Have you ever wanted to …
October 12, 2007
… play the dilruba/taus/esraj/tarshenai.
… do kirtan on tanti saaz
…do kirtan in raags
…understand and appreciate Indian ClassicalMusic
BUT …have not been able to do it for various reasons….we present to you a solution…Harsangeet.com
At Harsangeet.com you will have the opportunity to learn the various aspects of kirtan and indian classical music.
We believe learning is a life long process thus we do not have fixed course with a time limit. You will have the choice to chose between the most basic bowing techniques to advanced puratan reets (partal, dhrupad etc). The content will be uploaded regularly and you chose what you want to learn depending on your ability.
In addition, we have a facility for the students to upload their videos at a secure site so that you can get feedback on your playing technique. In addition, arrangements can be made for one on one time with the teacher.
Having told you about Harsangeet and what we are offering I would like to share with you about Maiya Singh ji, the main teacher at Harsangeet.com. He has studied under the likes of Pt. Rajan and Sajjan Mishra (vocal) , Pt. Siyaram Tivari(dhrupad) and Baljeet Singh ( tarshenai/dilruba). Maiya Singh ji has devoted is life to kirtan and music. Manav Singh has been learning from him for over three years now and you can check out his videos on – www.singhmusic.blogspot.com
Go pick up yr saaz bring out your tablas and tune your tanpuras its time to have some fun!
Baddal’s at it AGAIN!
March 28, 2007
Theif Minister…oops I mean Chief Minister of punjab is upto his anti panthi activites…click here to read on..
Sorry I have not been posting much. I haven’t had much time. The term is going by very fast. Amardeep Ji is holding a 6 month long Japji Course which I am attending I will post some summaries from his lectures and his slides (after I ask him). There are no recordings being done as he is not comfortable with that.
Have a blessed week ahead!
Guru Rakaha
Angad
Sikhweb: A Lifeline for the Faith
March 25, 2007
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
An article on Sikhs and the positive effects of the internet written by Neha Singh Gohil for The Columbia Journalist. Neha had written to me sometime ago with regards to the turban tying video.
Guru Ang Sang!
Angad Singh
Junior Mann, man with a mission in assembly polls in Punjab
February 13, 2007
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
I was browsing SikhSangat.Org when I came across this article. Its really heartwarming to know that Sikhs having studied overseas are going back to Punjab and are doing their bit.
Please read the article on Emaan Singh Maan
(link been corrected)
I hope he lives up to his ideals. Its great he is speaking up against drugs, alchol and female infanticide.
Guru Ang Sang!
Angad
Guru’s command on the subject of Kirtan
January 13, 2007
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
While reading paath or while following the display screen on the projecter you may have wondered..
why do we do kirtan?
what is the structure of the guru granth sahib ji like? which bani is supposed to come where and why?
why was it organized in this particular manner?
what does rahao mean?
how are we to interpret a particular shabad?
what is the use of the numbers at the end of each verse?
what purpose do numbers such as 4||12||25 , that are found at the end of the shabad serve?
while singing kirtan which line is to be made the chorus?
what is the meaning of raag on top of the shabad?
On the 21st January. At Khalsa Dharmak Sabha Gurudawara Sahib from 1 pm to 2:30pm Amardeep Singh Ji will be speaking sharing with us about Musical Frame Work Of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in which he will answer each of the questions listed above.
I attended this talk in August 2004 and it was a real eye opener. He has given this talk 3 times after in Singapore it self and once Boston as well.
So please come down on the 21st of Jan to Khalsa Dharmak Sabha from 1 pm to 2.30 and get the answers to your questions and understand what guru sahib has to tell us about kirtan.
If you have any further questions you can reach me by droping me an email.
Guru Ang Sang!
Angad
Off to Samelan!
December 14, 2006
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
Tomorrow we move into our new house and on Saturday morning I leave for Malaysia to attend the much awaited Malaysian Samelan. I shall be back around the 25th of this month, so till then there wont be any more updates as I do not plan to take my laptop with me.
One of the many highlights of the samelan is that Chardi Kala Jatha will be doing kirtan and sharing…
Also I will take my dilruba along with me so that I can share about this wonderful saaz to the sangat at the samelan and keep up with my reaaz as well. If any of you are coming down do look for me if you want to see the saaz.
I would like to leave you with some wonderful Gurbani Kirtan in accordance to the Guru’s hukam.
Subh Bachan Bol – Partal – Raag Sarang, Mere Lalan Ki Soba – Raag Kalyan – Ustaad Ranbir Singh
In this recording, Ustad Surjit Singh is playing the Sarangi while Ustad Ranbir is on the Taus and in the back ground Jatinder Singh is playing the dilruba.
Maadveh Tum Na Toro Toh Hum Nai Tore – Raag Sorath
Shabad is sung by Bhai Avtar and his son Bhai Kultar explains the shabad in english!
Ram Ram Bol Bol – Raag Malhaar
this is a dhrupad composition sung by the one and only Dharam Singh Zakhmi. In this he explains what dhrupad is.
Guru Ang Sang Hove
Angad
From the Guru’s Durbar to God’s Durbar.
November 25, 2006
My dear ones Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
It pains me to inform you that Bhai Avtar Singh ji has passed away on the 24th of November at his family home in India. Bhai Baldeep Singh his sent me a mail informing me about this loss.
