/audio/Shabad%20Kirtan/Various/Guru%20Nanak%20Foundation%20Quincentenary%20Shabad%20Recordings/Dharam%20Singh%20Zakhmi%20-%20Yak%20Arz%20Guftam%20Pesh%20to%20Dar%20(Tilang)%20-%20SikhSangeet.Com.mp3

This Shabad, revealed to Sri Guru Nanak Sahib is the first that appears under Raga Tilang in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

rwgu iqlµg mhlw 1 Gru 1
<> siq nwmu krqw purKu inrBau inrvYru Akwl mUriq AjUnI sYBM gur pRswid ]
Xk Arj guPqm pyis qo dr gos kun krqwr ]
hkw kbIr krIm qU byAYb prvdgwr ]1]
dunIAw mukwmy PwnI qhkIk idl dwnI ]
mm sr mUie AjrweIl igrPqh idl hyic n dwnI ]1] rhwau ]
jn ipsr pdr ibrwdrW ks nys dsqMgIr ]
AwiKr ibAPqm ks n dwrd cUM svd qkbIr ]2]
sb roj gsqm dr hvw krdym bdI iKAwl ]
gwhy n nykI kwr krdm mm eNØI icnI Ahvwl ]3]
bdbKq hm cu bKIl gwiPl bynjr bybwk ]
nwnk bugoXd jnu qurw qyry cwkrW pw Kwk ]4]1]

raag thila(n)g mehalaa 1 ghar 1
ik oa(n)kaar sath naam karathaa purakh nirabho niravair akaal moorath ajoonee saibha(n) gur prasaadh ||
yak araj gufatham paes tho dhar gos kun karathaar ||
hakaa kabeer kareem thoo baeaib paravadhagaar ||1||
dhuneeaa mukaamae faanee thehakeek dhil dhaanee ||
mam sar mooe ajaraaeel girafatheh dhil haech n dhaanee ||1|| rehaao ||
jan pisar padhar biraadharaa(n) kas naes dhasatha(n)geer ||
aakhir biafatham kas n dhaaradh choo(n) savadh thakabeer ||2||
sab roj gasatham dhar havaa karadhaem badhee khiaal ||
gaahae n naekee kaar karadham mam ea(n)aee chinee ahavaal ||3||
badhabakhath ham ch bakheel gaafil baenajar baebaak ||
naanak bugoyadh jan thuraa thaerae chaakaraa(n) paa khaak ||4||1||

Glossary :

Xk One
Arj Petition; request
guPqm I say (or make)
pyis qo Before You
dr gos In your Ear
kun Do
krqwr Creator; God
hkw True
kbIr Great
krIm Merciful; Generous
byAYb Without vice
prvdgwr God; Sustainer
dunIAw World
mukwmy Place (Temporary place)
PwnI Destructible
qhkIk Truth
idl O My heart
dwnI Understand
mm sr mUie By the hair on my head
AjrweIl Azraeel, the Messenger of Death
igrPqh Grabbed
hyic n Nothing at all
dwnI You know
jn Wife
ipsr Sons
pdr Father
ibrwdrW Brothers
ks None of them
nys Is not
dsqMgIr Holding your hand
AwiKr In the end
ibAPqm When I fall
n dwrd Cannot keep or save
cUM When
svd Will happen
qkbIr The Namaz (Muslim Prayer) that is recited at the time of burial
sb Night
roj Day
gsqm Wandering
dr In
hvw Greed
krdym I am engaged in
bdI Bad; slanderous
iKAwl Thoughts
gwhy n Never
nykI Good; kind
kwr Actions
krdm I did
mm I
eNØI icnI Like this
Ahvwl Condition
bdbKq Ill-fated
hm cu Like me
bKIl Slanderous
gwiPl Lazy
bynjr Shamless; obdurate
bybwk With no fear
bugoXd Says
jnu Slave
qurw You
cwkrW Servants
pw Feet
Kwk Dust

Translation :

I speak in your ear, beseeching you, Lord
You are True, Great, Merciful and perfect ||1||
The world is evanescent; know this for sure
Azraa-eel, the Messenger of Death, has me by the hair on my head, and yet, I am oblivious ||Reflect||
Your wife, your children, your father, your brothers; none of them will be there to hold your hand.
As I fall, and the final prayers are said for me, none shall rescue me. ||2||
Day and Night, I have wandered around in greed, hatching evil schemes.
Never doing good; this is my unfortunate state. ||3||
I am ill-fated, slanderous and negligent, shameless and bereft of the fear of God.
Says Nanak, I am your humble servant, the very dust of the feet of your servants. ||4||1||

Reflection :

Often times our confusion leads us to focus selectively on a few particular aspects of our Guru Sahibs’ personalities, to the exclusion of others, in the process forgetting the unity of thought that runs through their message, without exception. This leads us to pigeon-hole Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib as the arbiter of Vairag, while forgetting his valor. Or seeing Guru Nanak Sahib primarily as the beacon of love and peace, completely losing sight of his fierce commitment to fighting oppression and injustice.

This shabad, powerfully underscores this unity of thought. If one were to read the translation, not knowing who the shabad was revealed to, it would be easy to conclude that it was written by Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib; so strongly does the central idea resonate with what he reiterates in shabad after shabad.

The shabad is primarily concerned with the impermanence of human life. Guru Nanak Sahib reiterates that our life is like a way station, which is subject to the ravages of time. While we are know that death is inevitable, we live our lives carelessly, in reckless abandon, as if we were immortal.

The bitter truth is that no matter how attached we are to our spouses, our parents, our children or our siblings, ultimately we will leave this world, alone. None of them will go with us. None of them will be able to stay the hand of the Messenger. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, too, consistently reflects on similar themes.

hir ibnu qyro ko n shweI ]
kW kI mwq ipqw suq binqw ko kwhU ko BweI ]1] rhwau ]

har bin thaero ko n sehaaee ||
kaa(n) kee maath pithaa suth banithaa ko kaahoo ko bhaaee ||1|| rehaao ||

There is no one that you can turn to for support, except the Lord.
Of what use are your mother, father, child or spouse? Who is anyone's brother? ||1||Reflect||

Similar thoughts appear in the Bani of Bhagat Kabeer Ji :

hir ibnu kaunu shweI mn kw ]
mwq ipqw BweI suq binqw ihqu lwgo sB Pn kw ]1] rhwau ]

har bin koun sehaaee man kaa ||
maath pithaa bhaaee suth banithaa hith laago sabh fan kaa ||1|| rehaao ||

Other than the Lord, is there another source of succor?
Attachment to our mother, father, siblings, children and spouses; all this is illusory ||1||Pause||

Depressing, you think? It could be indeed, if we misunderstand what the Guru is really saying. Is the Guru telling us that we should renounce our parents, our children, our spouses, our siblings, our friends as these relationships are illusory?

In the Jaap Sahib, as Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji enunciates the myriad Karam-Naam (names that signify the actions) of Waheguru, he uses the following phrases to describe and salute Waheguru :

srbM Bugqw You revel in everything that has been created
nmo srb Bogy I salute You; you who revels in his creation

The concept of Bhog, which is a complex one, connotes sensual pleasure; all feelings of well-being that are generated through anything our senses experience. When Guru Sahib salutes Waheguru as the ultimate Bhogi, this act of divine Bhog becomes joyous. Just as Waheguru sits back and revels in every aspect of his creation, why should we not joyously embrace and celebrate that part of his creation that surrounds us and touches us, of which our parents, spouses, our children, our siblings and friends, are an integral part!

Surely this is a conundrum? A paradox? On the one hand we are exhorted to enjoy His creation in every way, on the other we are warned that the relationships that we take the most joy in are illusory and false!! Fortunately there is no paradox at all. It is possible to be attached, while staying detached. It is possible to enjoy life to its fullest, while being constantly aware of its evanescence. Lack of this awareness is what makes us bdbKq (Ill-fated) bKIl (Slanderous) gwiPl (Lazy) bynjr (Shamless and obdurate) bybwk (With no fear. The vision of Azraeel holding us by our hair, is not meant to scare us. It is to help us put this life in perspective. It is to drive this awareness home, which surely has the potential to make us better human beings.

This is what this beautiful shabad means to me. And Bhai Sahib Dharam Singh Zakhmi Ji’s rendition is absolutely sublime. My only regret is that I have not heard a live version of this composition. If anyone has a live version stashed away…… it’s time to share J

October 2008. There is a gathering of some very accomplished Ragis at the Stockton Gurdwara Sahib, the first Gurdwara to be built in North America, to celebrate the 300^th Gurta Gaddi Divas of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Kultar Singh Ji, Bhai Surjit Singh Ji, Bhai Devinder Singh Gulbagh Singh Ji, Sardar Harbhajan Singh Ji, Bibi Gurleen Kaur Ji and many other kirtaniye are in attendance. All 31 major Ragas of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib are to be covered in the two day program.

Two young girls sing Raga Tilang. The Shabad is Yakk Arz Guftam. Yes they are off key in a few palces and they are having some trouble hitting the high notes. But that’s not the point; they will get better; especially when they find better teachers. The point is that these old compositions, that have deep, mystical qualities that are impossible to articulate, are alive again. I am humbled and awed by the emotion the event generates; yet it is one of the proudest days of my life.

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/wsc%20gsd%202008/saturday%20afternoon/22-Yak%20Araj%20Guftham%20Pes%20To-721-1.mp3

Mehr & Amrit the 2008 Stockton Darbar; with Amandeep, Jaspreet and Harman Singh

ko banajaaro raam ko maeraa ttaa(n)ddaa laadhiaa jaae rae

2011-09-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hopkinton
September 22 2011

At the Seattle Gurmat Sangeet Darbar, earlier this year, I had the good fortune to listen to Nampreet Singh, a fine young Kirtaniya from Vancouver. Nampreet, who has become a good friend over the years epitomizes the renaissance that is now evident in the world of Gurmat Sangeet. He has been diligently learning the Dilruba and the Taus and has poured a tremendous amount of effort in preserving Puratan Compositions, sung by Ragis such as Bhai Santa Singh Ji, Bhai Avtar Singh Bhai Gurcharan Singh Ji and many others.

We first encountered Nampreet Singh in Toronto in 2005, when for the first time Mehr Kaur and Amrit Kaur traveled outside of Boston to sing at a Gurmat Sangeet Darbar. They had diligently worked on their first Partaal in Raga Basant Bahar, which we had painstakingly tried to recreate from Gian Singh Abbotabad Ji's book. The only probelm was that we didn't have a tabla player! Inderpreet Singh, who lived in Toronto then and was one of the organizers of the Darabr suggested the multi-talented Nampreet Singh, who counted playing the Jori among his skills!

Recordings from this event can be found at

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Pages/TorontoBasantSamagam.asp

This was a hugely important trip for us in many ways. We met many young kirtaniye in Toronto, who have become close friends and integral members of the extended Gurmat Sangeet Project family, Rupinder Singh, Onkar Singh, Gursev Singh and several others. The experience motivated and energized the Boston kids greatly and in a sense provided the impetus and fuel for our future activities. That same year we organized our First Annual Gurmat Sangeet Darbar in which we honored S. Harbhajan Singh Ji.Several Toronto Kirtaniye including Nampreet Singh attended this Darbar.

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Pages/GurmatSangeetDarbar05.asp

Over the years, young Kirtaniye like Nampreet have continued to energize and inspire me beyond measure. Their love for Gurmat Sangeet, their humility,their staggering effort as they immerse themselves deeper into Gurmat Sangeet while pursuing busy careers and the deep sense of camaraderie that binds them together has to be seen to be believed!

But anyway !! Back to Seattle !! Six years after our first meeting Nampreet Singh, Accompanied by Preet Singh on Taus and our own Shamsher Singh on Jori, takes the stage at the Renton Gurdwara Sahib in Seattle. The first shabad he sings moves me beyond measure. It is 'Kou Banjaro Ram Ki Mera Tanda Ladya Jae Re'. The melody is profound, melancholy and beautiful, in a way that gives you goosebumps. Later I ask him.... Is that a Bhai Santa Singh Bandish ? The style is unmistakeable. Nampreet smiles and nods.

When I get back to Boston, he sends me the recording by Bhai Santa Singh Ji, which I would like to share with you:

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/recordings/bhai%20santa%20singh/01%20TANDA%20LAADIA%20JAAIY%20RAY...%20%20%20%28SGGS.mp3

Bhai Sahib Santa Singh Ji

In the past few months, I have listened to this recording innumerable times, pondering the beauty of the shabad and its profundity. Marveling at the Rasa that Bhai Santa Singh Ji's rendition is drenched in. I have tried to sing it, trying capture a fraction of the magic. I want to gift this great treasure to every young kirtaniya I know !!

gauVI bYrwgix rivdws jIau ]
Gt AvGt fUgr Gxw ieku inrguxu bYlu hmwr ]
rmeIey isau iek bynqI myrI pUMjI rwKu murwir ]1]
ko bnjwro rwm ko myrw tWfw lwidAw jwie ry ]1] rhwau ]
hau bnjwro rwm ko shj krau b´wpwru ]
mY rwm nwm Dnu lwidAw ibKu lwdI sMswir ]2]
aurvwr pwr ky dwnIAw iliK lyhu Awl pqwlu ]
moih jm fMfu n lwgeI qjIly srb jMjwl ]3]
jYsw rMgu ksuMB kw qYsw iehu sMswru ]
myry rmeIey rMgu mjIT kw khu rivdws cmwr ]4]1]

ik oa(n)kaar sathigur prasaadh ||
gourree bairaagan ravidhaas jeeo ||
ghatt avaghatt ddoogar ghanaa eik niragun bail hamaar ||
rameeeae sio eik baenathee maeree poo(n)jee raakh muraar ||1||
ko banajaaro raam ko maeraa ttaa(n)ddaa laadhiaa jaae rae ||1|| rehaao ||
ho banajaaro raam ko sehaj karo byaapaar ||
mai raam naam dhhan laadhiaa bikh laadhee sa(n)saar ||2||
ouravaar paar kae dhaaneeaa likh laehu aal pathaal ||
mohi jam dda(n)dd n laagee thajeelae sarab ja(n)jaal ||3||
jaisaa ra(n)g kasu(n)bh kaa thaisaa eihu sa(n)saar ||
maerae rameeeae ra(n)g majeet(h) kaa kahu ravidhaas chamaar ||4||1||

And here is my attempt to translate this shabad for my dear readers to enjoy :

First a glossary that lists all the difficult words in the shabad :

ghatt Path
avaghatt Difficult
ddoogar Mountainous
ghanaa Extremely
niragun Feeble
bail Bullock
hamaar Mine
rameeeae Waheguru
sio To
baenathee Request
poo(n)jee Capital (used for trading)
raakh Preserve
muraar Waheguru
banajaaro Trader
ttaa(n)ddaa Caravan of carts loaded with goods for trading
laadhiaa Loaded
sehaj Contentment; Calmness
byaapaar Trade
bikh Poison
sa(n)saar The world
ouravaar This world
paar The next world
dhaaneeaa The one who bestows
likh laehu Write
aal pathaal Nonsense
jam dda(n)dd The punishment that the cycle of death and rebirth represents
laagee Catch (as in getting infected by a disease)
thajeelae Renounce
sarab All
j(n)jaal Attachments and worries
jaisaa Like
ra(n)g Color
kasu(n)bh The safflower, whose color is not fast or permanent
thaisaa Just Like
sa(n)saar World
majeet(h) The Madder, whose color is fast and permanent
chamaar A low caste (leather-worker)

Translation :

Gauree Bairaagan, Ravi Daas Jee:
My path is very treacherous and mountainous, and all I have is this feeble bullock.
Oh Lord, I beseech to preserve my capital ||1||
Is there any other merchant of God that I can join? My cargo is loaded and I am leaving. ||1||Pause||
I am the merchant of God; I trade in peace and contentment
While I have loaded the wealth of the Lord's Name; the world deals in poison. ||2||
You, who know this world and the next: write what you will about me.
I don’t care; the cycle of birth and death will not strike me; I have cast off all entanglements. ||3||
This world is like the temporary color of the safflower. The color of my Lord's Love is permanent, like the dye of the madder.
So says Ravi Daas, the tanner. ||4||1||

Reflection :

In a few simple and powerful words Bhagat Ravidas Ji cautions us about the perils that we face in our journey. The feeble ox, laden with our capital, our senses that enable action, is a metaphor for the human condition. Temptation abounds; Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh, Ahankar; they surround us constantly! It is easy to despair, but Bhagat Ji gives us hope. Seeking the company of other like-minded ‘traders’, who seek to ‘trade’ in God’s name and grace, earning not monetary profit but peace and contentment, is the only way to negotiate this treacherous, mountainous path! Further, Bhagat Ji strengthens our resolve even more by reassuring us that if we embrace this ‘trade’ in the company of other ‘traders’ we can be liberated from the cycle of birth and death and forever imbued in the permanent color of Waheguru.

At a very personal level, this shabad makes me ponder the perils of pride. Many of us have a tendency to become vain and arrogant if we do anything that is good or worthwhile. Our piety, our willingness to share, our desire to serve can very easily be perverted by Haumai. After all this ‘bullock’ is very feeble. Sangat is just about the only thing that can save us from this grave peril. Ever since I have heard this sublime shabad, the lines : Gt AvGt fUgr Gxw ieku inrguxu bYlu hmwr ] rmeIey isau iek bynqI myrI pUMjI rwKu murwir ]1], forever resonate in my mind.

A few words on the composition :

This is a most beautiful composition, sung in Bhai Santa Singh Ji’s inimitable style. There are several flavors of Raga Gauri in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This shabad is in Raga Gauri Bairagan. The bandish however does not really conform to the definitions of Raga Gauri Bairagan that I have been able to find. Listening to the shabad, I definitely ‘feel’ that it belongs to the Bhairon Parent Scale or Thaat. Both Gauri and Gauri Bairagan belong to the Bhairon Thaat. However, Gauri Bairagan employs both flavors of the Dhaivat, while Gauri employs only the Komal Dhaivat. To my ears at least, this bandish eschews the Shuddha Dhaivat, which makes me think that this is Gauri rather than Gauri Bairagan. Unfortunately the plot thickens further because Bhai Sahib Ji also slips in the Tivar Madhyam when he sings the line ko bnjwro rwm ko myrw tWfw lwidAw jwie ry Unfortunately both Gauri and Gaur Bairagan do not employ the Tivar Madhaym at all! The Tivar Madhyam features prominently in Gauri Poorbi, yet another flavor of Gauri. That said, this bandish ‘feels’ nothing like Gauri Poorbi. In Gian Singh Abbotabad’s book however, I did find under Gauri Poorbi, a bandish that is close to the one that Bhai Santa Singh Ji sings. It liberally uses the Shudh Madhyam, which is really not a valid note in Gauri Poorbi! At this point I must throw up my hands and leave the parsing of the correct Raga to someone more adept than I J I can say this much with confidence; this is a beautiful bandish, in some flavor of Gauri, well worth listening to and appreciating.

Thank you Nampreet Singh! For making this beautiful composition come alive by singing it. As a special bonus, here is Nampreet Singh’s rendition from Seattle.

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/recordings/seattle%202011%202/gsd%20sat/51%20KoBanjaroRam.mp3

Preet Singh, Nampreet Singh and Shamsher Singh

Revival

2009-12-17T04:23:00.000-08:00

Mohali
--------
December 22 2009
(completed at the New Delhi Airport on Dec 30 2009)

The GurmatSangeet Blog has been silent for more than a year. Not for a lack of stimualting events ! It has been an eventful year for the GurmatSangeetProject. The Boston Basant Darbar, The Tanti Saaz Workshop in Boston, The Gurmat Sangeet Darbar in Salt Lake City, the trip to the Sikh Youth Symposium in Detroit, the unforgettable Youth Gurmat Sangeet Darbar in Boston and my recent trip to Australia to The Parliament of the World's Religions. All of these were wonderful, enriching experiences, but it seemed that the Muse had deserted me for good !

