Above: The Durbar Sahib from a photo by Dariusz Klemens. Below, first photo from bottom: Tajvinder Singh, at age 8, playing tabla at a statewide competition.
Music
A California Yankee in The Guru's Court
by FELICIA KAUR JODHKA
Born in Hollywood, California, U.S.A., Sardar Tajvinder Singh was destined to become a star.
But today, you won't see him in the latest Hollywood flick, nor will you see him in any Bollywood drama. Rather, Tajvinder is known for being heard!
His voice resonates from a place of immeasurable grace, immaculate beauty, and overwhelming power - Sri Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar.
At the young age of 22, not only is Tajvinder Singh the youngest Sikh to become an official hazoori raagi at the Durbar Sahib - a title thousands aspire to, but few attain - but also the only American-born Sikh to do so.
While Sikhs leave their houses, families and the fertile land of the five rivers behind and head to the U.S. (and elsewhere) with a seed of hope in their hands and a desire for the American Dream, Tajvinder followed his heart back to the holy land of Amritsar - a land on which the Gurus built the foundation of Sikhism, stone by stone, brick by brick.
Leaving the Taco Bells and Pizza Huts of the American West for the dhabas of Amritsar and replacing the Nike hoodies and South Pole jeans for the simple, white kurta-pajama, he has never felt closer to home.
"I can't even begin to express in words the feeling I have living at the door of Darbar Sahib", he says. "My mind feels comforted here and I feel the presence of the Guru, and I think to myself how blessed I am to be walking the same roads that the Gurus had walked hundreds of years ago. This truly is Guru di dharti (The Land of the Gurus) and this is the dar (door) that I do kirtan on. When I enter the Golden Temple and then leave, I feel like I'm a totally different person. And everyday is a new feeling. I guess I can describe it as Sahib Mera Neet Nava (My Lord and Master is forever new). I feel He's closer to me than even my own hands and feet".
THE BEGINNING OF A DREAM
It was Tajvinder Singh's first visit to Harmandar Sahib that instilled within him a passion for kirtan and reaffirmed his faith and love for his Guru.
He says on his website: "It was always my dream to become a Darbar Sahib raagi from childhood. When I was eight, I went to Darbar Sahib and sat behind the hazoori raagi while they did kirtan. Ever since that day, I had made up my mind that this is where I want to live and kirtan is what I want to do."
The very next year, his mother brought home a harmonium and tabla from her visit to India and taught him his very first shabad - Saadho Gobind Ke Gun Gaavo (O good souls, sing the glory of the Lord of the universe). And since then, he has been doing just that.
With the guidance of cassettes and albums of various raagi jathaas, the encouragement and support of his family, and his own passion for kirtan, Tajvinder Singh began the slow but steady path to excellence.
Kirtan thereafter became a way of life, rather than a mere hobby. Performing at local weekly children's programs became the motivation to master the next big shabad sung by the most popular raagi jathaa of the time. Practicing and perfecting taals and ragas became priority for the annual Sikh Children's Day state-wide competition.
And he never failed to astound the judges and sangat with his kirtan and tabla. As a student in the midst of 21-23 unit semesters at California State University, Sacramento, Tajvinder always found time to routinely visit the local gurdwaras and mingle with the sewadars and raagis. His steadfast commitment and respect for kirtan and for those who perform it only deepened his desire.
SUCCESS AND SURRENDER
From the humble beginnings of drumming on overturned pots at the age of four, Tajvinder has come a long way. Conversations with him are now interrupted by phone calls from sangats and fans all over India, requesting him to perform a particular shabad that tugs at the strings of their souls.
Many an hour is spent at the recording studio in Amritsar where he and his kirtan colleagues perfect each and every note for the upcoming release of their first album, Babal Mera Vadh Samratha.
Between the days of his scheduled kirtan duties at Darbar Sahib and the days at the studio, he travels all over Punjab and as far as Jaipur, accepting kirtan invitations from Sikhs that share the same love and respect for Harmandar Sahib as he does. But even with his newfound and rising fame and popularity, you will find him, more often than not, in the underground level modestly polishing and cleaning the dust off the shoes of some of the 50,000 devotees who come to the Golden Temple daily to receive the blessings of Guru Ram Das.
"I surrender all my hopes and desires and problems to Him and I have never failed. Interacting with the loving sangat here and doing seva and kirtan lets me sacrifice my mind to my Guru and accept His Hukam (Will)".
Rather than actively seeking national recognition or international acclaim, he lives his life simply, desiring to become a star in the eyes of his Guru. "Everything else", he says "will take care of itself".
Aapas ko jo janey neecha, sou ganiye sabh te oocha (One who sees himself as lowly shall be accounted as the highest of all).
[You can listen to Bhai Tajvinder Singh live on sgpc.net during his scheduled kirtan duties. Visit bhaitajvindersingh.com to learn more about Bhai Tajvinder Singh Ji and to listen to and download his kirtan tracks.]
March 28, 2008
Conversation about this article
1: Satvir Kaur (Boston, U.S.A.), March 31, 2008, 8:36 AM.
Wow! That is wonderful! May Waheguru bless him always and keep the "jote" of Guru Pyaar alive in him forever.
2: Bhajneet Singh (Los Angeles, U.S.A.), March 31, 2008, 4:13 PM.
I remember when Tajvinder Singh first told me his dream was to be a Darbar Sahib Raagi Jatha. I told him, today you want to be a Raagi Jatha, tomorrow you will want to be a astronaut and the next day a basketball player. Very few of us are actually able to follow through with our dreams and very few of us have that clarity in our lives that gives us the ability to know exactly what to dream. Congratulations, Bhai Tajvinder Singh Ji, on accomplishing your dream. Keep on dreaming further and you can accomplish anything!
3: Haspinder Singh (Paris, France), April 01, 2008, 9:30 AM.
This guy has really fallen in love with the One!
4: Raj (U.S.A.), April 02, 2008, 6:27 PM.
The last comment re "international acclaim" is fine, but gifted musicians should go out and present their art. I have same problem with Namdhari musicians, they're so good yet never perform in the general public. Performing doesn't always means with vulgar music, there are hundreds of musicians who consider this art as their dedication toward "anhad naad". We shouldn't be close minded.
5: Gurpreet Singh Badrain (Punjab, India), April 11, 2008, 6:52 AM.
I have seen him perform kirtan many a times and he has great sense of raag. I pray that such a great soul is able to motivate many others.
6: Mintu (Costa Mesa, U.S.A.), January 27, 2009, 12:24 AM.
On my last trip to India, I got a chance to meet him at the Darbar Sahib. And I should say that I was very touched to see him doing kirtan there. I think what he is doing very few can do, staying away from family and finding the true love of the Guru. We all should be proud of having him. I love his kirtan ... jin wadayeee tere naam keee ... kirtan from his first cassette. I play it in my car every morning, and I feel so good after listening to that shabad.