Bhai Sahib, was a legendary kirtanea and belonged to a family who has been serving the guru ghar and the sangat for 11 generations. He was known for scores of reets that were passed down to him from his forefathers who sang the same reets in the guru sahibs court.
He was a person who devoted his life and did what he was born to do…to serve the sangat and the guru ghar ..whilst many in his generation strayed off the path of the guru and got caught up in worldly matters he stood strong, like a rock…
Though I only learnt about Bhai Sahib about 3 years ago and met him only once, the passion with which he did kirtan is just amazing. His style, unique and attractive made one of my gora friends say..
“i don’t know what he is singing but i can feel a strong yearning in his voice..he’s calling out to someone”…
..Mohan Ghar Avoh…this only happens when a man sings from his heart and as we all know there are very few who can be compared with him..there is no doubt as to why in my friend circle he is known as and referred to as GOD.
In addition to doing blissful kirtan, Bhai Sahib and his brother also wrote 2 books which contain about 500 priceless compositions in the raags of the guru granth sahib. Also in his last 3 years he picked up the taus once again and that has helped in propagation of Tanti Saaj Kirtan.
Let us be inspired by Bhai Sahib’s works and carry on the legacy of doing kirtan the way it ought to be done.
Below are links to some of my favorite shabad reets rendered by Bhai Sahib.
this shabad is the 1st shabad under Alhaniyan. Alhainya is the bani sung at the time of death. There are 2 shabads under alhaniyan and they are both wirtten by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag Vadhans.
this is an ancient reet of the times of the Guru sahib’s. This is one of the oldest forms of dhrupad sung in the courts of the guru sahib
listening to this a gora friend said… “i don’t know what he is singing but i can feel a strong yearning in his voice..he’s calling out to someone”…
May God and Guru be with Bhai Sahib’s family.
Guru Ang Sang!
Angad
Gosh!! Whats Happening??
August 12, 2006
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
These pictures were taken at Harminder Sahib when I went there on the 17th of June.Read the gurmukhi and then the english.
Kudos to the SGPC for having good intentions by putting sign boards in English so that people like me who have issues reading Gurmukhi are not totally lost. However, I wonder how ignorant/careless they are that they do not even want to insure that the translation even makes sense grammatically.
On reading such boards I wonder how much incorrect translation has aided in the decline of Sikhism. In addition if they are as careless and ignorant what about the Gurmukhi, is that perfect?
Some common incorrect translations:
Guru Granth Sahib ji – Holy book of the Sikhs. Since when did our guru sahib become a holy book? As a result Guru Sahib is not give the status of Guru. We may bow in front of it but we dont really regard it as the guru do we? When the Hukamnama is taken most of the sangat is in a hurry to rush out. Or when we go through a though time we start going to babas and such people.
Harminder Sahib- Golden Temple
Jathedar – Head Priest Vedanti is referred to as the Head priest since when did Sikhs have priests
Gyani – A Sikh Priest a better translation would be a person who knows about the Guru Granth Sahib or a Sikhism Teacher.
If I have missed out any please feel free to add them.
The point I am making is let stick to Gurmukhi as much as we can and avoid the translations as they are only as good as the translator. Also when we need to explain lets not try to get the message across without resorting to terms like ” the bible of the sikhs”, “preist”,etc. Lets make an effort to explain the correct meaning.
I did not learn Gumukhi as a kid so today I am still grappling with reading it takes time but seriously its worth the effort.
A good place to start is to read the Hukamnams or meanings of any shabads in Darpan written by Professor Sahib Singh Ji. I have not started doing that as yet but I am going to start on it before this month comes to an end.
Guru Ang Sang
Angad
Malaysian Sikh writes heaviest Guru Granth Sahib.
September 15, 2005
Kuala Lumpur, Sept 14: A Malaysian Sikh has hand-written the world`s heaviest and largest copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the community.
Jaswant Singh Khosa`s 1,430-page copy of the Guru Granth Sahib figures in the Malaysian book of records as the heaviest and largest Sikh holy book written. The Guru Granth Sahib weighs 45 kg, and is 1.5m long and 0.5m wide, local daily `The Star` reported today.
The book has also been used in the `Har Ki Paudi` Temple situated in Golden Temple complex, revered by Sikhs, during a 48-hour prayer ceremony on August 30 to mark the 401st anniversary of installation of the Granth, according to highest Sikh religious authority, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
Khosa, a 68-year-old former security guard spent three years to write the manuscripts using traditional Gurumukhi calligraphy, labouring for up to 12 hours daily, it said.
“We feel very proud of Jaswant, as his effort has been recognised in Amritsar,” Tatt Khalsa Diwan Selangor (Sikh religious association) general secretary Awtar Singh Terry told the paper.
He said the SGPC has written to inform them of the decision of using the book during daily prayers at the temple.
Khosa said his copy was special as every word was joined, with each page starting and ending with the same word.
“It took about five hours for me to write two pages. The copy had to be 100 per cent correct as it represents our holy scriptures,” he said.
He said he had donated his book to the temple in Amritsar last December where it was kept as an exhibit.
Bureau Report
changes made by Angad Singh.
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