Personally, this has been an eventful year for me as well. The most significant event of this year was not a happy one. My father, who has been the epitome of energy and vitality his entire life, was struck down with a severe heart attack, accompanied by a stroke and cerebral hypoxia. By Waheguru's grace, he survived and has recovered remarkably well, but anyone who has been thousands of miles away from a sick parent can appreciate the toll this takes on one's psyche. The reason for my visit to Mohali is a follow up medical procedure that my father needs to have in a couple of days.

The last two weeks have been particularly eventful. It was a great honor for me and the GurmatSangeetProject to be invited to attend The Parliament of the World's Religions as a Sikh delegate and make a presentation on the Preservation of Gurmat Sangeet. It was an opportunity to rub shoulders with many Gursikhs that I have admired for years ! I met old friends and made new ones and was delighted to learn that the Australian sangat is aware of and derives pleasure from www.gurmatsangeetproject.com !

Musically speaking the last two weeks have been wonderful as well. I had multiple oportunities to listen to and hang out with Bhai Kultar Singh Ji, who is a dear friend. (I have to digress here and note that Bhau Ji, Bhai Swarn Singh Ji unequivocally possesses the warmest hug in the world :-) It is always jusch a joy to meet him !) Bhai Kultar Singh and his Jatha were an awe inspiring presence at the Sacred Music Concert in the Plenary Hall. Serendipitously, the Chardi Kala Jatha happened to be in Australia as well. I had heard them breifly at Shamsher Singh's wedding earlier this year and had heard wonderful things about them from many, including Bibi Amarjit Kaur Ji. It was a pleasure to listen to them in Australia ! Recordings will be up on www.gurmatsangeetproject.com upon my return to the US. The short visit to Harballabh was memorable as were the couple of hours I spent with the veteran instrument maker, S. Gurdial Singh Ji of Jalandhar.

Despite all of these great experiences I was in a very dark place mentally, when I arrived in Chandigarh. I was going through the motions, attending to my father, meeting people, even attending a wedding, but nothing seemed right. Then one morning, I decided to go visit Amrit Musicals in Sector 15 as I had a long shopping list of Tablas, Joris, Harmoniums, Tanpuras, Flutes for various friends. I bought a Tanpura and on a whim, asked the wonderful S. Amardeep Singh of Amrit Musicals to loan me a Vajja.

The large, empty home my father built, before he took ill, now started filing up with the strains of the tanpura in the morning and in the evening. Our neighbors got wind of this and decided that we should get together for Kirtan at their home, with the whole Mohalla in attendence :-) Scrambling around for a tabla player, I was delighted to be introduced to S. Paramjit Singh, a Music Professor at Punjab University, by the gracious Pandit Yashpaul Ji of the Agra Gharana (more about him in another post later). Paramjit Singh Ji readily agreed to accompany me and one chilly Chandigarh evening several of us got together for sangat in our neighbors house.

It is awkward to write about deeply personal experiences and my friends know that I am a fairly reserved and private person, but I feel that this was something I need to share. That hour was truly transforming. Its not that my singing was any great shakes ! But the experience was unforgettable. First of all, the pall lifted and for the first time in weeks, I felt truly happy. When a kirtaniya enjoys singing, Gyani Dyal Singh Ji often says, so does the sangat ! This is so true. I have written about this earlier when I talked about Veerji, Prem Singh. This was definitely one of the 10% days; I felt connected with the shabad and the sangat and when it was all over, the gloom was a distant memory.

All of you who sing and listen have probably have had similar experiences. Everything can become routine, even singing the Guru's praises ! The epiphany for me was that happiness is never very far away. We just have to know where to look.

I would like to wish all of my readers and friends a joyous 2010 ! This will be an eventful year for the Gurmat Sangeet Project. Watch this space as well as www.gurmatsangeetproject.com

Vajjan Taal Mridang Rababa

2008-11-24T17:02:00.000-08:00

An Unexpected Find

Hopkinton MA
October 18, 2008,
(Completed on a recent flight on November 17)

It is a damp fall morning in Massachusetts. Not really cold yet. Still lovely. The magnificent fall foliage looking a little faded, a little subdued. It is very early and there are no cars yet on the road. Our dog Aziza, straining at her leash, I walk up and down the winding, hilly, ebb and flow that is Saddle Hill road.

As is usually my habit, there is a morning Raga playing in my ears. I listen, a little absently to the magnificent Dhrupad Alaap unfolding. The Raga is Bairagi, a close relative of Ahir Bhairav and Gunkali. The Dhrupadia is very very adept. His voice has a little rasp to it but it sounds very pleasing. To my admittedly amateurish ears, the Alaap sounds less polished than the fabulous renditions of the contemporary princes of the Dagar Gharana, The Gundecha Bandhu, or Wasifuddin Dagar or Uday Bhawalkar.

But magnificent and powerful it is. This is not Dagarvani; this is Dhrupad in the Dharbhanga tradition and the singer is Pandit Vidur Mallick. The recording is on an obscure French label called Makar Records, which unfortunately seems to have gone out of business ! I have sampled many unexpected delights from the small but elegant Makar Records catalogue, but that is the subject of a different post. Back to Pandit Vidur Mallick singing Bairagi.

The Alaap is much shorter than the elaborate 50 minute wonders that I am more used to listening to, given my love for the Dagar tradition. The singer now launches into a very robust composition in Chartal, the regulation Dhrupad 12 beat Taal, which is also used extensively by knowledgeable practitioners of Gurmat Sangeet. The accompanist on the Pakhavaj is in his element. After singing the entire text, the singer unleashes a dizzying array of rhythmic variations and flourishes. Dugans (double speed), Chaugans (quadruple speed). A series of electrifying tihais leading to a dramatic conclusion !

But wait ! Were my ears deceiving me or did I just hear ‘Nanak’ ? I stop the shabad and move the slider back. Unmistakable. He did say Nanak ! Whats’ going on ? Is he singing Gurbani ?

I know nothing about the Dharbanga Dhrupad tradition. Perhaps because of the towering genius of Nasir Aminuddin, Nasir Moinuddin, Nasir Fiyazuddin, Nasir Zahiruddin, Zia Mohiuddin and the other luminaries of the Dagar Gharana, Dhrupad today is largely synonymous with Dagarvani. The Makar catalogue has given me a few teasing glimpses into some of the other Dhrupad Vanis but they are largely a mystery to me.

Many questions run through my mind. Where did this composition come from ? Dhrupadiyas, at least according to my meager knowledge, are traditionalists rather than innovators. It is highly unlikely that Pandit Vidur Mallick just picked out a shabad from Gurbani, set it to Chartal in Bairagi and decided to sing it during the Maker Records recording session ! A much more likely explanation is that this is an ancient composition from the Dharbanga tradition that he acquired from his teachers. Which begs another question. What is this ostensible link between this obscure Dhrupad Gharana and Gurbani ?

Unfortunately I have just questions. No answers. Perhaps some day I will run into Pandit Vidur Mallick and ask him. Perhaps he will shrug. Perhaps he will know! For now I will just enjoy this serendipitous find!

As you can well imagine, the next several days see me going back to the magnificent Dhrupad over and over again. The Shabad being sung is ‘Ram Simer Ram Simer Yahi Tero Kaj Hai’ from the Bani of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. The style is clearly not traditional Gurmat Sangeet; this is a rendition squarely in Pandit Vidur Mallick’s own tradition as shown by the similarity with the other pieces on the CD.

(At the risk of digressing I have to stop and share a pet peeve, actually two that I have with Hindustani Classical Musicians singing Gurbani. :-) The words ‘simer’ and ‘simran’ occur often in Gurbani. I have never encountered a Hindustani Classical musician who can sing these words correctly. ‘Simer’ mutates into ‘Sumir’ and ‘Simran’ into ‘Sumiran’. Each time I hear this distortion I wince as if I have been struck. :-) The second pet peeve; Pandit Jasraj is probably the worst offender here. A lot of Hindustani Classical vocalists, draw upon Gurbani text, but often render it in ‘Bhajan’ style, usually set to a particularly insidious ‘Bhajani’ variant of Keherwa. This causes the rendition usually to migrate into the territory of film music inspired Kirtan, which my dear readers, you often find me ranting about :-))

But enough complaining ! Let us then visit what we do know about the intersection of Dhrupad and Gurmat Sangeet.

We are all aware of the genius of Guru Nanak Dev Ji; his starting of the Gurmat Sangeet tradition; his unique contributions. His unprecedented embrace of Hindustani, Carnatic and Folk Music to create a new form or Shayli. There are a few important clues that shed light on the importance of Dhrupad in the Gurmat Sangeet tradition.

The first clue emerges from Bhai Gurdas Ji’s writings :

Gang Banaras Hindua
Mussalman Mecca Ka’aba
Ghar Ghar Baba Gaviye
Vajjan Taal Mridang Rababa

Aha ! We all know about Bhai Mardana Ji and his Rabab ! But what is this Mridang that Bhai Sahib refers to ? The Mridang (or Mridangam) is the other name for the Pakhavaj or the unevenly sided drum that is used for percussive accompaniment in Dhrupad !

More clues.

Despite the backsliding that we suffered for several decades in Gurmat Sangeet, that we have just started to reverse now, even in the darkest years there were always a few Kirtaniye who valiantly and obstinately defied the mainstream an stuck to their guns in their embrace of traditional Gurmat Sangeet. Included in this august list would be some very famous and not so famous names such as Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh Gurcharan Singh Ji, Gyani Dyal Singh Ji and some of his students, Bhai Dharam Singh and Bhai Shamsher Singh Zakhmi Ji, Bibi Jaswant Kaur Ji.

Kirtaniye such as these kept the ancient tradition alive by continuing to sing compositions in Chartal, Dhamar, Ada Chautala, Slow Jhaptal, which are all Dhrupad staples. The traditional Sikh percussion instrument is not the Tabla but the Jori, which is a descendant of the Pakhawaj.

The structure of many old compositions that can be found in Gurbani Sangeet by Gian Singh Ji Abbotabad or Prachin Reet Ratnavali are in the form ‘Sthai, Antra , Sanchari and Abhog’ which are typical Dhrupad arrangemets.

Another small but relevant digression :

All of us who listen to Gurmat Sangeet have experienced what I am about to describe. Even those Kirtaniye who do not sing Dhrupad compositions will often launch into percussive pyrotechnics, usually towards the end of a shabad, where the Tabla player will energetically play the table in a very ‘different’ style, usually with flat palms, usually at speeds that are multiples of the basic rhythmic underpinnings of the composition.

This is called ‘Saath’. I first heard the term when I visited Bibi Jaswant Kaur Ji in Delhi a few years ago. I had heard ‘Saath’ being played on the tabla, pretty much forever, but I certainly did not know what it was called. Bibi Ji recalled fondly the times that she had heard the legendary Rababi percussionist Bhai Nasira Ji, playing Saath with Bhai Chand and Bhai Taba Ji, in the days of her youth when they were established Rababis at the Sri Harmandir Sahib.

Saath is one of the three forms that is played on the Jori in the Gurmat Sangeet tradition. The other two are ‘Gat’ and ‘Jat’. Gat is the most familiar. I am on exceedingly thin ice here but I will venture that Gat is the ‘typical’ style of Tabla playing that we encounter whenever shabads are sung set to Raga. I have a very poor feel for ‘Jat’ so it shall remain the subject of another post.

It is worthwhile here to recognize and acknowledge the efforts of Bhai Baldeep Singh, a noted Sikh musician, percussionist and instrument maker. In addition to studying the Dagarvani tradition, Bhai Baldeep Singh has mastered the Jori, learning from the redoubtable Arjan Singh Tarangar, the last great percussionist representing the Amritsari Baj (style of drumming). Bhai Baldeep Singh has also been training Parminder Singh, an immensely talented and hard working young percussionist, who I had the occasion to meet during his recent visit to Boston. We spent a few hours together as he initiated my son Amandeep into the mysteries of the Jori. This young man is bound for greatness and he will spearhead the revival of the Amritsari Baj, which has been dormant for so long.

Another fount of wisdom in this context is Bhai Sahib Gurcharan Singh Ji, the older brother of the late Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh Ji. Bhai Sahib has a treasure trove of ancient Jori and Pakhawaj compositions that are the essence of traditional Gurmat Sangeet percussion. The young Jori player from Toronto, Jaswinder Singh, who is an important part of the vibrant Toronto Gurmat Sangeet scene has been learning at Bhai Sahib’s feet, preserving and continuing the tradition.

I have to pause here and describe another delightful encounter with the ghost of the legendary Bhai Nasira Ji. This happened during the recently concluded Gurmat Sangeet Darbar at Stockton, organized by the Gurmat Sangeet Project in collaboration with the World Sikh Council, American Region, to commemorate the 300th Gurta Gaddi Diwas of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Singing in the Darbar were Bhai Devinder Singh, Bhai Gulbagh Singh with Bhai Iqbal Singh providing Tabla accompaniment. After taking their position on stage, Bhai Iqbal Singh askes me to come closer and whispers, asking if he can play two handed Bols, obtained from the legendary Bhai Nasira Ji. What follows is probably one of the most flamboyant performances I have ever experienced on the Tabla. Words cannot even begin to describe the energy and artistry of Bhai Iqbal Singh in that performance !

(As an aside, the Jatha just arrived in Boston today, November 24; they will be here for two weeks ad will participate in the November 28 Rain Sabai)

But I digress. Lets us get back to the topic at hand !

Slements of the Dhrupad Ang such as Saath continued to persist widely !

All these things together shine a light on the profound connection between Gurmat Sangeet and the Dhrupad tradition.

Pandit Vidur Mallick’s rendition of a shabad in traditional Dhrupad style then is no surprise after all.

Here’s what I really want to discover. Is it not possible that just as Pandit Vidur Mallick had this jewel in his repertoire, there are many many others waiting to be discovered ! I have resolved to ask every Dhrupadiya I meet about any Gurbani compositions that may have been passed to them. And what they know about their history.

In the meantime let me enjoy the virtuosity of Pandit Vidur Mallick. (Since this is a commercially released, copyrighted recording, I cannot upload it to www.gurmatsangeetproject.com I will try to seek permission to do so from the owners of the Makar Catalogue. In the meantime if you can get your hands on ‘Pandit Vidur Mallick – The Lyrical Tradition of Dhrupad on the Makar label…..enjoy !)

Vaisakhi in Bangalore

2008-04-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Vaisakhi in Bangalore

Bangalore

April 14, 2008

It always annoys me intensely to have to travel during Vaisakhi or the major Gurpurbs. Over the years, celebrating these events at either the Milford or Millis Gurdwara Sahibs, in the Boston Area has been a wonderful experience. Weeks before the event, a feeling of pleasurable anticipation sets in. The kids are busy working on new shabads; our practice schedule becomes more intense, causing parents to grumble at the mid week trips to our home in Hopkinton or the Milford Gurdwara sahib. Then the day of the event approaches; everyone invariably runs late, much to my chagrin. Every major event probably results in my neck becoming at least a quarter of an inch longer as I crane it repeatedly, searching for stragglers, whose time-slot to sing is approaching!

This year however, I am in Bangalore, traveling on business. My neck probably appreciates the rest but, I am ill at ease, missing the celebration in Milford. Sunday, the 13^th of April dawns. I make my way to the main Bangalore Gurdwara sahib in Ulsoor.

I have been traveling to Bangalore on business for several years now. As I am wont to do whenever I travel, I always go to the Bangalore Gurdwara Sahib. I have fond memories of visiting Gurdwara Sahibs in many places. Visits to Gurdwara Sahibs in Singapore, Oslo, Kobe, Hong Kong, Toronto, London, and of course various other cities in the US and India have yielded a plethora of rich experiences and interactions with the local sangats, whose uniform kindness and warm welcome, I shall always cherish.

Bangalore has always been special. If memory serves me correctly, my first visit to the Bangalore Gurdwara was in early 2004. Somewhat serendipitously, I was staying at a hotel on M.G. Road, which was literally a few hundred yards from the Gurdwara Sahib ! It was early February; Basant was in the air. I remember contacting some of my relatives who live in Bangalore and asking them to arrange for a slot for me to sing at the Gurdwara Sahib, which they proceeded to do with some difficulty. (As a Prabhandak, I do realize that last minute additions to the Kirtan program on a Sunday can be annoying and somewhat difficult to accommodate !) That said, I am a firm believer that singing in the Guru’s Darbar is a great honor, and it is only achieved through Gur Parsad. If the Guru wills it, all barriers fall away; if not, no amount of desire, fueled as it often is with perhaps a covert desire for self aggrandizement, can bring this honor within one’s reach. Trust me on this one; I have experienced it; many times !

Anyway. Back to Basant, 2004. My first visit to the lovely Gurdwara Sahib at Ulsoor. I took my place behind the harmonium and the Bhai Sahib who was to accompany me starting tuning his tabla. Before starting the Manglacharan, my fingers flirted briefly with the harmonium to produce the few strains of Basant. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that an elderly man, sitting by the side of the stage took a seat beside me on the stage. He did not appear to be a Sikh; he was clearly a local. His clothes were shabby, perhaps even a little grimy and in his hands was a somewhat decrepit looking violin.

I sang two shabads that day in my allotted 20 minutes; one in the Purbi variant of Basant and the other in the Marwa variant. The memory of that day is indelibly imprinted on my soul. Rarely have I enjoyed singing so much. For those of you who have read my article on ‘Veerji’ Prem Singh Ji, this was clearly a 10% day. In no small part, the reason why that day was special was the beautiful violin accompaniment, by the elderly stranger. He was for sure a virtuoso, being able to play perfectly by ear with subtlety and nuance. The violin, for those of you that are not familiar with stringed instrument, is fret-less and hence very hard to play; providing accompaniment, with no prior knowledge of the compositions is no mean feat.

Over the years, I returned to Bangalore often, and sang at the Gurdwara Sahib many more times. Each time, my eyes would seek out the old violinist in vain. Singing in Bangalore was always wonderful, but it just wasn’t the same.

During my last trip, in February 2008, I finally went up to one of the Prabhandaks and asked about the old violinist. What I heard was very disheartening; of course I have no way of ascertaining its veracity ! Apparently the old man was an alcoholic; whatever money he would earn at the Gurdwara Sahib was apparently spent on liquor. When he started showing up at the Gurdwara Sahib drunk, he was barred from coming back.

The old violinist would not have been part of the sublime experience of singing in the Guru’s Darbar without His Grace. Why then, did he have to fall so hard ? Truly inscrutable are His ways !

April 13^th, 2008. I am back at the now familiar Bangalore Gurdwara Sahib. For the umpteenth time, I am incorrectly introduced as Sarbjit Singh, jehde Amreeka ton aaye ney. But that hardly matters. I start to sing the shabad, ‘Jagat Jot Japai Nis Basur’, the very definition of a Khalsa. It is a lovely composition in Tintal, composed by my first Ustad Bhai Sahib Nazar Singh Ji, in Raga Ahir Bhairav. The Bhai Sahib accompanying me insists however on playing Keherva. Even so, singing in the Guru’s Darbar is always uplifting, even on a ‘90%’ day. I am inspired and want to sing the next shabad in Vilambhit Jhaptaal. A beautiful composition in Raga Gunkali, that was part of Bhai Sahib Dharam Singh Zakhmi Ji’s repertoire. When I ask the Bhai Sahib if he can play Jhaptal, he sheepishly mutters in an undertone : “Sabh Phull Phall Gya Ji; Keherwa, Dardra Hi Theek Hai”.

I nod and switch to ‘Deh Shiva Bar Mohe Ehe’ in Raga Brindabani Sarang. The composition is in Tintaal too; but today, Keherwa will have to do.

In the meantime, celebrations continue in Boston. The kids manage fine without me. Reliable sources tell me that some of them even sang a Partal in Todi. The whole nine yards with Chartaal di duggan and parmans.

