See also Kirtan
Sikh music (Shabad keertan) began in the 16th century as the musical expression of mystical poetry conceived by the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak. Following him, all the Sikh gurus sang in the then-prevalent classical and folk music styles, accompanied by stringed and percussion instruments. The classical style was the devotional dhrupad style, where the text was of prime significance and the music played a supporting, albeit important, role. The Gurus specified the ragas in which they sang each hymn in the Sikh sacred scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. 62 ragas were used; thirty-one main ragas and the same number of variants. Several of these are unique to the Sikh music tradition.
In addition to using and modifying traditional instruments, the Sikh gurus developed new stringed instruments like the taus and percussion instruments like the jori: the rabab, sarinda and pakhavaj are also used. While Hindustani music underwent significant changes in the setting of Mughal courts, and a separate stream of Carnatic music developed in southern India, Sikh music retained its original form and styles, a unique musical tradition encompassing a variety of melodic forms and a well-developed percussive system.
In the 20th century the classical style was largely replaced by contemporary popular genres often based on Indian film music. Within the remaining classical tradition, the devotional dhrupad style was overtaken by the darbaari khayaal style. The harmonium took the place of stringed instruments and the tabla replaced the pakhaavaj and jori.
Significant efforts have been under way since the 1970s to revive the rich Sikh music tradition initiated and developed by the Sikh Gurus. Various terms used to refer to this tradition include Shabad keertan parampara, Gurbani sangeet parampara and Gurmat sangeet.
Contents |
Sikh Musicians
Three types of Sikh musicians - rababis, ragis, and dhadhis - flourished during the period of the gurus. Guru Nanak started the rababi tradition by engaging Bhai Mardana as his accompanist. The Muslim singers formerly called mirasis, Nanak called "rababis", because they played on the rabab (rebec). Some notable rababis after Mardana were his son Shahjada, Balwand and Satta, Babak, son of Satta, Chatra, son of Babak, and Saddu and Baddu. Rababis used to perform kirtan regularly at Amritsar before the partition in 1947, after which the rababis migrated to Pakistan. The last of the line of rababis was Bhai Chand.
The second type of musician - ragis - were amateur singers whom Guru Arjan encouraged to perform kirtan in order to avoid dependence on professional rababis. Some of the bards (bhatts) at the Court of Guru Arjan, whose compositions are included in the holy Sikh Scripture, became ragis and did kirtan before the congregations at different centres. Bhai Jassa Singh Ahluwalia performed kirtan at Mata Sundri’s residence at Delhi after the death of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708. Kirtan at the Golden Temple, Amritsar, was discontinued (on account of persecution by Muslim rulers) for much of the eighteenth century. When the Sikh missals (confederacies) obtained control of Amritsar, kirtan was restarted there. Bhai Mansa Singh ragi performed kirtan there during the regime of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Bhai Sham Singh Adanshabi did likewise for more than seventy years. Outside Amritsar Sant Attar Singh, Bhai Sujan Singh, Bhai Randhir Singh and his groups were Sikh kirtan musicians who did missionary work.
A modern ragi group generally consists of three persons: one plays the tabla or jori (pair of drums), as well as a dholak and seldom participates in the singing; another plays the harmonium, while the third plays a stringed instrument, harmonium or cymbals. The leader of the group sits in the centre and the group is known by his name. Today ragi-groups are employed by the Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to perform kirtan in relays at the Golden Temple and other historic Gurdwaras in the Punjab. Some travelling ragi-parties perform kirtan in parts of the world where there is a concentration of Sikh residents.
Guru Hargobind first employed the third types of musicians, called dhadhis, early in the seventeenth century. He instructed them to sing heroic ballads (vaars) in his court to inspire the Sikhs to acts of valour and heroism. Bhai Abdulla, expert in playing the Sarangi, and Bhai Natha, player of the dhadh (a small hand-drum), were popular. These groups subsequently became very popular all over the Punjab on account of the use of folk tunes and their zealous and emotional style of singing. The singers had hardly any knowledge of Hindustani classical music but appealed to the masses. A dhadhi group consists of two or three singers, one playing on the sarangi, another playing on the dhadh, and the third, maybe the leader, discoursing on the contents of their songs. Though they are expected to sing vars of the Scripture, they usually sing their own poetic compositions on the daring exploits of Sikh warriors and martyrs. One of the famous dhadhi-jathas was that of Bhai Kishen Singh Kartor. Sohan Singh Seetal is also a well-known dhadhi.
Major customs of Sikh Kirtan
The tradition of kirtan developed over the period of the ten Gurus is as follows:
- Hymns from the following compositions only are permitted in kirtan: Adi Granth, Dasam Granth, vaars and kabits of Bhai Gurdas, Bhai Nandlal’s poems.
- The kirtan-group is generally seated on the right side of the seat (palki) of the Guru Granth Sahib. No special seats or cushions are provided for the singers though in big assemblies (diwan) the use of a platform or dais is allowed provided it is lower than the seat of Guru Granth Sahib.
