Music
A Full Circle
by SARBPREET SINGH
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, U.S.A. The crisp sound of the jorrhi bounces off the
walls as the melody, a timeless bandish in Raag 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?
‘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 of the kindness of a new friend
from Austin who fifteen years earlier probably had the same
emotions running through his heart when he recorded this shabad in his
home, sung by Bhai Avtar Singh.
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 Raag 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 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 many times. Often unexpectedl. Our first meeting was at Bridgewater, New Jersey, probably in 1993. By then I had acquired
several of his recordings 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 jul bul jaoun' in Shri Rag which
particularly moved me. Once again my sitar-playing friend, Charanjit
Singh was not
satisfied until we had hacked out the melody on the vaaja!
Later, of course, I acquired the magnificent, two volume ‘Prachin Reet Ratnavali', authored by Bhai Sahib and his older brother Bhai Gurcharan Singh, 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 who has accompanied Bhai Sahib on the jorrhi 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 whispers, "Jadon aatta chhat nu vajjega, ohdon asli swaad auna hai". I look at him, puzzled. Aatta? Hitting the ceiling? Here?
The shabad is coming to an end. Bhai Swarn Singh is playing chartaal on the jorrhi 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 jorrhi. 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 aatta! I am perplexed!
Later I learn that in order to coax the right sound out of a jorrhi, 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 aatta on his tabla!"
There
are many other chance meetings. One morning, passing through Delhi on
my way home to Gangtok, Sikkim, I go to Bangla Sahib. I have the good fortune to
listen to Bhai Sahib's rendition of the Asa ki Vaar. 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 Vaar. 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 Raag Tilang. I am too
embarrassed to ask Bhai Swarn Singh to accompany me. Sangat is provided
by my electronic tabla. Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh offers many words of
encouragement.
During the next visit to Bridgewater, New Jersey, I
ask Bhai Sahib 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'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 beaming at me.
Bhai Avtar Singh proudly introduces me to his youngest son, Kultar
Singh, who has now given up his professional career and has dedicated
himself to the gurmat sangeet tradition! Bhai Sahib 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 June
14, 2005.
Bhai Sahib 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 has been
encouraging me to avoid the vaaja and sing with my tanpura. Should I?
Perhaps I should play it safe and sing a simple shabad in Bhairav in
teentaal, using my vaaja? I decide to go for broke! The partaal it is.
'Pratpaal prabk kirpaal kavan gun ganee.' Without a vaaja. Bhai Swarn
Singh graciously agrees to accompany me. The jatha politely 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. Kultar Singh asks me to record
myself, but I forget to turn on my mike and save myself a lot of
embarrassment.
And then Bhai Sahib begins the partaal in Raag
Bilaval.
This piece is a tribute to one of the greatest Raagis of this age. An expression of my love, respect and affection. In
addition to being a fabulous raagi and singer, Bhai Avtar Singh
is a wonderful human being. Warm. Affectionate. Compassionate. Givng.
We
are fortunate. Our home has been blessed by his presence.
[This piece was first published in 2005 on Gurmat Sangeet.]
June 1, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: K. Singh (Massachusetts, U.S.A.), June 01, 2010, 1:58 PM.
I have read this article before on the Gurmat Sangeet Project blog and each time I read it, I think of the amazing personality of Bhai Avtar Singh and his jatha. They are truly amazing, something everyone must experience. An interesting anecdote: I was introduced to Bhai Sahib's kirtan in 2000, and in January 2001, I traveled to Delhi for my cousin's wedding. At the shagun and the Anand Karaj, I was blown away by the kirtan, but had no idea who the jatha was. (Since I was a family member, I did not have time to sit with the jatha during the various events). When I came back to the U.S. and we were watching the video, someone told me that it was Bhai Sahib (I also had never seen his photo before.) To think that the jatha was doing kirtan seva in front of my own eyes and I never even knew it! Come September 2001, the jatha travelled to Boston for the first time in many years (at least that I can remember). Thanks to the author of this article, the Boston sangat had by now starting to listen to gurmat sangeet style kirtan, and Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh's CDs were gaining popularity! Every morning, Asa ki Vaar ... and then the evening divan! The attendance at both was amazing. Day by day, more and more people started attending. I had the privilege of driving Bhai Sahib down to New York for the next leg of his journey, and the honor of having five hours of undivided attention was just amazing! But there is another side to Bhai Sahib and his jatha which makes it all the more worthwhile. Bhai Swarn Singh will never let you leave without the biggest hug in the world, he will always ask about your family and life. He cares so much! Bhai Kultar Singh is much younger and wants to talk technology and careers and other life aspects. Bhai Avtar Singh always saw a sangat member as a dear friend or brother. He knew about everyone's families and their extended families. He really liked to sit down and talk to people to get to know them ... just an amazing personality. Another interesting anecdote to show their personality: the day before they left Boston in 2001, we had an extended divan. The program did not finish until almost 10 pm and they were planning to leave by 6 the next morning. We all thought Bhai Sahib would be tired and would want to rest. The younger generation hung around the Langar Hall chatting and reminiscing about the great week of kirtan that had just ended and how sad we were that it was now over. A couple of people decided to go to the local grocery store to buy some melons to share with the sangat. Upon their return, they decided to go to Bhai Sahib's room and share the fruit with them as well. They thought they would drop them off and head back to the Langar Hall. However, Bhai Sahib had another idea in mind! Next thing I knew, we were all sitting in Bhai Sahib's room, Bhai Swarn Singh was cutting the melons for all to share. We were all sitting around, and Bhai Sahib even told a joke or two; it was just amazing. When the fruit finished, Bhai Sahib sent someone back to the grocery store to get more. He said as long as they had fruit to serve, he would serve them to us. He did not want us to leave! Bhai Sahib came back to Boston twice more before his death, and each time we met him, it was the same experience. Simply an amazing person!