I guess it doesn’t really matter where I am. It feels good to be in the sangat on Vaisakhi.

Rapture in Toronto

2008-04-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Rapture in Toronto

Swarna Shatabdi Express

April 7, 2008

As the swift Shatabdi Express carries me from Delhi to Amritsar, I sit back to reflect on the fourth annual Gurmat Sangeet Darbar, that concluded last week at the Mississauga Gurdwara Sahib in the Toronto area. Was it really just a week ago? It has already become an indelible part of my kaleidoscope of impossibly heady Gurmat Sangeet related experiences!

The energy was amazing, to the point that it had to be experienced and truly cannot be described in words. Several of us who returned from Toronto to Boston last Sunday are still suffering from palpable signs of withdrawal!

The Gurmat Sangeet Darbar was conceived in 2004 during a Boston visit by Harinder Singh of The Sikh Research Institute. After his talk to the Sangat, he and I were sitting, chatting in the empty Darbar Hall, both of us expressing joy at the near renaissance that was starting to become apparent in the world of Gurmat Sangeet. Interestingly, this renaissance seemed to have started not as one might have expected in the cradle of Gurmat Sangeet, but rather in the West, where determined young men and women, often with no musical background were intrepidly picking up stringed instruments, conquering their extreme degree of difficulty and deploying them for accompaniment in Gurmat Sangeet. After almost six to seven decades of neglect and backsliding, it appeared that traditional Gurmat Sangeet was ready for a comeback!

Several individuals deserve mention here. Professor Surinder Singh, of the Raj Academy in London had mounted a successful effort to teach traditional Sikh stringed instruments on a large scale to a huge number of students. After a hiatus of nearly fifty years Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh Ji had embraced the Taus again. Visionaries such as Dr. Gurnam Singh, Chair of Gurmat Sangeet Studies at Punjabi University, were slowly starting to have an impact on the practice of Gurmat Sangeet at institutions such as the Sri Harmandir Sahib, where the odd stringed instrument was starting to make its appearance. Harpreet Kaur, a young Sikh film-maker was in the process of producing a documentary, ‘The Saz of Gurmat Sangeet’ in which she was profiling mostly young men and woman who were living the revival of Gurmat Sangeet.

It was this fecund and exhilarating environment that led us down the path of brainstorming about an annual event that would travel to multiple North American cities, and would focus on young practitioners of Gurmat Sangeet, who were truly the torch bearers of this renaissance.

As we brainstormed further, we decided to add another key element to this program. Even during the darkest years, when pandering to popular taste and the unabashed pursuit of fame and money were insidiously diluting the tradition, there always had been some individuals who had been completely steadfast in their adherence to the Gurmat Sangeet tradition. This annual event would also be a forum for honoring such individuals for their lifetime of Seva to the Panth and Gurmat Sangeet.

The brainstorming resulted in the First Annual Gurmat Sangeet Darbar that was held in Boston in 2005. The first individual honored was S. Harbhajan Singh Ji, son of the legendary Bhai Sahib Samund Singh Ji, arguably one of the finest Ragis of the 20^th Century. S. Harbhajan Singh Ji, all his life had remained steadfast in his attempts to preserve his father’s legacy through the simple mechanism of constantly singing the great traditional compositions that he had learned from him. In addition the occasion was graced by young non professional Kirtaniyas whose enthusiastic contributions were tremendously appreciated by the Sangat. (Recordings from this event can be found here)

The Second Annual Gurmat Sangeet Darbar was held at Chicago. It was similarly an inspiring event during which, Gyani Dyal Singh Ji, arguably the greatest musicologist the Panth has ever produced, was honored. Gyani Dyal Singh Ji, in addition to serving as Principal of the Rakab Ganj Kirtan Vidyalay for almost 40 years, had authored at least 6 books on Gurmat Sangeet and had been instrumental in the musical annotation of hundreds of traditional Gurmat Sangeet compositions, which had been published as the text Gurbani Sangeet, by Gian Singh Ji ‘Abbotabad’ in the 1950s. (An article that talks about this seminal effort can be found here). (Read more about Gyani Dyal Singh Ji here) (Recordings from this event can be found here)

The Third Annual Gurmat Sangeet Darbar was a low key event held at the Millis Gurdwara Sahib in the Boston area in 2007. Attempts to hold the event in Los Angeles or New Jersey didn’t quite work out because of various logistical issues. (Recordings from this event can be found here)

On December 12, 2007 I received a brief email from Harvinder Singh, who I had never heard from before, from Toronto, expressing interest in hosting the 2008 Gurmat Sangeet Darbar in Toronto. Having had some exposure to the richness of the contemporary Gurmat Sangeet experience in Toronto, I jumped at the opportunity and planning for the 2008 Darbar started in earnest. Harvinder Singh’s chief co-conspirator was Gurmit Singh, who is a sevadar in the managing committee at the Mississauga Gurdwara Sahib in the Toronto area.

Gurmit Singh & Harvinder Singh, Conspirators in Chief

The next few months were spent in planning the logistics, picking a theme and contacting the young Kirtaniye, who the program would center around. The other significant question was whether we could find a deserving person from the world of Gurmat Sangeet to honor at the program.

The theme of the 2008 Gurmat Sangeet Darbar was:

jau supnw Aru pyKnw AYsy jg kau jwin ]

ien mY kCu swco nhI nwnk ibnu Bgvwn ]23]

Evanescent, like a dream, know this world to be

All of this is unreal, O Nanak, without Waheguru. ||23||

In addition to featuring young Kirtaniyas, the program was to include:

· Gurmat Sangeet Learn-a-Shabad workshop, in which Kirtaniyas, young and old, would have the opportunity to learn a new Shabad. A range of material from basic shabads to Partaals would be covered according to the needs of each student

· Gurmat Sangeet Appreciation presentation, in which the unique aspects of the Gurmat Sangeet tradition would be discussed

The honoree was an easy decision, over the past few years, on numerous occasions; I have had the opportunity to hear several young Kirtaniye from the Toronto area. The hard work that the young men and women and their teachers had put into their training was clearly evident from the tayyari, from the second they started their Mangla Charans. Whenever I asked these young men and women, who their teacher was, the answer was always ‘Uncle Ji’. Uncle Ji, as it turns out, was Professor Purshottam Singh Ji, who for several decades has quietly and unassumingly been introducing numerous young men and women to the rich traditions of Gurmat Sangeet. Professor Sahib has always eschewed fame and publicity, embodying true Nishkam Seva. Almost to the point of being reclusive. Picking him was easy; getting him to attend was quite another matter, particularly as ‘recognition’ was involved. Fortunately, Dr. Amarjit Singh Ji of Buffalo, who has consistently encouraged our humble efforts by attending several of these events, turned out to be close friend of Professor Sahib’s and was instrumental in making him feel comfortable about the event.

In a flurry of activity in the last month and a half, Dr Amarjit Singh Ji helped pick several shabads consistent with the theme of the program and Professor Sahib proceeded to generate multiple new compositions, which he then taught to 16 of his Jathas, to be presented at the program! The effort put in was enormous and the result was the sublime Kirtan that we had the good fortune to hear in the Gurmat Sangeet Darbar.

Professor Purshottam Singh Ji, speaking after being honored at the Darbar

In addition to having the pleasure of hearing so many students, who have been studying with Professor Sahib, we got a glimpse of his humble and erudite personality, during his very brief but highly impactful remarks, after he was honored.

Professor Purshottam Singh Ji, accompanying Baljit Kaur, one of his very accomplished students

I have had other pleasant experiences related to Gurmat Sangeet at the Mississauga Gurdwara Sahib. I had attended a program here in 2005 in celebration of Basant and had several wonderful memories of my last visit. (Read more here) (Listen to recordings here)

Veer Gursev Singh on the Taus

One of my fondest memories from the program was the extraordinary warmth with which Gursev Singh met me, then a complete stranger. During this visit, it was wonderful to see Gursev Singh, with several other Singhs, thoroughly enjoying himself as he played the Taus, accompanying multiple Kirtaniye during the program.

I am not going to talk a great deal about the wonderful Kirtan; the best way to experience that is to listen to the recordings, which will be up on www.gurmatsangeetproject.com soon. Suffice it so say, listening to the Guru’s bani sung with such spirit, by young Kirtaniyas was truly a memorable experience. I would like to in this blog post, to introduce all of my readers to some of the truly admirable young men and women I had the privilege to meet and interact with.

Dr. Onkar Singh is a well known figure in Gurmat Sangeet circles. Blessed with a mellifluous voice, he is an outstanding exponent of Gurmat Sangeet, having grown up in a musically rich environment, interacting with the likes of Bhai Shamsher Singh Zakhmi Ji and Bhai Dilbagh Singh Ji.

Dr. Onkar Singh, accompanied by Rupinder Singh and Gursev Singh (Taus) and Gurpreet Singh (Tabla)

Gurpreet Singh Chana, also known as ‘The Tabla Guy’ is a very well known percussionist in the Toronto area. Trained on the table by Professor Purshottam Singh JI, he is known for his innovative and imaginative playing.

The Tabla Guy innovates on the Hang, a contemporary Swiss percussion instrument

Lakhpreet Kaur, and her siblings Sirjaut Kaur and Paramveer Singh were featured guests and invitees at the Gurmat Sangeet Darbar. Lakhpreet Kaur, who was featured in the ‘Saz of Gurmat Samgeet’ had picked up the Dilruba and Taus, largely on her own, with encouragement from Bhai Nazar Singh of Milwaukee, who was also responsible for introducing me to Gurmat Sangeet when I was a young man in Milwaukee almost two decades ago.

Paramveer Singh (Rabab), Lakhpreet Kaur (Taus), Sirjaut Kaur (Dilruba), S. Mohan Singh

Rupinder Singh has been a leading figure in the Gurmat Sangeet renaissance in the Toronto area. Making tremendous strides as a Taus player and a vocalist, he has gathered around him a dedicated group of young Kirtaniye totally committed to preserving and propagating the Gurmat Sangeet tradition.

Gursev Singh, Harman Singh, Manraj Singh, Rupinder Singh, Bhavpreet Singh & Jaswinder Singh at the 2008 Gurmat Sangeet Darbar

The Gurmat Sangeet Project Jatha being the youngest featured Jatha in the program, probably worked the hardest, getting Ready for the program. Amrit Kaur and Mehr Kaur have been studying Gurmat Sangeet and singing together for almost seven years now. Jaspreet Singh provides tabla accompaniment and Amandeep plays the Tanpura / Swarmandal. Rupinder Singh and Harman Singh were kind enough to accompany them on Taus during the program.

Rupinder Singh, Mehr Kaur, Amrit Kaur, Jaspreet Singh, Harman Singh, Amandeep Singh

The adventures of the Boston Jatha probably need a whole new blog post ! For now these photographs should suffice :


Everyone including Aziza, the family Lab pitches in	More practice

Amandeep gets his first Taus lesson	Downtime at the Falls

The local (Toronto) Jathas were all very impressive. Guneet Kaur, was probably the most impressive vocalist of all the participants in the Darbar. Her tayyari was absolutely superb. She sang ‘Ghol Gumai Lalna’ beautifully in Raga Tukhari with Jagjit Singh providing stellar accompaniment.

Karanjeet Singh, Bhavpreet Singh, Guneet Kaur, Jagjit Singh

Jagjeet Singh, holder of the Guiness Book Record for percussion

Tabla maestro Jagjit Singh is a student of the late Ustad Alla Rakha Ji’s and is now under the guidance of Ustad Zakir Hussein. Jagjit Singh, who recently set a new world record, playing the tabla continuously for several days ! As humble as he is talented, Jagjit Singh was a wonderful presence at the Darbar. He pro-actively took Jaspreet Singh under his wing and proceeded to teach him some exciting tabla improvisations.

One of the highlights of the Darbar was a Tabla Ensemble under the guidance of Jagjit Singh

It was truly inspiring to see this level of talent and virtuosity. For a moment, one was transported to the Darbar of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, replete as it was with all forms of musical and artistic talent !

I would be remiss, if I did not mention several other young Kirtaniyas, whose presence and enthusiasm was so inspiring.

Karanjeet Singh is an accomplished Sarod and Rabab player; I first had the opportunity to hear him play with Onkar Singh, when we visited Toronto in 2005. He has made tremendous strides as a musician and has been instrumental in establishing a monthly youth oriented Gurmat Sangeet program in Toronto.

Diljot Kaur , Jaspreet Kaur and Simrann Kaur are students of Rupinder Singh’s. Their beautiful rendition of shabds by the Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib in nirdharit ragas, was truly inspiring.

I do not have a lot of information on Gurmeet Singh and Jagjit Singh, who did an outstanding job singing three beatutiful shabads in nirdharit ragas; their tayyari was evident in their very melodious singing.

Jaswinder Singh is a flamboyant and accomplished Tabaliya; he has been accompanying Rupinder Singh and other Kirtaniyas for several years and is also responsible for organizing the monthly darbars.

Harman Singh is an up and coming Taus and Dilruba player. He was kind enough to accompany the Boston Jatha, mastering the fairly difficult material very quickly and providing outstanding accompaniment to several Jathas.

Raviraj Singh, a young kirtaniya is a student of Professor Purshottam Singh Ji’s. During the workshop I encountered him singing a very nice rendition of the short khayal ‘Phaagwaa Brij Dekhan Ki Chalo Ri’, which is one of the seminal Basant compositions from the Hindusatani tradition.

Many excellent young kirtaniyas, who have been studying with Professor Sahib, sang beautiful shabads.

Jora Singh, accompanied by his brother Gagan Singh on Tabla

Manvit Kaur, Pawandip Kaur, accompanied by Professor Sahib

Four Sisters : Gurleen Kaur, Jasleen Kaur,Tanveer Kaur,Gurbans Kaur

Prabhjot Kaur, Devinder Kaur Monique Kaur, Ivpreet Kaur, Pavneet Kaur, Manjot Singh

The Malton Khalsa School jatha sang a beautiful composition in the rababi tradition in Shudh Malhar; the shabad was Har Jas Bolat Sri Ram Nama.

As Harvinder Singh and I were working through the logistics leading up to the 2008 Gurmat Sangeet Darbar, we realized that we had let one important piece fall through the cracks. We had not made arrangements for recording the program though Amritpal Singh of www.gursewa.org had very kindly agreed to webcast the program live. Literally as this occurred to me, I received an email message from. Ajit Singh a young Kirtan premi and audiophile from the Toronto area, offering to shoulder the responsibility for recording the entire program. What serendipity ! Or more appropriately the grace of the Guru. Ajit Singh spent hours and hours at the program, painstakingly recording each kirtaniya, constantly adjusting the mics and striving to produce top quality recordings for the Sangat.

A personal high point of the program for me occurred early on Sunday; fortuitously we ended up with a gap in the program as one of the scheduled Jathas could not make it. That gave me the opportunity to sing a shabad as well; unprepared as I was, I sang a shabad in Basant, which didn’t really align well with the theme of the program. It was a humbling and uplifting experience for me to participate in the program in this manner, and I do not have words to describe the profound joy I experienced, singing in the Guru’s darbar, surrounded by young Kirtaniyas, such as Karanjeet Singh, Rupinder Singh, Gursev Singh, Harman Singh and the Boston Jatha, who are the very embodiment of Chardi Kala !

The 2008 Gurmat Sangeet Darbar was a heady experience indeed. Most likely the Gurmat Sangeet Project will work with all of these inspiring young men and women to commit to an annual event in Toronto. The Gurmat Sangeet Darbar, as originally envisioned will continue to rotate through various North American cities. However, we are all eager to experience the warmth of the Toronto experience over and over again.

In Search of Almast

2007-05-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

In Search of ‘Almast’

London, Feb 22 , 2007
(Completed on May 15, 2007)

Of late, the Gurmat Sangeet Blog has been somewhat dormant. Much more so because of inertia rather than a dearth of ideas or topics! Somewhat paradoxically, as I travel less, I have been writing less often, whereas one would think that I should actually have more time to write!

In any event, I find myself on the road again, with many hours until my next flight at Heathrow. The familiar urge resurfaces and I open up my laptop…..

Over the years, I have caught fleeting glimpses of an apparently brilliant, but relatively unknown figure in the world of Gurmat Sangeet. His name is Gian Singh ‘Almast’. The name itself is intriguing! It hints at an irreverent, radical intoxication. Rebellion. Immersion. Gian Singh ‘Almast’’s personality however, remains tantalizingly obscure. He surfaces briefly when old school Kirtaniyas get together and reminisce about a bygone era, but by and large he remains very elusive!

During an intimate, sparsely attended Friday evening Diwan at the Milford Gurdwara Sahib in 2003, Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shant is singing. The Shabad is ‘Pati Tore Malini’. The Bandish, or melody, is not the well known composition in Raga Kafi, popularized by the late Bhai Bakshish Singh Ji, which Gurmeet Siingh Shant is known to sing. It is a dazzling, fluid, enrapturing melody in Raga Kalavati that I have never heard before.

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmitSinghShant9/pati%20tore%20malini.MP3

During langar, I find myself asking Gurmeet Singh Shant about the beautiful composition. He tells me that it was a composition by Almast Ji. An outline begins to emerge! I ask Gurmeet Singh Shant to sing more compositions by Almast. In subsequent Diwans, Gurmeet Singh Shant obliges. Every composition is more beautiful than the previous one. The outline now has more definition and the essence of Gian Singh Almast’s art and the sheer magnitude of his talent slowly starts to become apparent.

I go back home and frantically search through my archive of recordings by Gurmeet Singh Shant, recorded during many meetings over the years. I discover many other gems that for sure, reflect the musical genius of Almast Ji.

Saturday morning in Milford. The Sangat is slowly trickling in to attend a lecture-demonstration by the very talented Sikh musician, Baldeep Singh. As we wait, Baldeep Singh plays a recording of a Shabad, sung in Darbari Kanada. The depth and emotion in the singing is astounding. To my ears, it is as beautiful as listening to Khansahib Abdul Wahid Khan, or the more contemporary Ulhas Kashalkar, sing Darbari. I am enraptured. I ask Baldeep Singh about the singer and learn that it is none other than S. Thakar Singh, the reclusive, mysterious son of Gian Singh Almast !

Raja Mrigendra Singh, scion of the house of Patiala is visiting Boston. He has just delivered a lecture during Baisakhi celebrations at the Millis Gurdwara; we are in my home, chatting about various aspects of Gurmat Sangeet, particularly Sikh musicians and Kirtaniyas. Raja Mrigendra Singh fondly speaks of the legendary Gajjja Singh Ji and his research into Gurmat Sangeet. When I ask about Almast, I am in for a bit of a shock. He is dismissed as inconsequential, an eccentric and quirky musician. I am puzzled, because this doesn’t at all square with the portrait of Almast that is starting to emerge. A few years later, when I sit down with Gyani Dyal Singh Ji to talk about Almast, I finally understand.

August 2004. The Sikh Youth Symposium has come to Boston. Among the many visitors is a family from Atlanta, very involved with Kirtan. Even with all the distractions that come with organizing the event, I vividly remember their teenage daughter singing some beautiful shabads and their son being very adept on the tabla.

In August 2005, we visit Atlanta for the finals of the Symposium. It is banquet night. The family is on stage. S. Paramjit Singh Sarin plays the Sitar, his daughter Soni Kaur, plays the Dilruuba, Gurpreet Singh excels on the tabla and all of them including Archana Kaur sing. I wonder if my ears are deceiving me. The composition, a Guldasta or Ragmala sounds very familiar. It is indeed by Gian Singh Almast !

