Spreading Guru Nanak's message of oneness through his music

Tribune News Service

Neha Saini

Amritsar, April 14

His rendition of Gurbani under the wholesome umbrella of raagmala with different instrument creating a bouquet would be a right introduction.

Shivpreet Singh, a celebrated singer and composer, based out of USA is the 10th descendent of noted Sikh poet Bhai Nandlal Goya, known as the ‘crown jewel’ of Guru Gobind Singh’s court.

Coming from a lineage where Gurbani is a way of life, Shivpreet has created his own kind of music, a unique blend of Indian classical, western, pop, folk styles in kirtan. The artiste was in Amritsar and performed at various platforms to spread Guru Nanak’s message of ‘oneness’ through his music.

“I feel my life’s purpose is to sing. I started learning music when I was five or six, training under Pt Raghunath Prasanna. I used to learn and sing shabads myself and the more I did that, the more connected I felt to the Guru,” he said. He later studied music at UC Berkeley. Shivpreet is known as a pioneer in fusion Sikh kirtan music. Ask him ‘what kind of response did his experimentation with kirtan music generated’ and the answer might sound like a revelation.

“Sikh audience and music are generally very open. Many people ask me why I chose fusion, when I could do it the conventional way using harmonium. So, I tell them that that’s how Guru Nanak did it. I feel that Guru Nanak is the one who actually introduced fusion music. He picked up a western instrument — rabab — when he sang and not any Indian folk or traditional one. He created this fusion of western and eastern music that was amenable to ears. My experimentation with instruments is just a way to add colour to his music, as the Guru said, Rang Rata Mera Sahib,” he explains.

His collaborations with eminent artistes including Suellen Primost, Muriel Anderson, one of the most celebrated finger guitarists in the US and eminent Indian veena player Rajhesh Vaidhya has been instrumental in taking Sikh kirtan music globally as well as connecting with the next generation of the audience. Shivpreet maintains that his concerts are not performances but meditation. He says: “When I look for collaborating with an artiste, I do not go by the book. It’s only when I hear something that just connects with me and what I do as a musician, I go for it. When I worked with Muriel Anderson, it happened so and now she listens to the kirtan every day. Sometimes, we do not even need rehearsals, we just play together and music happens,” he said. Currently, he is developing a genre of music blending jazz, pop and Indian classical.

A financial analyst and biochemist by profession, he has of late, shifted his focus on developing his music further and supporting artistes globally. “So, everything I do is connected with Guru Nanak. Last year, I founded a non-profit Dhunanand that has become a channel to support artistes, who are fighting for a humanitarian cause. I believe that artistes fight the long fight. Guru Gobind Singh had 52 poets in his courts, including Bhai Nandlal, and supported their art. On the same principle, every dollar that comes from streaming revenue through Dhunanand is dedicated to support the artistes, who are spreading oneness through their work,” he said. He has been supporting Bhai Mardana’s family in Pakistan, giving them a monthly stipend. He is also supporting Ukrainian artistes, who are making art for peace.

A self-confessed perfectionist, Shivpreet calls himself a musician first. He shared that when he spends hours perfecting a single line while singing a shabad, repeating it thousands of times in the process, it becomes him. “That’s how I got connected with the Guru. The instrumentation, the music the notes it all disappears after a while, only the bani remains,” he explains. The reason, his music transports the listener into a spiritual realm, evoking emotional response often.

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