- In the morning, kirtan of entire Asa-di-var (24 chants, salokas and pauris) is completed. The singing of Asa-di-var is not to be interrupted by katha (exposition of a random hymn read from the Scripture) or lecture.
- Appropriate compositions of Gurbani are sung at certain functions. For example at the time of Anand Karaj (Sikh Wedding) Lavan, Anand and suitable shabads ar sung. At the funeral of a Sikh, appropriate shabads relating to death are sung. Kirtan Sohila is recited before cremating the dead body.
- Every hymn should be sung in the indicated raga and tala. The singer should use the appropriate laya, tan and palta. However, he must not forget the appropriate ethos, mood and spirit (rasa) of the hymn.
- Vars should be sung as indicated in the Scripture. For example Gauri var should be sung in Gauri raga, Ramkali var in Ramkali raga, with appropriate dhuni if indicated.
- Display of musical skill and excess of alap (free improvisation) and tan are not permitted as they tend to make the minds of singers and listeners mercurial and unstable.
- Correct pronunciation and intonation of Gurbani is essential so that the audience may understand the wording and the meaning of the hymn. The singer is not supposed to introduce any words of his own or make interpolations in Gurbani [1]. The use of extra words like ha, ji, wahwah, piyara, etc., is against the spirit of Gurmat.
- The raga-technique and the sounds of instruments are subordinated to the singing of the hymn. What is brought out prominently by the musician is the Gurbani and its rasa, and not the musical expertise. Parallel quotations (parmans) to illustrate the theme are permitted during the kirtan.
- Any hymn that has been commenced should be completed. Lack of time is no reason for stopping the singing of a hymn.
- No kirtan is permitted during Akhand Path (continuous reading of the Scripture).
- The listeners should not make offerings (donations) to the musicians while the kirtan is in progress. Offerings can be made at the end of the kirtan. The best way is one followed by Sufi congregations, where the listeners make the offerings to the president of the function or the organiser who hands over the collections to the leader of the music-group at the conclusion of the function. No ragi should interrupt his kirtan to acknowledge a donation or offering, nor should he mention the name of the donor. He should make a collective acknowledgement of the offerings at the end of the kirtan. This procedure is in accordance with Resolution No. 5 dated 2 January 1976 of the Kirtan Sub-Committee of the Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar. In any case, interruption of kirtan to praise a donor or office-bearer of the Gurdwara or a distinguished visitor by name is absolutely forbidden, as it is against Gurmat (Guru’s instructions).
Raga: Melodic Scales
Ragas have a direct relationship to human moods and the following are the connections between Ragas and feeling:
- Soohi - joy and separation
- Bilaaval - happiness
- Gaund - strangeness, surprise, beauty
- Sri - satisfaction and balance
- Maajh - loss, beautification
- Gauri - seriousness
- Aasa - making effort
- Gujri - satisfaction, softness of heart, sadness
- Devgandhari - no specific feeling but the Raag has a softness
- Bihaagra - beautification
- Sorath - motivation
- Dhanasari - inspiration, motivation
- Jaitsree - softness, satisfaction, sadness
- Todi - this being a flexible Raag it is apt for communicating many feelings
- Bhairaagi - sadness, (The Gurus have, however, used it for the message of *Bhakti)
- Tilang - this is a favourite Raag of Muslims. It denotes feeling of beautification and yearning.
- Raamkali - calmness
- Nat Narayan - happiness
- Maali Gaura - happiness
- Maaru - giving up of cowardice
- Tukhari - beautification
- Kedara - love and beautification
- Bhairav - seriousness, brings stability of mind
- Basant - happiness
- Sarang - sadness
- Malaar - separation
- Jaijawanti - viraag
- Kalyaan - Bhakti Ras
- Vadhans - vairaag, loss (that is why Alahniya is sung in this Raag when someone passes away)
- Parbhati - Bhakti and seriousness
- Kaanra - Bhakti and seriousness
Tala: Rhythms
In connection with Tala or musical beats/rhythms and the ‘Ghar’ in the Guru Granth Sahib, the following can be concluded.
- GHAR 1 - DADRA TAL (6 Matras)
- GHAR 2 - RUPAK TAL (7 Matras)
- GHAR 3 - TEEN TAL (16 Matras)
- GHAR 4 - CHAAR TAL (12 Matras)
- GHAR 5 - PUNJ TAL (15 Matras)
- GHAR 6 - KHUT TAL (18 Matras)
- GHAR 7 - MUT TAL (21 Matras)
- GHAR 8 - ASHT MANGAL TAL (22 Matras)
- GHAR 9 - MOHINI TAL (23 Matras)
- GHAR 10 - BRAHAM TAL (28 Matras)
- GHAR 11 - RUDRA TAL (32 Matras)
- GHAR 12 - VISHNU TAL (36 Matras)
- GHAR 13 - MUCHKUND TAL (34 Matras)
- GHAR 14 - MAHASHANI TAL (42 Matras)
- GHAR 15 - MISHR BARAN TAL (47 Matras)
- GHAR 16 - KUL TAL (42 Matras)
- GHAR 17 - CHRCHARI TAL (40 Matras)
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