(Here is the same Guldasta sung by Bhai Gurmit Singh Shant : :)

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmitSinghShant4/gurmeet%20singh%20shant%20-%20Bhairav%20gave.mp3

The Sarin family at the 2005 Sikh Youth Symposium in Atlanta

We congratulate S. Paramjit Singh and his family after the fine performance. We are told about the speed with which Soni Kaur has picked up the Dilruba, literally in a matter of months, which I treat at first as parental pride asserting itself ! The next day, the Sarins graciously host us. We sit together and share our passion about Gurmat Sangeet. We sing and share precious old compositions. We learn more about each other’s families and their interest in Gurmat Sangeet. During the conversation, I discover the secret of Soni Kaur’s almost magical progress on the Dilruba. Gian Singh Almast’s blood runs through her veins! The speed which she picked up the Dilruba is no surprise at all ! Her mother, Archana Kaur is the granddaughter of Gian Singh Almast!

Soni Kaur on the Dilruba; Atlanta 2005

It is 2006. Gyani Dyal Singh Ji is visiting with us in Boston. The Gurmat Sangeet Heritage Recordings project is in full swing. Bhai Kanwarpal Singh and his Jatha are also present to support and assist Gyani Ji. We spend many many hours, documenting Gurmat Sangeet compositions and gratefully drinking at the fountain of wealth of Gurmat Sangeet lore, that Gyani Ji is!

I finally strike gold in my quest for Gian Singh Almast. Gyani Ji is a contemporary of Gian Singh Almast’s son, S. Thakur Singh and has known Gian Singh well, as a young man. In his inimitable style, Gyani Ji holds forth talking freely and colorfully about the musical phenomenon that was Gian Singh Almast. Sometimes so colorfully that his words cannot be reproduced here!

The picture that emerges is of an unconventional, iconoclastic musical genius, with a penchant for showmanship and confidence in his musical prowess, almost bordering on arrogance. A larger than life personality with many appetites and the boldness to fully indulge in them. A composer, singer, instrumentalist and musician of incredible talent, the likes of whom has probably never been seen again in the Sikh Panth. A genius who lived life to the fullest and left the world, largely unsung.

His legacy, however, continues to live on. In his compositions, that are sung so beautifully by Gurmeet Singh Shant and Devinder Singh Shant. In the highly talented musicians among his descendants.

I cannot resist recounting a quick anecdote shared by Gyani Ji. The time: around 50 years ago. The young Dyal Singh is a Dilruba player at Sri Harmandir Sahib. He accompanies Bhai Samund Singh Ji and other legendary exponents of Gurmat Sangeet. It is evening. He sits in his room, lost in Riyaz, playing his Dilruba. His concentration is broken by a shadow that falls across his doorstep. He looks up. Sees the tall, imposing figure of an impossibly handsome man. Dressed rather dramatically in a long black, heavily embroidered Choga or cloak. Big Pagri on his head with a very elaborate fan or Turla. He stands in the doorway and listens to the young musician playing. The sound of a ‘Wah’ escapes his lips. It is none other than Gian Singh Almast! Later as he sits with Gyani Ji and they talk, he says: “Main kadey kisse @#&^%^&* nu vee Wah nahin kehnda !”

It is the last day of Gyani Dyal Singh Ji’s visit to Boston. We are in the middle of an impromptu, informal Kirtan Diwan at my home in Hopkinton. Gyani Ji has started by singing a mesmerizing Shabad in Shivranjani. Shivranjani is one of my least favorite Ragas, largely as a result of the abuse meted out to it in Hindi Film music, and popular music sung under the guise of Kirtan! But Gyaniji’s rendition in Shivranjani is truly beautiful.

For years, Gyani Ji has been threatening to sing a Thumri composed by S. Joginder Singh, the teacher of Gian Singh Almast. Today he is in his element. His eyes are twinkling as he finally gets ready to deliver.

The Thumri is breathtaking! It is a composition by S. Joginder Singh Ji in Veer Ras in praise of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. “Danka Ki Dhamak Sunn” It is in Raga Hindol, set to Soolfak, if memory serves me correctly. The cadence of the composition is amazing. It can only be appreciated by listening to it. Every musician I have played it for, since, has been completely enraptured.

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/heritage/thumris/danka%20ki%20dhamak%20sun.mp3

Gyani Dyal Singh Ji, Hopkinton 2006

There is more to come. Gyani Ji goes on to sing “Dhoom Pari Jagat Me Tumri”. Another Thumri in Raga Nayki Kanada, also in praise of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. The words and the composition are by Gian Singh Almast.

Here at last..... is the ephemeral essence of the genius of Almast........

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/heritage/thumris/dhoom%20pari%20jag%20me%20tumri.mp3

Our Own Bhatkhande

2007-05-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

Paris, October 9, 2006

(Completed 5/17/07)

Our own Bhatkhande

As the frequency of my travels has diminished, so have my blog entries. Being trapped in a plane for many hours has certainly resulted in some upside for me! Finding myself with forced leisure once again, I open my laptop and start writing down, thoughts that have been swirling in my head for several weeks.

The very first entry in the Gurmat Sangeet Blog was about Gyani Dyal Singh Ji; regular readers do not really need an introduction! The catalyst for my thoughts, prompting me to write about Gyani Ji again was a diatribe, whose author shall stay nameless, in reaction to the announcement of the Second Annual Gurmat Sangeet Durbar in Chicago in August, in which Gyani Ji featured as the honoree.

Who is this Gyani Dyal Singh, my nameless friend wanted to know. And why is he worthy of recognition? What has he done in the field of Gurmat Sangeet, whose very existence the nameless one questioned as a Sangeet Shayli in its own right !

My first reaction was mild anger, which gave way to amusement. This is not a riposte to the angry and mean-spirited utterings, rooted no doubt in a deep seated lack of self esteem, which were very hurtful to those of us whose lives have been profoundly enriched by the Guru's Sangeet. The purpose is much more to share with the Sangat at large, a sense, albeit fleeting, of the personality and essence of Gyani Dyal Singh Ji. Over the past year or so, I have had the good fortune to spend a lot of time with Gyani Ji, record him extensively and enjoy his never ending reminisces about the titans of Gurmat Sangeet of the last century, who he rubbed shoulders with and observed very closely.

Through hours of conversations with GyaniJi, I have come to experience the aura of Gian Singh Ji Abbotabad, Bhai Samund Singh Ji, Bhai Taba Ji, Bhai Lal Ji, Bhai Chand Ji, Sardar Bahadur Dharam Singh Ji, Gian Singh Ji ' Almast', Bhai Dharm Singh Zakhmi Ji and countless others, who to me, before I met Gyani Ji were just names. Names, sometimes on book covers, or scribbled on the jackets of scratchy tapes, or mentioned fleetingly in conversations about an era long gone! I write this article, primarily to share this precious gift that I have received from Gyani Ji; a gift that rightfully belongs to every Gurmat Sangeet Premi !

Gyani Dyal Singh Ji was probably a very unlikely candidate to take on the mantle of the leading musicologist in the Sikh Panth ! He belonged to a family of farmers and Zamindars in the predominantly Hindi speaking area around Hapur in UP. He had not inherited any connection to the Guru's Sangeet from his family. As a child however, he saw the respect that the few Sikh Pracharaks who could be found in that part of India, received. That prompted him to leave home in search of his destiny.

Sardar Bahadur Dharam Singh Ji, was a prominent Sikh businessman in Delhi. He made his fortune in the construction business and was involved in building much of the government infrastructure in Imperial Delhi under the British. He was also a visionary and truly committed to Seva and Parchar. Recognizing that need for Parchar and the sharp lack of qualified Parcharaks in the Hindi belt, where Sikhs had settled for more than a hundred years and had a significant presence, he formed the Guru Nanak Vidya Bhandar Trust and established the Rakab Ganj Kirtann Vidyalay.

In service at the Vidyalay was Gyani Hardit Singh Ji, a student of Pandit Nathu Ram Ji's. The young Dyal Singh sought out Gyani Hardit Singh Ji as his teacher and spent many years with his Ustad learning the nuances of Raga, Tala and Stringed Instruments.

Gyani Ji even today, is in awe of Sardar Bahadur Dharam Singh Ji's vision as well as his commitment to Seva. He recounts several incidents witnessed by him or his Ustad Gyani Hardit Singh Ji, which are worth recounting. Khalsa Colleges were sprouting in the Punjab. A charter had been established and enlightened Sikhs all over were attempting to set up educational institutions. One such group of Sikhs from the North West Frontier Provinces paid a visit to Sardar Dharam Singh Ji. They needed a lakh of rupees (1,00,000) to get a college going; they had a vision, much enthusiasm but no funds. A lakh was an astronomical sum of money in those days ! Upon receiving the delegation and hearing of their plans, on the spot Sardar Dharam Singh Ji instructed his munshi to turn over a payment he had just received of seventy thousand rupees as funding for the college !

Generous as he was in his support of Panthic causes, Sardar Dharam Singh Ji believed in a very frugal existence. Gyani Ji recounts another very interesting anecdote. Another delegation of visitors came to meet Sardar Sahib to seek funds for a Panthic Project. Sardar Sahib's servant was asked to make tea for the visitors, upon which he declared that the kitchen was out of sugar, prompting a rebuke from Sardar Sahib ! The delegation, seeing this domestic quibbling on the consumption of sugar, got up to leave. When Sardar Sahib pushed them on their reason for wanting to leave, even without stating their purpose, somewhat reluctantly the petitioners told him that they were seeking money, but upon seeing him upbraid his servant on the trifling matter of how much sugar was being consumed, felt that they had come to the wrong place. Sardar Sahib gave them the funds they were seeking and remarked - "If I or my family spend money in a wasteful manner, how will we fund Panthic projects ?" Such was the nature of Sardar Bahadur Dharam Singh Ji, whose vision resulted in the establishment of the Rakab Ganj Kirtan Vidyalay, which has produced and continues to produce some of the best Ragis in the Panth !

After his studies with Gyani Hardit Singh Ji were complete, Gyani Dyal Singh Ji sought employment at the Sri Harmanndir Sahib as a Dilruba player. He accompanied many Ragis such as Bhai Sahib Samund Singh Ji, one of the pre-eminent Ragis of the last century.

There is nobody that Gyani Dyal Singh Ji remembers with greater fondess than Bhai Samund Singh Ji. He speaks often of Bhai Samund Singh Ji's virtuosity, his vast repertoire and his luminous personality. Gyani Ji, a harsh critic of anyone who preaches Sikhi, but does not practice it, remembers Bhai Samund Singh as a man of principle. Jiwan Vale !

He recounts an incident that occurred during a Kirtan Durbar at Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Delhi. It was an evening Diwan. Bhai Samund Singh Ji had just finished singing the shabad Jai Jai Jag Karan Srist Ubaran Mam prit paran Jai Tegang, set to a magnificent bandish in Raga Malkauns in Iktaal. (Incidentally this Shabad was recorded as part of the Heritage Recordings project and will be made available on the Gurmat Sangeet Project website). Right in the Diwan, one of the Prabhandaks stood up before the enraptured Sangat and announced that Bhai Sahib Samund Singh Ji was to be offered employment at Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Even as the roar of the Jakara was subsiding, Bhai Samund Singh Ji was asked to announce his acceptance, at which Bhai Sahib, with folded hands requested some time to consider the offer.

Later after hearing that Bhai Sahib had turned down the offer, Gyani Ji went up to him and asked him why he had turned down such a prestigious appointment, which would have only benefited the Sangat of Delhi. Bhai Samund Ji’s reply was perceptive, and unfortunately almost oracular. “Bhai Dyal Singh” he said. “The world has changed. When I was in service at Nankana Sahib, I was empowered. Given respect and authority. I was responsible for arranging Diwans; determining who would sing and when. I worked with the support of dedicated and enlightened Gurdwara Management. I see dark days ahead when our institutions are run by politicians, whose interest is not Dharam Parchar or Seva, but personal aggrandization. It will be impossible for me to serve in such an environment. After leaving Nankana Sahib, I have resolved never to serve under a Management Committee.

Gyani Ji served the Panth with distinction and dedication for almost forty years as the Principal of the Rakab Ganj Kirtan Vidyalay. He was appointed to this position in 1967 upon the passing away of Gyani Hardit Singh, after the unanimous nomination of his peers, fellow students of Gyani Hardit Singh. He spent a lifetime at the institution, living frugally, teaching the principles of Gurmat and Gurmat Sangeet to mostly very poor children from the Saharanpur/Dehradun area. Most children would spend 4-5 years at the Vidyalay in a rigorous program under Gyaniji’s watchful eye. The result was the enrichment of the Panth through outstanding Kirtaniyas, rooted in the Gurmat Sangeet Tradition such as Bhai Surjit Singh, Bhai Kanwarpal Singh, Bhai Parkash Singh and numerous others. In addition he served as a lifelong mentor to several of his peers such as Bhai Chattar Singh, facilitating their continued progress in the world of Gurmat Sangeet.

The wealth of anecdotal, oral history of Gurmat Sangeet that I obtained from Gyaniji is too vast to be documented in its entirety in this short article. I did record my conversations with Gyaniji as well, which someday will be posted on the GurmatSangeetProject website. (Albeit after significant editing, to purge the conversations of some of Gyaniji’s colorful language, which at times can make a Punjabi truck driver blush)

The title of this article refers to Pandit Vishnu Narain Bhatkhande, a scholar and musicologist, who was instrumental in helping Hindustani Classical Music emerge from the closed world of the courts of Kings and the havelis of Jagirdars, into the mainstream, making it accessible to the masses. Bhatkande rendered a huge service to Hindustani Classical Music by creating a script for the notation of musical compositions, from a tradition that had largely been oral and jealously guarded to boot ! Bhatkhande spent many years, single mindedly pursuing Gharanedar musicians, who had in their possession, age old compositions passed down to them by their ancestors. Coaxing, cajoling, often bribing, Pandit Bhatkhande collected a vast repertoire of compositions that he learned, and then recorded in a series of volumes on musicology that he published. In the world of Hindustani Classical Music, Pandit Bhatkhande is truly a colossus !

Gyani Dyal Singh Ji, in the world of Gurmat Sangeet, occupies a position very similar to Pandit Bhatkhande’s in Hindustani Classical Music !

Another historical figure that Gyani Ji remembers with near reverence is the redoubtable Gian Singh Abbotabad. Gian Singh Ji came from a prominent family in modern day Pakistan. From an early age he had a deep interest in Gurmat Sangeet, pursuing every opportunity to learn old compositions from the various Kirtaniyas he encountered. After Partition, he moved to Delhi where he established an extremely successful Arms & Ammunition business, while continuing to indulge in his passion for Gurmat Sangeet. Gyaniji speaks of Gian Singh Ji as a one of a kind visionary, whose personality combined tremendous intellectual ability, generosity and practicality.

Gian Singh Ji had the vision to realize that traditional Gurmat Sangeet had started to decline and that the vast repertoire of Gurmat Sangeet compositions he had acquired over the years was a Panthic treasure that was now critical to preserve. However, he was no theoretician or musicologist ! Gyani Dyal Singh, who was a young Dilruba player at the Sri Harmandir Sahib at that time was recommended to Gian Singh Ji as someone with the musicological expertise to help facilitate his task. He was employed by Gian Singh Ji and asked to come to Delhi to begin the task of preserving old Gurmat Sangeet compositions.

Recognizing the richness of the Rababi tradition within Gurmat Sangeet, Gian Singh Ji thought it judicious to document its compositions as well. However, after Partition all of the famous Rababis such as Bhai Chand, Bhi Lal, Bhai Taba and others had migrated to Pakistan. Bhai Taba Ji, a member of Bhai Chand’s Jatha and one of the finest musicians in the Rababi tradition was invited to return to Delhi. Bhai Taba made several trips to Delhi from Lahore, often staying three months at a time, working with the young Dyal Singh to document his repertoire. This was a legendary collaboration that resulted in hundreds of Rababi compositions being incorporated into Gurbani Sangeet, that work that was created by Gian Singh Ji and his team.

Gyani Dyal Singh Ji expresses tremendous love and respect for Bhai Taba Ji, who according to him was a musical genius. He recounts several instances, when Bhai Taba Ji would sing a certain composition, which to Dyal Singh’s trained ears would not be true to the Raga it was being sung in. It has to be remembered that the Rababis were extraordinary musicians, but were in no way musicologists or theoriticians. All of their learning was in the oral tradition, where the master teaches the student by singing compositions and asking him to reproduce its nuances, eventually taking the training wheels off and encouraging the student to improvise. Thus several subtle errors had crept into the versions of the compositions Bhai Taba Ji had learned. Gyani Ji, recounts with astonishment, how Bhai Taba could effortlessly render a new variant of a composition, instantaneously, with a note added, or dropped or modified from Shudh (pure) to Komal (flat), upon receiving Gyani Ji’s feedback !

According to Gyani Ji, Bhai Taba Ji did all the musical heavy lifting in the well known Bhai Chand’s Jatha. While Bhai Chand was a good Kirtaniya, he did not possess Bhai Taba Ji’s musical genius. His unique talent was his astonishing command over Gurbani and his ability to deliver very well thought out Parmans while singing shabads. That according to Gyani Ji was the real reason for his immense popularity. Gyani Ji believes that Bhai Chand was the originator of the practice of singing excerpts from another shabad, relevant to the theme of the shabad being sung, as Parmaans.

All this talk of the Rababis and their talent, primpted me to ask GyaniJi a question that I had often pondered in the past. The Rababis, were Mulsims, and kept their Muslim identity. However, they sang, beautifully and movingly at Sri Harmandir Sahib. Was the singing of Gurbani merely their profession ? Or did they bear deep, abiding love for the Guru in their hearts ? The true, complete answer to this question probably died, along with the old school Rababis. Gyani Ji’s view on this question was, a little saddening. According to him, Bhai Lal, the cream of the crop of the Rababis of his day, after singing Gurbani, would quietly rinse his mouth, to cleanse it, having sung the unclean verses of the infidels. Depressing for sure ! Perhaps it was just a quirk of one Rababi’s personality!

The time I spent with Gyani Ji was truly enriching. The very personal, anecdotal view he provided into the world of Gurmat Sangeet and the hearts and minds of his contemporaries is a rare treasure. May Waheguru bless him with a long life and Chardi Kala! May he continue to regale lovers of Gurmat Sangeet with his rich reminiscences. May Waheguru send forth more like him, who will keep the flame of this wonderful tradition burning bright forever.

Veerji

2006-05-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hopkinton, MA
May 10, 2006

Everybody who knows him, apprently calls him Virji. I have never met him, but I do know him.

It was probably 1989, or maybe early 1990. I had finished grad school and had moved to Milwaukee from New York. I was fortunate to find in Milwaukee, a few individuals who had a profound impact on my life. One of them was Bhai Sahib Nazar Singh Ji, who initiated me into the joys of the Guru's Sangeet.

But this article is not about Bhai Sahib. I will write about another time.

This article is about Veerji, who I was introduced to by my good friend Dr. Ravinderjit Singh, who now lives in Rochester, MN. The introduction was through a scratchy 90 minute cassette. The recording quality was quite poor. There were pops, clicks and a persistent hiss. And that indescribable sound of an ancient cassette recorder stopping and starting, which had insinuated itself into the recording. Numerous times.

But the kirtan. There was something special in it. It was clearly brimming with love for the Guru.

In my personal experience, there is a quality associated with Kirtan that completely transcends virtuosity, training, voice and preparedness. This quality is really hard to describe; it can only be felt. Those of you who are Kirtaniyas will know exactly what I am talking about !

You sing the same shabad. Over and over again. On may different occasions. Maybe one time, out of a hundred, if you are lucky, you achieve it. Again, it has nothing to do with your voice, your proficiency in Raag, or lack thereof. It has everything to do with Gur Parsad. On that rare occasion, you feel a conenction to the Guru. Your voice drips with Amrit Ras. The Sangat feels it. You do for sure ! It is different.

It is this evanescent, ephemeral connection that every Kirtaniya seeks. The bliss that results when it is achieved is beyond description.

