Dancing away to glory

Gagan K. Teja

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Punjabi folk singer Paramjit Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Pammi Bai, needs no introduction. He is one man who has been single-handedly working to preserve Punjabi folk music and dance forms. A successful singer, a known bhangra dancer, Pammi Bai is a perfect blend of talents.

Even though singers come and go and new tracks hit the blockbuster lists everyday, Pammi Bai’s Nee Main Pani Bharenian... Ashke continues to be a Punjabi trademark. The Punjabi music industry has come a long way and today’s singers are more into the western music and culture believing it to be the success mantra, but Pammi Bai has refused to sway away from his culture and tradition.

Keeping in view his contribution to the Punjabi folk music, Pammi Bai has been conferred with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award on Tuesday evening by President Pranab Mukheerjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. He is more than delighted with this honour and claims that this has further strengthened his resolve to help preserving Punjabi language and culture.

Born in a family of freedom fighters in Jakhepal village of Sangrur, Pammi Bai grew up amidst heroic tales of Punjabis who wanted to save their identity. While his father Partap Singh Baghi was a Punjabi to the core who participated in the independence struggle, his mother Satwant Kaur was a very religious person. She had learnt shabad kirtan in school and used to play the harmonium.

Growing up amidst these two different personalities, Pammi Bai adopted a mid-way. He decided to take up her mother’s music to help in saving his mother tongue and culture that was getting affected by the influence of western culture. For the last over 25 years, Pammi Bai has not only travelled across the world to popularise bhangra and Punjabi music but has also documented various dance forms and folk instruments for the future generations to see what Punjab originally was.

Reaching his residence in Patiala after receiving the award, Pammi Bai says he was never worked with an aim to get any award but awards certainly were a big motivation. “I am committed towards my mother tongue and traditions. I go to all countries to spread our culture and have never bothered about the monetary benefits. Money comes with hard work but the fact that many singers are blindly following the West for financial gains and spoiling our future generations pains me. I have never compromised with my rules for success and will never do in future also,” he added.

In 2005, he was awarded the Punjab Sangeet Natak Academy Award. He was honured with the prestigious Shiromani Award in Punjabi Folk Singing by the Punjab government in 2009. Punjabi University has also awarded him Fellowship in Department of Punjabi Development and he has carried out various projects on different forms of dancing, including Jhumar, Sammi, Giddha and Bhangra, and has also documented details of folk music. Pammi says he has received calls from across the world to congratulate him for the award and he dedicates this award to all Punjabis who love their language, culture and Punjabiat.