‘Gurbani sans raag can’t touch hearts’
Gurvinder Singh
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, May 21
The recent kirtan performance by Prof Kartar Singh at Harmandir Sahib was not only uncommon for a nonagenarian performing kirtan with tanti saaz, but it also gave a glimpse into how kirtan used to be performed at Harmandir Sahib in the days of yore, when harmonium had not yet made way into “Gurbani” recital.
“The need of the hour is to bring back the raag-based kirtan as mandated by Sikh Gurus,” the professor said.
“As raag has been written at the beginning of each shabad, “Gurbani” cannot be looked in isolation from the raag. It is time for “Gurbani” to be sung according to raags for emotions to reach the heart,” Prof Kartar Singh stressed. At 90, he is still going strong. Serving as the honourary director of the Gurmat Sangeet Academy at Anandpur Sahib, he goes to conduct classes at the academy every week.
Indefatigable and passionate for “Gurmat Sangeet”, he has penned six books on “Gurbani kirtan”. These days, he is writing another book based on bani by bhagats in Guru Granth Sahib.
Professor Singh expressed concern over kirtan not being performed according to raags. “What should concern everyone is that there isn’t even any feeling of remorse and compunction by kirtaniyas, or even objection by devotees for kirtan not being performed according to the raags,” he said. “I have seen the times when not only was kirtan performed according to raags, but even the best of the musicians used to express a feeling of exhilaration listening to the musical prowess of kirtaniyas, performing in raags even in “Gurbani”. But you don’’t see that happen now. “It is high time that “Gurbani kirtan” was performed only in the discipline of “Gurbani” raags for the realisation of its true essence,” he said.