It is this connection that I discerned in Veerji's Kirtan when I first heard it. I suspect that the fact that I can find this connection rarely, if ever, speaks to my inadequacies as a human being and a Sikh. Listening to Veerji, takes me halfway there at least !

I was so enamored of his singing when I frist heard him. I could listen to nothing else. The scratchy tape became scratchier. I starting pestering Ravinderjit Singh and didn't stop until he convinced a friend to part with his entire collection of shabads by Virji, recorded painstakingly over the years.

I remembering excitedly sharing copies with anyone who remotely cared about music. The cognoscenti of the Milwaukee Hindustani Classical scene, who I was starting to hang out with. A dear friend who was similarly immersed in Gurnmat Sangeet and very knowledgeable. The feedback was mixed, but I didn't care. My erudite firend dismissed the recordings as being sung based on 'old film songs'. I didn't care. The connection was what mattered to me.

Several years later, I wrote to Veerji. Told him how profoundly his singing of the Gurus' Bani had impacted me. I asked him if he would ever consider visiting the US. I got a reply from him. It was clearly the work of a mystic. More than a letter. Beautiful prose that read like poetry, which I read haltingly and cherished.

Snippets of information. His name is Prem Singh. Veerji is not a professional kirtaniya. He is actually an entrepreneur in Amritsar, who apparently doesn't pay much attention to his business. Singing the Guru's Bani. Teachig children. Disappearing for weeks on end, to be found, connected to the Guru in some remote oasis.

I ran into S. Mohinder Singh 'Thumri', a Sikh musician from Amritsar at Bridgewater, NJ. After I heard him sing a beautiful shabad in Raga Bihagda, I remarked that I had a similar shabad sung by Veerji. Mohinder Singh Ji acknowledged him as a student.

Over the years, I have had no further contact with Veerji. I have been to Amritsar numerous times, but somehow never met him.

His beautiful Kirtan, which I am digitizing that this very moment, has stayed with me. It will be up on the Gurmat Sangeet Project website at :

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Pages/PremSingh.asp

After all these years, as my journey into Gurmat Sangeet continues, I return to Veerji's Kirtan. Often.

Partucularly when my heart is heavy.

It never fails to work its magic. Everything else ceases to matter. I am connected to the Guru again.

Thank you Veerji !

A gem discovered

2005-09-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Gobind Sadan, Delhi
July 2005

(Note : I started writing this article in September 2005, but it was completed and published on February 28, 2006)

A warm summer morning in Delhi. The rains are here and Delhi is a giant muddy puddle. After driving for what feels likes hours, I am finally there. We've passed through run down shanty towns. As well as rows upon rows of spotless 'farm houses', gated and somehow intimidating.

Over the years, as my interest in Gurmat Sangeet grows, I inevitably talkto many kirtaniyas and kirtan premis about the great Rababi tradiiton, which is all but dead today. Many wistfully reminisce of the legendary Bhai Lal, and the redoubtable Bhai Chand and Bhai Taba who sang for years at the Harmandir Sahib, before 1947.

Bhai Taba Ji's presence looms large. An outstanding musician. A veritbale repository of traditional Gurmat Sangeet composition. A lovely, humble man. Dedicated.

Young Nampreet Singh, a Kirtaniya from Toronto first tells me about a possible living link to the Rababi tradition. A frail old woman. Once a student of the legendary Bhai Taba Ji. Her name : Bibi Jaswant Kaur. Last known whereabouts ? Nobody seems to know.

Baldeep Singh, the Sikh musician, visits Boston. In a casual conversation he speaks warmly about an old woman, a student of Bhai Taba Ji, who he often visits. Bibi Jaswant Kaur is found !

Tentatively, I send an email to Gobind Sadan and I get a response. I call, and am directed to a neighbor's house, who is kind enough to fetch Bibi Ji. Somewhat tentatively, I ask her if she would be willing to meet me. To my delight she agrees. Emboldened, I ask if she will consider letting me record her. She is willing, but she doesn't really have an accompanist on the Tabla.

It is thus I find myself at Gobind Sadan this muggy monsoon morning. Bhai Kavinder Singh, a student of Gyani Dyal Singh Ji's, who plays the tabla with Bhai Jitender Singh has been drafted. He has been asked to polish his skills, particularly at the lesser known Dhrupad Taals that a student of the great Bhai Taba Ji is likely to play.

Bhai Kavinder Singh hasn't arrived yet. I am clearly expected. A kindly old Gursikh, popularly known as Bhagat Ji at Gobind Sadan, who has been waiting for me, directs me to Bibi Ji's apartment.

Bibi Jaswant Kaur Ji

She is the youngest 85 year old I have ever met. She welcomes me with genuine warmth. Slices fruits for Bhagat Ji and me despite my protests.

The next couple of hours are a delight. She remembers everything. Her sixteen years as a student of Bhai Taba Ji in Amritsar. As a seven year old, she remembers listening in as her aunt is taught by the legendary Dilip Chand Vedi Ji. Her father's surprise at her being able to perfectly render a Thumri she hears her aunt sing. Her first lessons in Gurmat Sangit with the Bhai Sahib from the local gurdwara. Her father nurtures her talent by moving to Amritsar after retirement. Engages the services of Bhai Taba Ji to teach his young daughter. Bhai Taba Ji visits their house every day to teach her. His is accompanied by Bhai Nasira Ji, who plays the Jori and specializes in playing Sath (dhrupad bols that in modern times are played on the Pakhawaj)

She talks about Bhai Taba Ji. His humility. Father of nine daughters. Constantly worrying about getting them married. The devastating effects of Partition in 1947, when Bhai Taba Ji, Bhai Nasira Ji, Bhai Chand Ji move to Pakistan. Travellers bring back poignant tales of the Muslim Rababis, once revered keepers of the Gurmat Sangit Tradition, now without an audience or patrons in Pakistan. Their art withering and dying. Heart wrenching portraits of neglect, tears and despair. Driven to desperation. Devoid of any skills other than the singing of Gurbani. Some become quacks and make their living applying leeches to the ill. Others earn their living by beating silver into thin layers of foil for the confectioners of Lahore.

She remembers two and a half hour Kirtan Chowkis that Bhai Chand Bhai Taba participate in. To my surprise I learn that there is no accompaiment by stringed instruments. Both Rababis accompany themselves on harmonimums. They do not use Tanpuras.

She talks about her life at Gobind Sadan. She has been here for thirtyfive years, after the death of her husband, singing for half an hour each morning and another half hour each evening. For the last twenty, Bhagat Ji has accompanied her faithfully every day.

Bhai Kavinder Singh is here at last. I have asked Bibi Ji to sing some compositions in particular, that are transcribed in Gian Singh Abbotabad Ji's books on Gurbani Kirtan.

The next fortyfive minutes I am transported to another era. Shabad after beautiful shabad in the traditional Rabai style, each rendered with joy and love, by this amazing eighty five year old Kirtaniya. A direct link to our hertitage. To the divine message of Baba Nanak and the glorious music of Bhai Mardana.

The renditions speak orders of magnitude more eloquently than my words :

(Har jan bolat sri ram nama; Raga Shudh Malhar)
(Jal jasi dhola hath na lai kasumbde; Raga Suhi)
(Maha maha mumarkhi chadiya sadaa basant; Raga Basant-Marwa ang)
(Man re jap ram nam gopal; Raga Darbari Kanada)

Bibi Jaswant Kaur Ji, Bhai Kavinder Singh and Bhagat Ji

Bibi Ji is kind enought to give me some more of her recordings; they are all available at the Gurmat Sangeet Project Bibi Jaswant Kaur Page

Its time to leave. She is tired. I would love to do something for her. Anything. But she is content. She lacks nothing. Wants nothing. She is happy. She is the guardian of a great, priceless treasure. Each day of her rich life, she shares it. Selfelessly. Joyously. Humbly.

Thank you Rashid Khan !

2005-08-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

Gangtok
July 4, 2005

Monsoon in the Eastern Himalayas. Everything is lush green. The rain comes down incessantly. For two days, in vain, I have yearned for a glimpse of Kanchenjunga. The weather gods are kind today. It is 6 a.m. Wonder of wonders ! A patch of blue sky ! I leave the house in a hurry. This is probably one of the few opportunities to go for a walk that I will get on this trip !

I make my way to 'The Ridge', a flat and scenic walk that winds around the Palace of the Chogyal, the former ruler of Sikkim, the Royal Monastery and the enigmatically named 'Whitehall' where I remember watching badminton tournaments many years ago as a child.

As I walk, breathing in the washed, crisp mountain air, savoring a few glimpses of some of the peaks of Kanchenjunga and the many many tall mountains all around me, my ears are filled with the majestic strains of Raga Bhairav. No ordinary Bhairav this ! The Badhat of the Raga is slow and measured. Impeccable. The aesthetics are sublime.

Rashid Khan is singing Bhairav. I carry Rashid Khan wherever I go. I have heard him in Oslo. He has given me much joy in Bangalore and in Cape Town and in Shanghai. The half a dozen recordings by him that I always have in my MP3 player are no less precious than my Tanpura recording that is a must for Riyaz on the Road :-)

So, you ask me dear reader, what on earth is Rashid Khan doing in a blog post on Gurmat Sangeet ?

I love all the Ragas in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, but Bhairav has a special place in my heart. If you remember, in a recent post, I talked about my feeble attempts at singing in Bhai Avtar Singh Ji's presence; the Raga I picked was Bhairav ! Later Bhai Sahib provided a lot of encouragement and gave me a pat on the back for my use of the Ga and the Ni as grace notes (Kann Swar). I was quite bewildered ! The few subtelties I am aware of while singing, such as how to sing the Dha in Bhupali and the Ri in Sarang, I have learned from my Ustad, Warren Senders. He has never taught me Bhairav ! So where on earth did the ever-so-appropriate grace notes come from ? I certainly had no clue that I was even employing them !

Then it struck me ! Rashid Khan ! Of course !

Song of Shiva. That is the title of the CD by Rashid Khan that contains the sublime Bhairav that I am enjoying so much today. I have heard it so many times in the past few years that the poor CD has died a premature death ! Overuse, abandonment in my truck, multiple scratches through accidental proximity to a large hammer that we use to knock cricket stumps into the ground!! Over and over again, Rashid Khan's elegant rendition has permeated my very soul, to the point that I am able to reproduce some of the nuances of Raga Bhairav when I sing !

Isn't it wonderful ? Does he not deserve to be thanked ?

My interest in Gurmat Sangeet is only about 15 years old. It was trigered by two recordings I heard as a young man in Milwaukee. The Bilaval Partaal that I referred to in my last post, by Bhai Avtar Siingh Ji and Bhai Gurcharan Singh Ji. And a recording of a Kirtan Darbar at Bangla Sahib in which the redoubtable Singh Bandhu, Surinder Singh Ji and Tejpal Singh Ji rendered several shabads in Basant, Bahar and other Ragas.

In parallel, I began to develop an interest in Hindustani Classical music which has served me ver well in my journey into Gurmat Sangeet as well. I discovered Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Ji right around the same time that I discovered Bhai Avtar Singh Ji and the Singh Bandhu. Bhai Shamsher Singh Ji Zakhmi and Mallikarjun Mansoor stormed into my life roughly at the same tinme. As did Bade Ghulam A li Khan Sahib and perhaps most importantly Amir Khan Sahib whose stately, majestic renditions of Marwa, Megh, Malkauns and Todi are without parallel.

Of the contemporary musicians in the world of Hindustani Music, I have enjoyed listening to Rashid Khan, Ulhas Kashalkar, Veena Sahasrabudhe and Prabha Atre the most. Of the really young musicians, I have greatly enjoyed live performances by Shounak Abhisekhi and Kaushiki Chakraborty, who I had the pleasere of hearing in Chennai and Jalandhar at Harballabh, respectively.

My interest in Hindustani Classical music has greatly enhanced my appreciation of Gurmat Sangeet, which of course is also Raga based.

It begins to drizzle. I make my way back home, trying to outrun the inevitable downpour that will follow.

Hopefully I will be back tomorrow. Perhaps I will listen to Begum Parveen Sultana singing Gujri. Maybe some day,I will have occasion to thank her as well !

A full circle; musings on an extraordinay kirtaniya

2005-07-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

Frankfurt
June 28, 2005

My eyes are closed. I’m pretty sure I’m smiling. The room is awash in the rich strains of the Taus. Tuesday June 14 2005; our home in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The crisp sound of the Jori bounces off the walls as the melody, a timeless bandish in Raga Bilaval, prances about, seamlessly morphing from one Taal into the next. Powerful voices. Now raspy. Now tender. Crafted and polished over twelve generations of dedication. Total Bliss !

Am I dreaming ?

Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh Ji and his Jatha, at our home in Hopkinton MA, June 13 2005

‘Mohan neend na aaveh, haaveh. Har Kajar bastr abharan Keeney. Udini. Udini. Udini. Kab ghar aaveh ri.’

1990. A small apartment in Waukesha, a nameless suburb of Mulwaukee in Wisconsin. A tape has arrived in the mail from Austin Texas. It is a high quality TDK cassette in a sleek black plastic case. I pop it into my cassette deck.

No Taus. But the same Shabad. The same beautiful, soulful melody. This is the first time that I am experiencing the true Gurmat Sangeet tradition, because the kindness of a new friend from Austin Texas, who fifteen years ago, probably had the same emotions running through his heart when he recorded this shabad, in his home, sung by Bhai Avtar Singh Ji.

This is how my personal journey into Gurmat Sangeet began. Today it’s come a full circle, in a way ! As Bhai Avtar teases the first few notes out of his Taus, my ears prick up ! Hmm ! That sounds like Raga Bilaval ! Maybe its Soohee ! The Manglacharan confirms the diagnosis ! It is indeed Bilaval ! And now the Partaal begins. My delight is complete. Of all the shabads Bhai Sahib could have picked to sing this morning, he has picked this one ! On his own !

The next hour is unadulterated joy ! After the Partal, Bhai Sahib Ji sings a haunting composition in an aprachalit form of Devghandhari, which he later explains is the traditional version sung in Gurughars. He follows that up with another shabad in another version of Devgandhari. Anand Sahib, at my request, is in Ramkali. But not in your garden variety modern day Ramkali which employs both Madhyams and Nishads. Later Bhai Sahib indicates that this is the pristine form of Ramkali, also grounded in the Bhairav scale, but eschewing the Tivar (sharp) Madhyam and the Komal (soft) Nishad.

As my journey progressed over the last fifteen years, I had the good fortune to meet Bhai Sahib Ji many times. Often unexpectedly ! Our first meeting was at the Bridgewater, New Jersey, probably in 1993. By then I had acquired several recordings of Bhai Sahib Ji, from his earlier visits to Bridgewater. I awaited his arrival with a pleasant sense of excitement and anticipation and I was not disappointed ! I still have recordings from the week he spent there. I particularly remember a fabulous rendering of, Har Bin Jeeo Jall Bal Jaoun’ in Shri Rag which particularly moved me. Once again my Sitar playing friend, Charanjit Singh (who I have referred to in earlier posts as well) were not satisfied until we had hacked out the melody on the Vaja ! Later of course, I acquired the magnificent, two volume ‘Prachin Reet Ratnavali’, authored by Bhai Sahib and his older brother Bhai Gurcharan Singh Ji, which meticulously documents hundreds of traditional compositions passed down from the very times of the Gurus.

One of the most interesting memories I have of this visit relates to Bhai Swarn Singh Ji, who has accompanied Bhai Sahib on the jori for decades. I remember the first Kirtan program at Bridgewater. I am sitting at the foot of the stage, very close to the Jatha, eyes closed enjoying the Kirtan. My good friend S.Harjap Singh Aujla nudges me and asks if I am enjoying myself. A little irritated at being disturbed, I mumble Yes ! Harjap Singh Ji says “Jadon Atta Chhat Nu Vajjega, Ohdon Asli Swaad Auna Hai”. I look at him, puzzled. Atta ? Hitting the ceiling ? Here ?

The Shabad is coming to an end. Bhai Swarn Singh is playing Chartaal on the Jori with great vigor. Not the simple Chartaal Theka, but a dazzling array of complicated Bols. The energy is fearsome. His hands rise up high in the air and swoop down on the Jori. Threatening to smash it into bits. And sure enough, as the shabad reaches its climax I see little tan colored pieces of something flying in all directions ! Upon close examination they are indeed specks of now dry Atta ! I am perplexed !

Bhai Swarn Singh Ji, preparing his Jori with Atta

Later I learn that in order to coax the right sound out of a Jori, the playing surface is indeed prepared by applying a thin layer of freshly kneaded chappati dough to its face ! During the current trip, I remember my seven year old, Amandeep coming up to me during one of the divans and whispering in my ear “He’s rubbing Atta on his Tabla !”

There are many other chance meetings. One morning, passing through Delhi on my way home to Gangtok, I go to Bangla Sahib. I have the good fortune to listen to Bhai Sahib’s rendition of the Asa Ki Var. The Jatha greets me warmly and asks me to visit their home, but I have a flight to catch.

On a couple of separate trips to Toronto, when I go to the Gurdwara in the morning with my relatives, to my delight, it is none other than Bhai Sahib rendering the Asa Ki Var. The Jatha visits New Jersey again. During one visit, probably in early 1996 my wife, Ritu is in India. I invite the Jatha to visit my home and cook a meal for them, which they graciously consume with many underserved compliments. I sing a shabad for them – ‘Tou darsan ki karo samai’ in Raga Tilang. I am too embarrassed to ask Bhai Swarn Singh to accompany me. Sangat is provided by my electronic tabla. Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh Ji offers many words of encouragement.

During the next visit to Bridgewater, New Jersey, I ask Bhai Sahib Ji, in hindsight, a somewhat impertinent question. I express my delight and joy at the opportunity to listen to an 11th generation custodian of the Gurmat Sangeet Shayli. What of the 12th ? Is this line of Kirtaniyas going to come to an end ? Immediately I regret asking the question. Bhai Sahib Ji’s face reflects a variety of emotions. Some sadness. Maybe a little bit of defensiveness. He explains that he is trying to keep the tradition alive by offering to teach several students.

It is the summer of 2003. We have since moved to Boston from New Jersey. Bhai Sahib is visiting the Milford Gurdwara. I go up to him to greet him. I see Bhai Swarn Singh Ji beaming at me. Bhai Avtar Singh Ji, proudly introduces me to his youngest son, Kultar Singh Ji, who has now given up his professional career and has dedicated himself to the Gurmat Sangeet tradition ! Bhai Sahib Ji has probably forgotten our last awkward conversation. It has been many years after all ! I remind him. And congratulate him.

We enjoy a week of traditional Gurmat Sangeet. The Gurmat Sangeet Project is somewhat in its infancy. I am bursting with pride as several of the kids sing before Bhai Sahib and receive a lot of encouragement. The Jatha visits us at home and I introduce the website to them.

Back to Tuesday, June 14 2005.

Bhai Sahib Ji and his Jatha have been with us for a week. This time they are staying at our home in Hopkinton. We have had many conversations about music and Gurmat Sangeet. It has been a memorable ten days. Ten days that my family and I will never forget.

I had so wanted to host a Kirtan program at our home, but all the evenings are booked. On a whim, I ask Bhai Sahib if we can have an impromptu divan at home in the morning. He readily agrees.

I decide that I would like to sing first. What should I sing ? Bhairav perhaps ? Should I attempt a Partaal ? And Kultar Singh Ji has been encouraging me to avoid the Vajaa and sing with my Tanpura. Should I. Perhaps I should play it safe and sing a simple shabad in Bhairav in Tintaal, using my Vajaa ? I decide to go for broke ! The Partaal it is. Pratpaal Prabk Kirpaal Kavan Gun Ganee. Without a Vajaa. Bhai Swarn Singh Ji graciously agrees to accompany me. The Jatha politely listens.