2: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), June 01, 2010, 4:07 PM.
It is 03:30 and I already feel blessed. Just feasted on Sarabpreet ji's latest offering, akin to a hand-held stroll through a garden, with him explaining each and every flower in bloom to a wonder-struck child. I feel so fulfilled and shall be dedicating the rest of the day to scrounging the net for the the offerings of Bhai Avtar Singh ji, as a treasure hunt. You have provided us tantalising hints by showing the menu. I am beginning to feel the wonderful atmosphere when Guru Nanak would say to Mardana: 'Char Mardanaya rabab oodi kai sifat kariay" and the whole 'banraai' would tip-toe and come to a standstill to listen to the celestial music. How to thank you, I do not know.
3: Himadri Banerjee (Kolkata, India), June 01, 2010, 10:12 PM.
I do not know whether I would have the privilege of listening to Bhai Sahib in the coming days of life. I believe in the silver linings of life that I would have that privilege before I leave the world. What has touched me equally is the presentation of those experiences in a way which could touch the heart of a man who listens to these wonderful melodies of Sikh heritage occasionally. I bless the author simply by virtue of my age and no other thing. It touches me and makes my morning, communicating these priceless experiences which would have otherwise not reached me.
4: Gurjender Singh (Maryland, U.S.A.), June 02, 2010, 9:02 AM.
I was very fortunate to listen to Bhai Gurcharan Singh, Bhai Avtar Singh and Bhai Swarn Singh when their jatha used to come to Washington D.C. gurdwara at Military Road in the mid-1980s. At that time, Bhai Shaib used to come for months as there were fewer gurdwara in the U.S. then. A special thanks to J.S.Gabri ji who used to provide accommodation to the jatha at his home.
5: Parminder Kaur Dhillon (Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A.), June 02, 2010, 10:39 AM.
Bhai Sahib Avtar Singh, Gurcharan Singh and Swarn Singh had been a big part of my life when I was growing up in India. Birthdays, weddings and other important family occasions were celebrated with kirtan by their jatha. Every time they came to the U.S., the Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina was on their kirtan tour. They did kirtan on the inauguration of the gurdwara in 1985. My parents often took us to their home in the Mata Sundari Gurdwara premises. On one of our trips from the U.S., I visited them again. Bhai Avtar Singh had just published 'Gurmat Sangeet' in two volumes, which he autographed and gave me. As a little child, I remember being taken to gurpurab celebrations in Delhi to hear their jatha sing. Their beards were young then and Bhai Swarn Singh was in his teens. At a very early age I was exposed to kirtan sung by the jathas of Bhai Avtar Singh, Bhai Samund Singh, Bhai Santa Singh and Bhai Surjan Singh. Those shabads still resonate in my ears. I remember when the first cassette players were introduced. Bhai Santa Singh would not let anyone record his kirtan, he felt there was too much distraction during the divan. How I wish we had more recordings of those times. Bhai Kultar Singh is carrying on the legacy of Bhai Avtar Singh ji. May Waheguru keep the jatha in chardi kalaa, so that Sikh sangats everywhere can hear gurbani kirtan in the gurmat sangeet traditions.
6: Surinder (Massachusetts, U.S.A.), June 02, 2010, 11:51 AM.
Bhai Sahib was a great singer. His father was also a great singer. His father was there that historic day in Nanakana Sahib when Sikhs were massacred by the British-appointed Mahant. The name Himadri Banerjee reminds me of a famous book on Sikhs. If you are that author, please accept by humble regards, Sir.
7: Sarbpreet Singh (Boston, PA, U.S.A.), October 08, 2011, 11:36 AM.
Dear Dr. Banerjee: Thank you for the kind words! If you get this message, please email me at sarbpreet@comcast.net. I would like to send you recordings by Bhai Sahib for you to enjoy.