Bhai Swarn Singh Ji accompanies me; The Jatha kindly listens

Bhai Sahib is complimentary. I am sure undeservedly so ! In particular he is pleased with my using the Gandhar and Nishad as grace notes. (More about this in a separate post !) Kultar Singh Ji askes me to record myself, but I forget to turn on my mic and save myself a lot of embarrassment.

And then Bhai Sahib begins the Partaal in Raga Bilaval.

This post is a tribute to one of the greatest living Ragis today. An expression of my love, respect and affection. In addition to being a fabulous Ragi and singer, Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh Ji is a wonderful human being. Warm. Affectionate. Compassionate. Givng.

We are fortunate. Our home has been blessed by his presence.

Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh Ji with my family; June 14, 2005, Hopkinton, MA

(Note : The recordings from Tuesday, March 14 are NOT on the Gurmat Sangeet Project Website in the usual place. If you wish to access them, please send me email and I will point you to them. In return you have to send your name, location and a one liner that talks about your interest in Gurmat Sangeet to sarbpreet@comcast.net. Please also indicate if I can list you in a directory of Gurmat Sangeet Premis that I would like to maintain on the Gurmat Sangeet Project website. I would love to be in touch with ‘my audience’ if it exists ! This is a small incentive )

Basant in Toronto

2005-05-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

The International Dateline

April 4 2005

I am in the middle of a long long flight from Los Angeles to Taipei. I can’t sleep. The VoD system has many movies, but my head hurts and I don’t feel like watching any one of them! I have a grueling week ahead of me before I head back to participate in the Basakhi celebrations in Boston, starting on the 10^th. I am fiddling with my laptop to pass the time and I come across a bunch of photographs taken around three weeks ago in Toronto. The photographs cut through my stupor and I am transported!

A couple of years ago in the early days of the Gurmat Sangeet Project, we organized a Kirtan Darbar around the theme of Basant in Boston. We were fortunate to have Bhai Sarbjit Singh Rangila, a fine Kirtaniya, Bhai Surjit Singh (Long Island), one of Gyani Dyal Singh Ji’s senior most students and the Boston based Khayalia (and my Ustad) Warren Senders, in the Kirtan darbar. In addition most of the children from the Milford Sangat, who sing, learned new shabads in Basant, Bahar and other Ragas of the spring for the Kirtan Darbar.

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Pages/BostonBasantSamagam.asp

The Darbar was a resounding success. The Sangat enjoyed the program tremendously. Last year as well as this year, I had numerous requests to organize a similar program again. In 2004, we were all fully occupied preparing for the Sikh Youth Symposium. This year, I have had an insane travel schedule and just could not pull a major program together in March. (BTW, we will have three major Gurmat Sangeet related events in Boston this year, one each in May, September and December)

Even though we were not planning on organizing this event in Boston this year, I had been discussing such an event with my good friend Inderpreet Singh, who now lives in Toronto. He was trying to get an event together in Toronto and I was egging him on. I had hoped that we might be able to take a bunch of children from the Boston area to Toronto over the weekend to participate in the event.

As it turned out, Inderpreet got connected with several enthusiastic young folks in Toronto and got good support from the management of the Mississauga Gurdwara sahib. The Basant Darbar was on! March 12 had been selected as the date. The Boston contingent was definitely not ready! Because of my travel, we had really not picked up momentum. There were no school vacation days around the 12^th. Logistically it would be pretty difficult. I called Inderpreet and told him that the Boston team would not be able to make it.

I am grateful to Inderpreet for prodding me and not taking no for an answer easily. Since I was one of his co-conspirators, he would simply not accept my not being there. Plan B was to try and find air tickets as opposed to driving. To cut a long story short, on Friday, March 11 I was on my way to Toronto with my family (my wife Ritu and our two children, Mehr & Aman). Also with us was Amrit, one of my first students in Boston. Amrit and Mehr have been singing together as a team now for more than three years.

Somewhat serendipitously, I had started Mehr and Amrit on a Partal in Raga Basant Bhar, obtained from Gyan Singh Ji Abbotabad’s book, Gurbani Kirtan. As it turned out the Partal was destined to be sung at the Toronto Basant Kirtan Darbar!

We arrived incident free in Toronto on Friday night... The Kirtan Darbar was in the evening on Saturday; we decided to do a little bit of sightseeing in the morning, despite the bitter cold. While the kids greatly enjoyed their visit to the CN Tower, the highlight of the day for them was a Punjabi radio program we discovered as we drove downtown. The rustic voice promising ‘Jacktan’ (jackets) for ‘Chowdan Dallar Nadhenveh Cent” kept them in splits the rest of the trip!

(Amrit, Mehr and Aman, dutifully posing at the Toronto Convention Center)

There was one more thing we needed to attend to. This was the first time that the girls were singing a Partal. We did not have a tabla player with us. All of our practice so far had been with two electronic tablas to help them navigate the difficult transitions from the Asthai, sung in Chartal to the antras in Iktal, Soolfak and Tintal, and back!

We drove to Inderpreet’s home where the girls managed to practice the transitions in particular, with young Nampreet Singh, a fine musician and kirtaniya, who was to accompany them in the evening.

The Darbar in the evening was magnificent. To think! We had come so close to missing it entirely! It would have been a shame for sure! The arrangements were excellent; interspersed with the Kirtan was commentary in the form of a presentation. The content of the commentary could have been tighter, but this represents an excellent start and in a certain sense establishes a great format for future use.

The program began with Kirtan by Toronto area children. They were generally very adept and covered an excellent range of Ragas such as Shudh Basant, Bahar and Basnt (Poorvi). Among other children we heard from Jora Singh and his brother, who had visited Boston, last year during the Symposium and among other things had presented a spirited Gatka display. We also had the pleasure of hearing Gurleen and Jasleen Kaur sing. All of these children are students of Professor Purshottam Singh Ji of Toronto. We did not get the opportunity to meet him, but during the Symposium, I remember listening in awe to his young students as they sang brilliantly.

In particular, we were all taken by the excellent tabla playing by Jalseen. It is so rare to see young girls on the tabla. Jasleen is simply outstanding! I remember listening to her and thinking that her playing, in some way, reminded me of the playing of the redoubtable Hariqbal Singh Zakhmi Ji.

It was time for Mehr and Amrit to sing. The girls looked fine, but I was nervous. The girls have sung at various events before, but this was the first time that they would be attempting a Partal. Also, through the efforts of Amritpal Singh, the program was being webcast live.

I need not have worried! The girls did an excellent job and exceeded my expectations, with Nampreet Singh providing very adept accompaniment on the tabla. Jasleen accompanied them on the second shabad, sung in Basant (Marwa) and sent to Iktaal.

(Mehr and Amrit, singing a Partaal accompanied by Nampreet Singh)

(Mehr and Amrit, accompanied by Jasleen)

The highlight of the evening was superb Kirtan by Nampreet Singh, Rupinder Singh and Jaswinder Singh. This young kirtani jatha from Toronto is doing an excellent job reviving the traditions of Gurmat Sangeet by embracing stringed instruments such as the Dilruba and the Taus. It was a moving and stirring experience and the best way to understand what I am talking about is simply to listen !

(Nampreet Singh, Rupinder Singh, Jaswinder Singh

S. Jagdish Singh Virdi Ji, who followed sang two beautiful shabads, displaying great virtuosity, obviously built over years and years of practice. Very robust Kirtan by a Jatha of young women from Javadhi Kalan followed. The final Jatha was led by Onkar Singh, accompanied by Gurpreet Chana, popularly know as ‘The Tabla Guy’. Both Onkar Singh and Gurpreet Singh are students of Prof. Purshottam Singh Ji, who I am extremely eager to meet, having seen the fabulous job that he has done with his students. This segment was particularly interesting because of the Sarod accompaniment. It provided a brief glimpse into what Kirtan might have been like, with Rabab accompaniment.

(S.Jagdish Singh Virdi Ji)

(Onkar Singh and his Jatha; Inderpreet Singh in the background)

Over the years, after the Gurmat Sangeet Project went live, I have had the good fortune to connect with many Premis of Gurmat Sangeet. Meeting some of the people with whom I had been corresponding via email was one of the highlights of the visit to Toronto. I met S.Didar Singh Chana Ji, who is a dedicated listener and lover of Gurmat Sangeet, as well as his son Sukhi Chana. This is a family that is deeply rooted in Gurmat Sangeet. Sukhi Ji’s Brother, S.Balbir Singh Ji, who lives in the US is also deeply connected to Gurmat Sangeet.

Similarly it was a pleasure to meet S.Gursev Singh, who had generously sent me a large number of MP3s of some magnificent Kirtan from his collection, which I will host on the Gurmat Sangeet Project website soon. The warmth of the brief meeting and short conversation was truly beyond description! Similarly it was a pleasure to meet Onkar Singh and several other Kirtan Premis from Toronto that I had been corresponding with.

The next morning, Mehr and Amrit were to sing at the Scarborough Gurdwara. After a few shabads in Basant, it was time to go home ! Due to some incredible ineptitude on our airline’s part, our return flight was from Buffalo. S.Manjit Singh Parmar, who is part of the Scarborough Sangat, and with whom we share many common friends was kind enough to drive us to Buffalo.

The Toronto Basant Darbar was truly a magnificent experience. I am hopeful that it will become an annual feature. Perhaps we can alternate between Toronto & Boston each year. (God knows that both Toronto and Boston could use some help accelerating the arrival of spring !)

Stopping to smell the roses

2005-03-30T20:43:00.000-08:00

Hopkinton, MA
March 30, 2005

It’s a little after 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning in the Milford Gurdwara. It’s early, but there are a handful of people in the Durbar Hall already. I am sitting in my customary spot, whenever we have an accomplished Ragi Jatha visiting the Boston area, my stuff around me, mike in position, MP3 recorder, digital camera. (This dear readers, is the field office of the Gurmat Sangeet Project!)

The singing of the Asa Ki Var has begun; several paudis in Raga Asa have already been sung. The atmosphere is serene. A new Shabad is begun. And then, I feel my ears playing tricks on me. I catch strains of Gunkali. Was that really Prabhati floating past? That sounded like Bhatiyar! And wait wasn’t that Ramkali? The Shabad only lasts a little over five minutes. My mind is in a whirl. Don’t believe me? Here…. Listen for yourself:

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmitSinghShant8/akv4.MP3

This article is really out of sequence! I should be writing about the Basant Kirtan Durbar in Toronto, which was perhaps one of the highlights of this year’s Gurmat Sangeet calendar. I most certainly will because that was indeed an event worth writing about!

For now, let’s go back to Sunday morning.

The rest of the Asa Ki Var is equally mesmerizing. Chhants sung in many Ragas and Talas. Soulful Alaaps. Beautiful shabads. Puratan (ancient) compositions:

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmitSinghShant8/akv8.MP3

The magnificent singing continues. On Monday and Tuesday in the evening, I am playing the Tanpura, enjoying every moment. The Shabad begins in Raga Malkauns. It morphs into Multani, Hamir, Bageshri, Durga, Jaijawanti and many other Ragas of the night. Seamlessly. Elegantly.

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmitSinghShant10/sajana%20sant%20aavoh%20mere.MP3

Gurmat Sangeet is a ‘Shabad Pardhan’ tradition in which the text is clearly and unequivocally the most important aspect of the music. Gurmat Sangeet is definitely not about the display of musical virtuosity. There is really not much of a place in Gurmat Sangeet for extensive Alaaps, Tankari and other pyrotechnics.

However, sometimes, it’s really nice to stop and smell the roses!

Whenever I hear Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shant in full flow, my heart swells with pride. It is wonderful to see a Guru Ka Kirtaniya who is so ‘Tayyar’. Clearly, someone who has spent his life perfecting his command over Raga and Tala. Every crystal clear note attests to years and years of rigorous Riyaz. Watching him sing, it is very obvious that this is more than a profession. It is love. It is passion.

I first met Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shant at the Gurdwara Sahib at Bridgewater, New Jersey. It was 1998. The turbulent times at Bridgewater had conspired to drag me back into serving in the management committee. It was my responsibility to organize the weekly Divans and to book Ragi Jathas. I had never heard of Gurmeet Singh Shant until Bhai Harbhajan Singh, who plays Tabla with Bhai Parkash Singh in New Jersey, gave me a scratchy tape. The Kirtan sounded decent, not exceptional. I decided to invite Gurmeet Singh Shant and his Jatha to sing at Bridgewater.

The next six or seven weeks, the Bridgewater Sangat was treated to a feast like they had never experienced before. Accompanied by his brothers, Kuldip Singh on harmonium and Manjit Singh on tabla, Gurmeet Singh Shant spun a magic web of some of the finest singing that I have experienced in the Gurmat Sangeet context. In one particular program, at our home in Neshanic, he sang two memorable shabads, one in Raga Bhairav and the other in Raga Asavari in Rudra Taal. Seven years have passed but I can hear each note clearly in my head to this day!

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmitSinghShant/dhan%20dhan%20oh%20ram%20ben%20baaje.mp3

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmitSinghShant/Hou%20vaarey%20vaare%20jaoon%20gur%20gopal.mp3

If Bridgewater was a feast, Boston mostly has been famine! The Sangat is small and we are unable to attract many ‘popular’ Ragis. Over the years I have had the pleasure of listening to Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh Ji, Bhai Dilbagh Singh Gulbagh Singh, Bhai Surjit Singh, Bhai Kanwarpal Singh and a few other stalwarts in Boston, mostly for very short durations.

The last few days however, we have been feasting again. Bhai Gurmeet Singh is here and it feels like those magical weeks in Bridgewater in the summer of ’98 again! An even more improved Manjit Singh is on the tabla. Kuldip Singh has settled down in the UK. Vocal accompaniment is being provided by the young Manjit Singh, older son of Bhai Amarjit Singh of North Carolina. (I first met this young man’s father in 1994, when he visited Bridgewater as part of Bhai Gurmej Singh’s Jatha; there is a poignant story that goes with that visit which I will share another time)

Manjit Singh is a very talented, if slightly diffident young fellow. His talent is obvious in the clean Alaaps that you can hear him sing, while accompanying Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shant. It is truly heartwarming to see Gurmeet Singh mentoring this young man and helping him grow. This is very atypical behavior! Traditionally, Ragis have been very secretive about and protective of their art. After all it is linked to their livelihood! Instruction, in the vaunted Guru-Sishya tradition is often reserved for students related closely by blood. The fact that Gurmeet Singh is willing to share his art so generously speaks to his maturity, confidence and dedication as a Kirtaniya.

During most small Divans, I sit behind the Jatha and exercise my newly developed Tanpura playing skills. The first time, last Sunday, in hindsight, I attacked the Tanpura with more gusto than skill, approaching it more like a jazzman playing his Bass ! The net result was that the poor instrument was hopelessly out of tune by the end of the Divan! The next day Bhai Sahib taught me how to caress the strings to produce a rich, vibrant sound and keep the instrument from going out of tune.

Manjit Singh, Gurmeet Singh Shant, Manjit Singh March 28,2005

Late in the evening after most of the Sangat has left, we hang out and chat. Gurmeet Singh Shant regales us with anecdotes from a childhood and adolescence spent in the company of legendary Ragis such as Gyan Singh Ji ‘Almast’, Bhai Bakshish Singh Ji, Bhai Devinder Singh Ji Gurdaspurwale and the redoubtable Bhai Balbir Singh Ji. We also hear apocryphal stories about Bhagwan Ji Kinnar (Gyani Harnam Singh Ji Kinnar), who taught Bhai Kishan Singh Ji Shant, Gurmeet Singh’s father. Invariably the stories are about the conjuring up of rain-clouds in the heat of summer by a particularly well executed Miyan Ki Malhar or white sheets changing color to Saffron under the onslaught of Bhagwan Ji’s Basant !

In the seven years that have passed since our first meeting at Bridgewater, I have had a few other unexpected meetings with Gurmeet Singh Shant. Towards the end of last year, on a whim, hearing that he was in the New York area, I invited him to Boston, where he participated in a couple of memorable Kirtan programs. In 1999 on a hurried trip to Darbar Sahib I chanced upon him, singing outside the Akal Takhat Sahib. We could barely exchange a Fateh ! as he was singing and I was in a rush. Another wintry day, a couple of years ago, I chanced upon him at the Harballabh music festival in Jalandhar, where we sat and listened to a dazzling young Kaushiki Chakraborty and other Hindustani musicans.

Over the years, we have developed a bond. I am greatly inspired by Bhai Gurmit Singh Shant. I often learn his compositions and teach them to my children. Every time his Kirtan moves me, I lavish heartfelt praise upon him. I know I will sound vain, saying this, but sometimes the artist is inspired by his audience as well ! When appreciation is genuine, nuanced and appropriate, it has a tangible impact on the performer and enables him to ascend to new heights.

The roses, at that point, smell particularly sweet.

A Journey

2005-03-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

Hopkinton
March 9, 2005

Last Saturday all of us piled into a car and drove down to New Jersey to attend a wedding reception. The wedding reception was like all other wedding receptions; that is not what this post is about. My first instinct was to head back early the next morning so that we could be back at the Boston Gurdwara for Sunday school classes.

However, that was not to be. This was the first time that we were returning to New Jersey after we moved to Boston in 1999. We decided to attend the Sunday Diwan at the Bridgewater Gurdwara and catch up with the New Jersey Sangat after our long absence. The organizers were kind enough to allow us some time for Kirtan Seva in the Diwan and we got to Bridgewater at 11:30 a.m. just as Bhai Parkash Singh Ji and his Jatha were starting the morning’s Kirtan Program.

We were a newlywed couple when we first started going to Bridgewater in 1991. At first we were not very regular visitors to the Gurdwara. Slowly we started getting to know some of the Sangat, particularly people close to our age. Some of the first friends I remember making were Inderpal Singh and Gurparkash Singh, both of whom inspired me to begin working with children in the Sunday School program, what was being run by Mrs. Surinder Kaur Puar and Mrs. Veronica Sidhu.

We also met several other Gursikhs who influenced us in profound ways. Gurmat Sangeet is undoubtedly one of the most important things in my life today and has been for many years. The years in Bridgewater played a very significant role in my learning and growth in the context of Gurmat Sangeet.

One of the people who inspired me greatly was S.Hardev Singh Sahota. A Sehajdhari Sikh, he poured great effort into the study of Gurmat Sangeet. He was an absolute and ardent admirer of Gyani Dyal Singh Ji and Bhai Dharm Singh Zakhmi Ji, who I will easily count among my key influences as well! Hardev Singh Ji painstakingly studied Gyani Dyal Singh Ji’s books and spent a lot of time teaching his two young children, who developed in to fine Kirtaniyas. The children are all grown up now and I have lost touch with them; the last I had heard they had got into top notch universities and were doing very well. May the gift of Gurmat Sangeet that their father gave them always stay with them. All those who enjoy Bhai Dharm Singh Zakhmi’s Kirtan on the http://www.gurmatsangeetproject/ website have S.Hardev Singh Ji to thank as he was the one who gifted to me a set of 30+ ninety minute tapes of Kirtan by Dharam Singh Zakhmi Ji’s Jatha.

As I talk about my journey into Gurmat Sangeet, I would be remiss in not mentioning several other individuals. S. Harjap Singh Aujla, a connoisseur of Gurmat Sangeet was always a significant figure in Bridgewater. Whenever a particularly good Ragi Jatha would visit Bridgewater, Aujla Sahib could be found sitting by the Jatha, endlessly tweaking the positioning and recording levels of the mics and very visibly having a whale of a time listening to the Kirtan. In the years I spent at Bridgewater, growing up in many profound ways, Aujla Sahib was one of the individuals who always provided me with a lot of affection, support and encouragement.

S.Manjit Singh Ji and S.Manjit Singh Deeoray Ji also deserve special mention. They have always been uncompromising in their standards where Gurmat Sangeet was concerned. They would never hesitate to confront Ragi Jathas who blatantly plagiarized film tunes and used them for Kirtan and keep a constant pressure on successive management committees to invite only the best Kirtaniyas to Bridgewater.

I have to mention my good friend Dr.Gurparkash Singh Ji, who I admire for many different reasons including his uncompromising steadfastness. When Bhai Prakash Singh and his Jatha visited Bridgewater in the mid 90s, Gurparkash Singh immediately realized the tremendous value that they could add by instructing children in Gurmat Sangeet. Without much support from the managing committee, but with the support of parents and a small portion of the Sangat, he instituted a Gurmat Sangeet teaching program, funded in part by the parents of the children who were interested in learning. The net result is that 7-8 years later a large group of young men and women in New Jersey have developed into fine Kirtaniyas, comparable to fine Ragis in their musical sophistication, in their ability to sing Dhrupads, Partaals and Guldastas.

My friend Dr.Inderpal Singh, who several years ago moved to Dallas, I remember for similar reasons, including the principled stands he took on many different issues. Recognizing in me a fellow lover of Gurmat Sangeet, I remember Inderpal painstakingly recording literally hundreds of hours of Kirtan for me, cassette by cassette and then patiently writing down each shabad and the page it appeared in, in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Amrit Kirtan Pothi on the jacket of each cassette.

As my interest in Gurmat Sangeet and its study deepened, all of these individuals encouraged me to get more involved in managing the Gurdwara, which I did, with some trepidation. Despite the somewhat turbulent times that the Gurdwara went through in the late 90s (in fact in 1998, I was brought in playing the role of peacemaker) it was an overwhelmingly positive experience. I was constantly humbled by the tremendous love and support that I got from the Sangat at large and the individuals I have mentioned above.

During those years at Bridgewater, with the grace of the Guru there were several positive things that happened, relating to Gurmat Sangeet. We had several memorable Kirtan Durbars graced by the finest Kirtaniyas in the Panth, such as Bhai Avtar Singh Ji, Gyani Dyal Singh Ji, Bhai Gian Singh Jogi, Bhai Gurmej Singh, Bhai Gurmel Singh, Bhai Surjit Singh, Bhai Chhatter Singh, Bhai Dilbagh Singh Gulbagh Singh, Bhai Sarbjit Singh Rangila, Bhai Sant Singh, Bhai Ajit Singh Alankari, S. Pargat Singh Ji Matharu, Bhai Surjit Singh (Amritsar), Bhai Nirmal Singh, Bhai Gurmit Singh Shant, Bhai Kanwarpal Singh and numerous others. In fact a lot of the recordings on the http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/ site were made during this period.

Bridgewater slowly acquired the reputation of a Gurdwara, where the ‘Shrot’ of the Sangat was very much aligned with Gurmat Sangeet as opposed to the normal film and popular music inspired fare that most Ragis dish out today, masquerading as Gurbani Kirtan. In several Kirtan Durbars, Ragis vied with each other to present Dhrupads, Dhamars, Partaals, Guldastas and Puratam Reets, knowing that the Sangat would appreciate their hard work and their efforts to preserve the noble traditions of Gurmat Sangeet.

So as I stepped into the Bridgewater Gurdwara last Sunday, you can perhaps imagine the wellspring of emotions in my heart. It felt like a homecoming! Within a few seconds of entering the Gurdwara, I was crushed by the weight of the debt that I owed this Guru Ghar and this Sangat.

It was uplifting to see the familiar smiling faces that reflected heartfelt joy at our return as they welcomed us. The dignified and scholarly Gyani Bachitter Singh Ji, the truly Nimaana Sevadar Kehar Singh, the young Tabla player Binod Singh and the wonderful Bhai Parkash Singh and Harbhajan Singh.

All of a sudden, it was as if we had never left. The Kirtan, as always was magnificent! Bhai Parkash Singh started out with a beautiful Shabad in Bilaskhani Todi followed by a Shabad in Basant Hindol. At the end the Jatha sang a beautiful shabad in Raga Basant Bahar.

Bhai Parkash Singh and his Jatha

The Kirtan from the Sunday Program on March 6 can be heard at: http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Pages/bridgewatermarch205.asp

A particularly emotional moment for both me and my wife was when our ten year old daughter, Mehr, got up to sing a shabad in Raga Basant. We could remember the day when we first brought our newborn to Bridgewater to receive the Guru’s blessing. And here she was, singing a shabad in that very Guru Ghar, ten years later. The warmth, appreciation and the blessings the Sangat poured upon her were humbling. In particular, I was moved by the reaction of Bhai Harbhajan Singh, who played Table when she was singing.

Mehr Kaur, accompanied by Harbhajan Singh

Dear Readers, until now I have never put any of my own shabads on the Gurmat Sangeet website for two reasons; I thought it presumptuous and I deemed my singing unworthy. While none of that has changed, I felt impelled to include the shabad I sang on Sunday at Bridgewater, on the page referenced above. Please accept it as a personal tribute to a place I still call Home.

A tribute to Bridgewater and its Sangat, accompanied by Harbhajan Singh

With my good friend Dr.Gurparkash Singh

Gurmat Sangeet and Stringed Instruments (Tanti Saaz)

2005-03-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

30,000 feet above the Atlantic
March 3, 2005

At the risk of appearing self indulgent, I do feel the need to explain my radio silence for more than a month. (The last post announcing the Gurmat Sangeet Durbar in Toronto really doesn’t count!) Even though I generally have no clue if anyone reads the Gurmat Sangeet Blog (hint hint Gentle Reader! it would be nice to know that you are out there!), I have had a couple of polite – ‘Bade Dinan Ton Kuch Post Nahin Kita’s.

From the fact that being trapped in a metal capsule with hours of leisure at my disposal is what it took to get this post out, you might naturally assume that I have been very busy. Perhaps spending hours adding new content to the http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/ website? Or maybe dedicating myself to Riyaz (practice) or teaching? Perhaps burning the midnight oil in service to the company that helps keep body and soul together? Alas no! While all of these would usually be plausible explanations, this time I have to confess that I had surrendered to the guilty pleasures of watching the first season of the TV series ‘24’. I would definitely not recommend it to those of you who value your time. To the rest, it’s really entertaining and I am thinking hard about how to pre-empt a creative drought when I get my hands on the second season, which apparently is even better than the first!

Well! Now that the confession of my foibles is out of the way, let’s talk about Gurmat Sangeet and Tanti Saaz or string instruments.

The only instrument that most of us have been exposed to, in the context of Gurmat Sangeet, is the harmonium. It will come as a great surprise to many of you that the ubiquitous harmonium is actually a European instrument, derived from the accordion and introduced into Gurmat Sangeet and indeed into Indian classical music, roughly about a century ago!

There are many things to be said about the harmonium, both positive and negative. The harmonium undoubtedly is an extremely easy instrument to master. This has made music and Gurmat Sangeet very accessible to the Sangat at large. It has helped de-mystify music and has enabled many aspiring kirtaniyas by greatly flattening the learning curve, which on string instruments is incredibly steep.

But there is a flip side to the de-mystification as well! When string instruments ruled the world of Gurmat Sangeet, music was a rigorous discipline that required dedication and years of study. Ragis and Rababis literally dedicated their lives to the study of music. This resulted in the traditions of Gurmat Sangeet being faithfully preserved, generation to generation, in the hands of a few dedicated individuals who dedicated themselves completely to the art.

The advent of the harmonium, suddenly enabled numerous individuals to learn the basics of music and quickly establish themselves as ‘Ragis’ despite the fact that they often lacked the discipline and commitment required for the study of Gurmat Sangeet. The proliferation of cheap radios and later cassette players provided a huge body of popular music for this new generation of Ragis to imitate. The grandeur of Gurmat Sangeet slowly began to give way to a cheapened, film and popular music inspired style of Kirtan, which slowly and insidiously almost became the norm in the Sikh world.

Perhaps it behooves us to ponder the practice of Gurmat Sangeet before the advent of the harmonium. What instruments were used in the times of the Gurus? How did the practice of Gurmat Sangeet evolve from the fifteenth century to the twentieth?

Most of us carry in our heads, images of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji accompanied by Bhai Mardana, traveling the world, conducting sat sang, singing his Bani while Bhai Mardana played the Rabab.

Bhai Gurads Ji’s words reinforce this picture:

Gang Banaras Hindua, Mussalman Mecca Kabba
Ghar Ghar Baba Gaviye, Vajjan Taal Mridang Rababa

We clearly learn that accompaniment to Gurmat Sangeet was provided by the Mridang (also called the Pakhawaj), a percussive instrument believed to be the precursor to the Tabla, and the Rabab, a string instrument (a Tanti Saaz). The very word Rababi, which came to describe the descendents of Bhai Mardana and the keepers of the traditions of Gurmat Sangeet, literally means – one who plays the Rabab.

As a side-note, the Rabab, despite a few attempts to revive it, is largely extinct in the Gurmat Sangeet context. One of its descendants, the Sarod is alive and well, in the world of Hindustani Classical Music, popularized by masters such as Ali Akbar Khan and Buddhadeb Dasgupta. I have never come across a Kirtani Jatha that uses the Sarod, though Gurdev Singh, a Namdhari, is adept at playing the instrument. Many years ago at a Kirtan Durbar organized by IIGS in California, I remember Bhai Sohan Singh Rasia; wistfully talk about the demise of the Rabab, an attempting to capture its ethos, in part at least by playing the mandolin. Bhai Sarbjit Singh Rangila, a fine contemporary kirtaniya also uses the Mandolin for accompaniment as did Bhai Parkash Singh, until Shivcharan Singh left his Jatha.

But I digress.

It is said that Guru Amardas Ji invented a new instrument called the Sarinda for use in Gurmat Sangeet. This instrument too, sadly is extinct. Gyani Dyal Singh Ji, used to play the Sarinda but there are not any Sarinda players today that I know of. The Sarinda is a string instrument, which is played with a bow, somewhat similar to the Sarangi. The Sarangi is a beautiful, melodious instrument, particularly suitable for vocal accompaniment. One might then wonder –why did Guru Sahib feel the need to invent a new instrument, the Sarinda?

I have heard some speculate that the Sarangi was considered a ‘low class’ instrument, often used in mehfils frequented by admirers of women of ill repute! This would render it unsuitable for use in Gurmat Sangeet. This argument however does not hold water; by its logical extension the Tabla and the Harmonium would have to be banned as well! The best answer I could find came again from the redoubtable Gyani Dyal Singh Ji.

Gyaniji is fond of recounting an incident that occurred during one of his visits to the Harballabh music festival in Jalandhar. The Harballabh music festival is organized every year in late December at the Devi Talao Mandir in Jalandhar. This event has been in existence for more than a hundred and fifty years, is completely free and attracts some of the greatest Classical musicians in the land. (More on my visit to Harballabh in a separate post!)

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, arguably one of the greatest living Hindustani Classical vocalists was singing at Harballabh in full flow. The audience was in rhapsody. Panditji was accompanied by an extremely adept Sarangiya, whose name Gyaniji unfortunately did not remember. So beautiful was the Sarangiya’s playing that soon, he eclipsed the great Pandit and started eliciting greater applause from the audience!

Gurmat Sangeet is undoubtedly an art form, but one which is Bani-Pardhan rather than Sangeet-Pardhan. The music should never overpower the message! The Sarangi, being a beautiful, sonorous instrument, capable of mimicking the human voice and its graces such as Gamak (attacking or rapidly repeating a note using its neighboring upper or lower note) and Meend (sliding from one note to another) faithfully, can easily overwhelm the singer! Hence it is not suitable for accompanying Gurmat Sangeet. The Sarinda in a certain sense is limited in its capability and thus cannot overwhelm the Kirtaniya.

Over time other string instruments were introduced into Gurmat Sangeet. The Dilruba, also known as the Esraj became quite common. To this day there are Jathas that use the Dilruba for accompaniment. Examples can be found on the following pages:

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Pages/AmrikSinghZakhmi.asp
http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Pages/DharamSinghZakhmi.asp

Here is a picture of Bhai Pal Singh, playing the Dilruba.

Later other string instruments such as the Taus were introduced. I have heard claims that Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji played the Taus and in fact was credited with inventing it! I have never been able to substantiate these, particularly the latter and would love to hear other views and opinions. The Taus in Gurmat Sangeet is also largely extinct. The one player I do know of is Ranvir Singh, a Namdhari.

A picture of Ranvir Singh, playing the Taus

So what is the big deal about String instruments vs. the Harmonium anyway?

To understand this, we need to get theoretical for a couple of minutes. The Harmonium is built around the Western Musical scale, which is evenly tempered. This means that the scale is divided into notes with equal intervals between successive notes. These divisions yield the twelve notes in an Octave that we are familiar with on the Harmonium. The basic scale of Hindustani music is similar to the western 12-note scale. The main difference is that the Hindustani scale is not evenly tempered. Thus, the intervals between consecutive notes are not equal. Indeed, they can be varied slightly to suit the particular raga that is being performed. The same note, in different ragas, may have slightly differing positions.

While this subtlety can be reproduced on a string instrument, it is impossible to do so on the Harmonium. As an example, the Komal or Flat Ga, that is used in Todi is flatter than the Komal Ga that a Harmonium can produce. Thus it is impossible to recreate Todi perfectly on the Harmonium, as there is no key that corresponds to ‘Very Komal Ga’!

What then is an aspiring Kirtaniya to do? Should the harmonium be avoided completely? Should we all plunge whole-heartedly into the study of Stringed instruments and never touch a Harmonium again?

While there a quixotic part of my brain which says YES, pragmatism has to prevail. By all means we should study Stringed instruments, but it would be insane to give up the access and de-mystification that the Harmonium provides in a quest for musical purity. In fact it could be argued that the imperfections of the Harmonium, such as the inability to reproduce a Meend make it particularly suitable as an instrument to accompany our Bani-Pardhan genre of music!

Playing Stringed instruments is incredibly hard. A couple of years ago, I enthusiastically brought back a Dilruba from India. It sits in a corner, gathering dust, partly because of the lack of a teacher, partly because of the tremendously steep learning curve. I would like to suggest that Kirtaniyas make some attempt to master a stringed instrument. In the very least it behooves us all to get comfortable with a Tanpura.

So what is a Tanpura?

A Tanpura is a drone instrument. It resembles a sitar except it has no frets. It has four strings and is known for its very rich sound. It typically is between 3 to 5 feet in length. It is characterized by a pear shaped, well rounded resonator face and a non-tapering neck. It usually has a resonator made of a gourd. The drone is an essential part of traditional Indian music and Gurmat Sangeet as well. The function of the drone is to provide a firm harmonic base for the music. A Tanpura usually has four strings; the middle two are tuned to the Sa, the third string may be tuned to the low or high Sa and the fourth is usually tuned to the Pa.

Old time Ragis and Rababis would always sing, accompanied by a Tanpura; today the Tanpura has all but vanished from Gurmat Sangeet. Tuning a Tanpura is not a task for the faint of heart! It is an art more than a science and requires a tremendous amount of patience. In the case of a Tanpura, however, technology does come to our rescue; for around a hundred dollars, one can buy an electronic version which does not have to be tuned and acts as a reasonable substitute for the real thing!

‘Playing’ with a Tanpura and learning to tune it, while frustrating is also tremendously rewarding. On my last trip to India in January, I picked up a real Tanpura. (I have had an electronic Tanpura for years and use it regularly). My Ustad, Shri Warren Senders, was kind enough to introduce me to the intricacies of tuning one. I have spent hours messing with my Tanpura, trying to tune it. The rich sound of a Tanpura has to experienced to be believed! Singing with one is a joy that I cannot really describe. I do not know if my Tanpura is tuned correctly! Often times, even to my relatively unsophisticated ears, my Pa sounds a little flat. However I manfully press on, close my eyes and sing. Flat Pa notwithstanding, for one brief moment, I am transported and feel like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan!

So, to all you Kirtaniyas out there! Don’t burn your Harmoniums just yet, but do try to find a Tanpura! And if you are really fortunate you will find someone willing to teach you how to play the Dilruba. Then we would be talking about a real Renaissance!

Gurmat Sangeet Darbar in Toronto on March 12 2005

2005-02-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hopkinton, February 26, 2005

mehlaa 1 basant.

rut aa-eelay saras basant maahi.
rang raatay raveh se tayrai chaa-ay.
kis pooj charhaava-o laga-o paa-ay. 1

tayraa daasan daasaa kaha-o raa-ay.
jagjeevan jugat na milai kaa-ay. 1 rahaa-o.

tayree moorat aykaa bahut roop.
kis pooj charhaava-o day-o Dhoop.
tayraa ant na paa-i-aa kahaa paa-ay.
tayraa daasan daasaa kaha-o raa-ay. 2

tayray sath sambat sabh teerthaa.
tayraa sach naam parmaysraa.
tayree gat avigat nahee jaanee-ai.
anjaanat naam vakhaanee-ai. 3

naanak vaychaaraa ki-aa kahai.
sabh lok salaahay ayksai.
sir naanak lokaa paav hai.
balihaaree jaa-o jaytay tayray naav hai. 42

First Mehl, Basant:

The season of spring, so delightful, is here
Those who are imbued with Your love chant Your Name with joy.
Whom else should I worship? At whose feet should I bow? 1

I am the slave of Your slaves, O my Sovereign Lord.
Life of the Universe, how else might I find You 1Pause

You are One, and yet, You have countless forms.
Which one should I worship with fragrant incense?
Limitless are You. Your limits cannot be plumbed
I am the slave of Your slaves, O my Sovereign Lord 2

The cycles of years and the places of pilgrimage are Yours, O Lord.
Your Name is True, O Transcendent Lord.
Your State cannot be known, O Eternal, Unchanging Lord.
Although You are mysterious, still we chant Your Name. 3

What can poor Nanak say?
All people praise the One Lord.
Nanak bows at the feet of such people.
I am a sacrifice to Your Names, as many as there are, O Lord. 42

This is but one of the many shabads that appear under Raga Basant in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Over and over the joyous rejuvenation that occurs in Nature with the coming of Basant or Spring, is used as a metaphor for the rejuvenation of the soul when the Guru’s grace envelopes a Sikh.

On Saturday, the 12th of March the Toronto Sangat will have the opportunity to participate in a Gurmat Sangeet Darbar at the Mississauga Gurdwara Sahib in the Toronto area. Guru Ke Kirtaniya, primarily from the Toronto area will participate in the Darbar from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. and will joyously sing the glories of Waheguru according to Gurmat Sangeet Maryada. A few members from the Boston Chapter of the Gurmat Sangeet Project will also be traveling to Toronto to participate in the Darbar.Gurmat Sangeet Premis who either live in the Toronto area or are able to travel there are urged to avail of this great opportunity to celebrate the coming of Basant, real and metaphorical, with the Toronto Sangat.

Regards,

Sarbpreet Singh

The documenting of an oral tradition

2005-02-01T10:37:00.000-08:00

Hopkinton, February 1, 2005

What they undertook to do

They brought to pass;

All things hang like a drop of dew

Upon a blade of grass.

Gratitude To The Unknown Instructors by William Butler Yeats

[This article is dedicated to those nameless Guru Ke Kirtaniye who faithfully preserved the Gurmat Sangeet Tradition through the centuries of tumult that the Sikh Panth lived through]

Over the years, as my interest in Gurmat Sangeet developed and grew deeper, I often found myself wondering – what was the singing of Gurbani like a hundred years ago ? Two hundred years ago ? In the times of the Gurus ?

These kinds of questions are incredibly hard to answer, for several reasons. The conveniences that we take for granted, such as the ability to record music are after all less than a century old ! While we are fortunate in having the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which is unequivocally the word of the Guru, there is no comparable, unequivocal, authoritative source of musical knowledge that defines or illustrates Gurmat Sangeet in its pristine form.

The problem is compounded by a couple of other factors. Our sacred music, and indeed the larger body of Classical music from the Indian subcontinent, has over the centuries, been transmitted through an oral, rather than a written tradition. Western Classical music, in contrast has benefited from a long written tradition that has provided the tools for the precise documentation of its nuances, which have guaranteed its preservation.

Further, as we are all aware, the Panth was in a constant state of turmoil after the passing of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the early eighteenth century. Our focus was on preserving our very existence, rather than thoughtfully documenting our musical traditions and preserving them for posterity ! The net result was that the preservation and transmission of the Gurmat Sangeet was left to the Rababis and Kirtaniyas who survived. The method was one on one instruction, typically father to son. The tradition was completely oral.

You will be surprised to learn that the first viable notational systems for the documentation of Hindustani Classical music are no more than a century old ! Both Hindustani Classical music and Gurmat Sangeet, of course, are much older ! Two visionary scholars and musicians, Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande and Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, were responsible for building these systems of musical notation. Bhatkande’s system, simpler and arguably more intuitive survived and thrived. As an aside, the story of Bhatkande’s tribulations, over a lifetime of hard work and hustling to extract and document pristine compositions from the un-cooperative guardians of an ancient oral tradition, is absolutely fascinating, and well worth digging into !

In case you are wondering Gentle Reader, what the doings of two Pandits who lived a Century ago, could possibly have to do with Gurmat Sangeet, hang in there! There is a point to all this.

Let us go back to the problem of understanding and recreating Gurmat Sangeet in its pristine form. The famous Sikh philosopher and savant, Bhai Vir Singh Ji emphasizes the importance of ancient compositions or ‘Dharnavan’ in an essay titled Shabad De Bhav Te Raag Di Taseer, which appeared in Gurmat Sangeet Par Hun Tak Mili Khoj, a seminal work on Gurmat Sangeet published by the Chief Khalsa Diwan in 1958 . An excerpt from the essay :

"Guru Arjan paid particular attention to the tunes in which Shabads were sung; it is extremely important that Shabads be sung in those tunes, conforming to the relevant Raga, which evoke the same emotions as the contents of the Shabad"

Bhai Vir Singh Ji goes on to state that when Guru Arjan started the tradition of Ragis singing Gurmat Sangeet, he instructed them in this unique way of singing to ensure that Gurmat Sangeet would always be aligned with the Gurbani that it served as a vehicle. The specific Raga based tunes that have been prevalent since the time of Guru Arjan essentially embody the essence of Gurmat Sangeet.

Aha ! A ray of light ! But wait ! Where are these seminal tunes and melodies ? Where is one to find them ? Can we find them on the inexpensive, well produced cassettes by ‘popular’ Ragis that flood the stalls outside major Gurdwaras ? Is there an connection between these seminal melodies and the toe tapping, over instrumented commercial music that masquerades as Gurmat Sangeet today ? (That by the way was a short rant disguised as a rhetorical question !)

The good news is that all is not lost ! The rich oral tradition that was the torch bearer for traditional Gurmat Sangeet in the last three centuries comes to our rescue here. This tradition however was not sufficient to preserve Gurmat Sangeet because it had essentially started to fall apart in the last century, under the onslaught of ‘popular’ or ‘commercial’ Kirtan. The decline was accelerated by the proliferation of inexpensive cassette players and dirt cheap cassettes and a never ending supply of tacky film and popular music influenced melodies, marketed as Gurbani Kirtan or Gurmat Sangeet.

This is where the work of Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande intersects with the oral Gurmat Sangeet tradition, and in fact renders it a great service !

In 1961, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee published two volumes titled Gurbani Sangeet by Gian Singh Ji (Abbotabad). Gian Singh Ji was born in 1897 in Abbotabad, now in Pakistan, into an affluent family. His father, Sardar Bhagwan Singh Ji, was fond of Kirtan and started teaching his young son to sing. By the time he was thirteen, Gian Singh Ji was quite adept at singing Gurbani Kirtan. He would seek out Ragis and Rababis and with their help master the old Gurmat Sangeet melodies that their families had preserved over the years. Gian Singh Ji was an enthusiastic participant in the Gurdwara Reform movement and a member of the early Shiromani Committee.

After the partition of India in 1947, Gian Singh Ji left Abbotabad and came to Delhi, where he quickly re-established himself as a businessman. In Delhi he embarked upon the task of documenting the seminal melodies that he had learned over his lifetime. While Gian Singh Ji had colleted a large repertoire of shabad compositions, he was no musicologist. He engaged the services of a Rababi called Bhai Taba Ji and a young Dilruba player, who used to accompany Bhai Samund Singh Ji and had served at Sri Harmandir Sahib as well. Employing the notational system created by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, with the help of Bhai Taba ji and the young Dilruba player and musicologist, Gian Singh Ji completed the monumental task of documenting 309 Shabads, that embody the essence of Gurmat Sangeet.

Volume 1 of Gurbani Sangeet contains 192 shabads in 60 Ragas of the Sri Guri Granth Sahib. (Yes indeed, that is not a mistake; the Guru Granth Sahib has more than 31 Ragas, but that is a subject for another article). Volume 2 contains 117 shabads in 59 additional Ragas, which have traditionally been used for Gurmat Sangeet compositions.

The young Dilruba player and musicologist was none other than Gyani Dyal Singh Ji, who runs the Gurmat Vidyalaya at Gurdwara Rakabjanj Sahib. (The first article in this series is about the Gurmat Vidyalaya).

Gian Singh Ji (Abbotabad)

Thus did the task of documenting a rich, centuries old oral tradition, begin. Several other works followed. Among the most notable are the four volume Gurmat Sangeet Sagar by Gyani Dyal Singh Ji and the two volume Gurbani Sangeet Prachin Reet Ratnavali by Bhai Avtar Singh, Bhai Gurcharan Singh Ji. We will discuss these and other excellent works in subsequent articles.

On a very personal note, as a Kirtaniya (albeit, not a particularly good one!), I feel a tremendous debt of gratitude to Sardar Gian Singh Ji (Abbotabad), Gyani Dyal Singh Ji and Bhai Taba Ji. The compositions they so painstakingly documented and preserved, have a quality that is impossible to describe in words. You have to learn them, sing them or hear them to understand what I am talking about ! I get goose bumps just thinking about some of the beautiful Kirtan that is alive today, only because of these books. At this very moment, I am grappling with a glorious Partal in Basant Bahar that I am trying to teach to a couple of my students.

To all of you Kirtaniyas out there: seek out these books ! Learn Pandit Bhatkhande’s system of notation. Start working on some of these fabulous melodies that link us to the pristine Kirtan that our Gurus gave us. Enjoy them and ask Waheguru to bless all of these wonderful souls that have contributed to the preservation of our heritage !

Appendix

My friend, Sardar Amardeep Singh, currently from Singapore, a Kirtaniya and a Gurmat Sangeet Premi was kind enough to end me this comprehensive list of Books on Gurmat Sangeet. Enjoy ………

Sur Simran Sangeet (7 Volumes) – Sarvan Singh Gandharv - Not readily available. Try Nahal Global Trading on the Net or then Amritsar shops.
Gurbani Sangeet Pracheen Reet Ratnavali (2 Volumes) – Bhai Avtar & Gurcharan Singh
Gurbani Sangeet – Gian Singh (Abbotabad) – Published SGPC
Sangeet Sagar – Ragi Jaswant Singh Tibar – Publisher Damdami Taksal
Guru Gobind Singh Rag Ratnavali – Prof. Tara Singh – Publisher Amrit Keertan Trust, 422 Sector 15A, Chandigarh
Partal Gaiki – Prof. Tara Singh – You can only get it from his wife Surjit Kaur, 34A, Khalsa College Colony, Patiala Phone 0175-200878)
Guru Angad Dev Rag Ratnavali - Prof. Tara Singh – You can only get it from his wife Surjit Kaur, 34A, Khalsa College Colony, Patiala Phone 0175-200878)
Bhagat Raag Ratnavali - Prof. Tara Singh – You can only get it from his wife Surjit Kaur, 34A, Khalsa College Colony, Patiala Phone 0175-200878)
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Rag Ratnavali – Prof. Tara Singh – Publisher Punjabi University, Patiala
Sangeet Sikhya Gavo Saachi Bani – Raghbir Singh – Publisher Arsi Publishers, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
Gurmat Sangeet Sagar (4 Volumes) – Principle Dyal Singh
Gurmat Sangeet Sikhya – Principle Dyal Singh
Tabla Mridang Sagar - Principle Dyal Singh
Kirtan Reets of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh by Kanwar Jit Singh, 139 Vikas Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi
Ishar Sangeet sagar – Ustad Sham Singh – Publisher Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh, Amritsar
Gurmat Sangeet – Charan Singh Ji
Guru Tegh Bahadur Rag Ratnavali – Prof. Tara Singh – Publisher Punjabi University, Patiala
Guru Arjan Dev Rag Ratnavali - Prof. Tara Singh – Publisher Punjabi University, Patiala
Guru Ramdas Rag Ratnavali - Prof. Tara Singh – Publisher Punjabi University, Patiala
Indian Classical Music – GS Mansukhani
Gyan Bandshavli – Dr. Gurnam Singh – Publisher Punjabi University, Patiala
Vismad Naad (Gurmat Sangeet Vishesh Ank) – Gurudwara Jawadi Taksal, Ludhiana
Swar Samund (Jeevani of Bhai Samund Singh) – Professor Paramjot Singh, Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle, Ludhiana
Sahaj Dhun - Professor Paramjot Singh, Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle
Saral Kirtan Parnali (2 Volumes) – Joginder Singh Saral
Guru Nanak Sangeet Padhati Granth (Gives notations of all the shabads sung in 1991 Aduti Gurmat Sangeet Sammelan at Jawadi Taksal) - Gurudwara Jawadi Taksal, Ludhiana
Hindustani Sangeet Padati (Punjabi) Volume 1 only in Punjabi – Kramik Pustak Malika – Vishnu Narayan Bhathkandey – Published by Amrit Keertan Trust, 422 Sector 15A, Chandigarh
Gurbani Sangeet Darpan – Prof. Kartar Singh – Published by SGPC
Gurmat Sangeet Sagar – Asa Di Vaar Tey Shabad - Principle Dyal Singh
Gurmat Sangeet Prabandh Tey Pasar – dr. Gurnam Singh, Punjabi University, Patiala
Gurmat Sangeet Rag Ratnavali (in HINDI Language) – Dr. Gurnam Singh & Dr. Yashpal Sharma

Basant Ki Var

2005-01-22T01:06:00.000-08:00

Basant Ki Var

Around two years ago, for reasons that have now faded from my memory, we were lacking a Ragi Jatha at the Boston (Milford) Gurdwara. It is at times like these that the second string gets called in ! Hence I found myself offering Kirtan Seva at the Milford Gurdwara, a couple of Sunday mornings.

In the world of Gurmat Sangeet, particularly at Sri Harmandir Sahib, there is an enduring tradition in place, according to which it is customary to sing Raga Basant, Bahar and their variants from Magh Di Sangrand, which occurs mid January, to Holla Mohalla, which occurs around mid-March. Even the most blasé of Kirtaniyas make it a point to begin their Kirtan with a shabad in one of the Ragas associated with the spring. The singing of shabads is interspersed with the singing of the three Paudis of the magnificent Basant K Var.

I first learned of this tradition back in early 1994, when we used to live in New Jersey. Bhai Gurmej Singh Ji, then Hazuri Ragi at Sri Harmandir Sahib was visiting the Bridgewater Gurdwara. It was a crisp Sunday morning in the middle of winter. Bhai Sahib, accompanied by the young Amarjit Singh on harmonium and the late Bhai Iqbal Singh on tabla, started with a leisurely Mangla Charan in Raga Basant. This was followed by a most magnificent rendition of the shabad Dekh Phool Phool Phule in Basant, set to Iktaal.

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmejSingh/Bhai%20Gurmej%20Singh%20-%20Dekh%20phool%20phool%20%20phholai.mp3

I remember being totally mesmerized by his stately, deeply emotional and yet somehow totally detached singing of the shabad. This was followed by the singing of the first Paudi of the Basant Ki Var.

My friend Charanjit Singh, who plays the Sitar and who I have unfortunately lost touch with, was similarly moved. I remember that we were both completely charged up and could not rest until we had hacked out the bandish or melody on the harmonium at the conclusion of the Diwan. Afterwards, I went up to Bhai Sahib and asked him about what he sang, particularly the Var. Until then I had only heard of the Asa Di Var; Basant Ki Var was something quite new ! Bhai Sahib was kind enough to explain the traditions associated with Raga Basant to me !

Since that winter day in 1994, Basant fever grips me from Magh Di Sangrand to Hola Mohalla. I cannot, but cannot sing, learn or teach anything other than Shabads in Basant, Shuddh Basant, Bahar, Basant Bahar, Hindol, Basant Hindol. I think back fondly to the innumerable beautiful Shabads that this wonderful season has gifted to me and those around me. I can remember the particular joy I experienced after discovering, with the help of Bhai Avtar Singh, Gurcharan Singh’s book on Gurmat Sangeet, that another magnificent Shabad that Bhai Gurmej Singh had sung, years ago during his visit to Bridgewater, which I though was in Kafi, was actually in an archaic variant of the Raga, known as Buddha Basant !

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmejSingh/Bhai%20Gurmej%20SIngh%20-%20Holi%20kini%20sant%20sev.mp3

Early, another January morning in the late 90s. I remember making a quick trip to Sri Harmandir Sahib. I was in Amritsar to attend a wedding and I was very short of time, but on an impulse, I decided to go to Darbar Sahib. I made a hurried Parrikarma, went inside, paid my respects and was preparing to leave. The current shabad Chowki had ended and a new Ragi Jatha was starting to tune their tables. Then, a somewhat reedy, somewhat nasal voice started a sublime Manglacharan in Raga Basant, set to Vilambit (slow) Iktaal. I stood transfixed. The Manglacharan was follwed by a fabulous shabad in Basant, set to slow Chartaal, in the majestic Dhrupad style. Another Shabad in Raga Basant Hindol followed. The last shabad was a lively rendition, if I remember correctly, of Mouli Dharti Mouliya Akash, in Raga Bahar. And of course, Basant Ki Var ! Fortyfive minutes had passed. All commitments forgotten, I was rooted to the spot ! I had to find out who the Kirtaniya was. I was told it was the Jatha of Bhai Narinder Singh Ji, Banaraswale. How I wish I had my recording equipment with me that day !

Back to the Boston Gurdwara ! It is the winter of 2003. Eighteen inches of fresh snow lie on the ground around us. It is the time of year, when I am a slave to Basant. I joyously sing, Basant in my heart and on my lips. Later in the langar hall, I overhear a young woman expressing her amusement at the incongruity of ‘Dekh Phool Phool Phule’ and ‘Maha Maha Mumarkhi, Chadiya Sadaa Basant’ right after the conclusion of a blizzard ! I do not care ! Basant Ki Var resonates everywhere. In cold, wintery New England, the promise of spring is enough to send the spirit soaring !

Gurmat Vidyalaya at Rakabganj Sahib, Delhi

2005-01-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

Hopkinton, MA
January 16, 2005

During a short business trip to Delhi last week, I had the opportunity to visit the Gurmat Vidyalaya at Rakabganj Sahib a couple of times. Fresh off a plane, jet lag my ally, I summoned a rental car, and went to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to listen to the Asa Ki Var. A visit to Bangla Sahib in the wee hours of the morning is always energizing. However I could not suppress a twinge of disappointment at the somewhat banal, commercialized rendition of Kirtan by the presiding Jatha.

My attention wavering, I got up to leave after about 45 minutes and asked my driver to head back to my hotel. On an impulse, I asked him to take me to Gurdwara Rakabganj instead. In sharp contrast to Bangla Sahib, Rakabganj bears a somewhat deserted look in the mornings. Asa Ki Var at Rakabganj begins not at 5 a.m. but an hour later. As I entered the Gurdwara, I heard the first Paudi of Asa Ki Var being sung in seemingly girlish, unpolished voices. It was however, being rendered in Raga Asa, as it should be, according to the traditions of Gurmat Sangeet. I saw three young Singhs, perhaps about thirteen or fourteen, threadbare shawls on thier shoulders in perhaps a futile attempt to ward off the January chill, spiritedly rendering our magnifcent morning ballad, as it has been sung for centuries.

I sat down to listen and was transfixed for the next hour. The young kirtaniyas, with great gusto sang the first four Paudis in Raga Asa followed by Raga Bhairav. The shabads they sang were also traditional compositions in the same Ragas. The urgent tug of the meetings that had brought me to Delhi cut short the wonderful experience and I hurried back to my hotel, energized and renewed by the sincere and soulful Kirtan of the young Kirtaniyas, determined however to return.

The Gurmat Vidyalaya at Rakabganj, which is where these young Kirtaniyas in-training are from is one of the premier institutions in the Panth where the traditions of Gurmat Sangeet are taught today. The Vidyalaya has been run since 1967 by the redoubtable Gyani Dyal Singh Ji.

(To learn more about Gyaniji, go to http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Pages/DyalSingh.asp)

I had first met Gyaniji at the Long Island Gurdwara in 1992, when he was visiting with Bhai Surjit Singh, an excellent Kirtaniya and one of his senior-most students. Gyaniji has had a profound impact on me and has in no small part provided considerable inspiration to the Gurmat Sangeet Project (www.gurmatsangeetproject.com) without even being aware of it ! I had met him a second time in the mid 90s at Bridgewater New Jersey, when he visited the Gurdwara and spoke about Gurmat Sangeet. It was however, with some trepidation that I called him that afternoon, because Gyaniji has the temperament of ascetic and does not take kindly to distractions from his work with the children at the Vidyalaya.

The next day being Lohri, I armed myself with fruit and mathiai for the children of the Vidyalaya and made my way to Rakabganj Sahib. Gyaniji had asked me to come at around 5 p.m. which is when the children take a break from lessons. I do not have words to describe the next couple of hours. Gyani Dyal Singh Ji, ascetic demeanor notwithstanding, turned out to be warm, passionate about Gurmat Sangeet and one of the most straightforward persons that I have ever met ! I got a veritable history lesson on the founding of the Gurmat Vidyalaya, Gyani Dyal Singh Ji's teacher, Gyani Hardit Singh Ji and Gyaniji's groundbreaking collboration with Gian Singh Ji Abbotbad, and the Rababi Bhai Taba Ji, which resulted in the documenting and preservation of ancient melodies employed for Kirtan from the very times of the Gurus !

We also spent time commiserating with each other on the sorry state of Gurbani Kirtan today where mediocrity and money rule with scant regard for the traditions of Gurmat Sangeet and often, utter neglect for the few exponents who choose to remain true to the traditional path. The most uplifting part of the conversation was brainstorming what could be done to encourage and support the few stalwarts who continue to preserve the traditions of Gurmat Sangeet.Two hours later, I reluctantly tore myself away, ( I had to see a Man about a Tanpura !) but I left, uplifted and energized. Our brainstorming on what can be done is a subject for another post.

I had to return to Boston the next day, but there was one more treat in store for me. Gyaniji picked some of his most adept students and invited one of the practicing Jathas that has studied with him, to sing the Asa Ki Var the next morning at Rakabganj Sahib. It was truly a sublime experience, listening to the beautiful kirtan; the children and the Ragis offered to the Sangat, a soulful rendition of Asa Ki Var in Morning Ragas such as Asa, Bhairav, Ahir Bhairav, and Asavari, interspersed with magnificent shabads, sung in prescribed or Nirdharat Ragas, including Partals in Asa & Bhairav. I had the good fortune to record the entire Asa Ki Var; the recordings will appear shortly on www.gurmatsangeetproject.com

What a contrast ! On the one hand the banal, soulless singing that I heard the first day, that so disappointed me ! On the other, the youthful energetic renditions, steeped in the traditions bestowed upon us by our Gurus, no less ! And the tantalizing promise of a Renaissance !

The Kirtaniyas of tomorrow !

Gyani Dyal Singh Ji - holding forth !