Naad Charitable Trust in Auckland is presenting first ever Gurmat Sangeet event in New Zealand next month. The event will be held at Mangere Arts Centre on Friday, 17 and Saturday, 18 August.
Singing classical music and playing string instruments is a rich tradition in the Sikh community. Classical music is not only a part of religious practice but also has a strong cultural connection.
The programme will feature classical vocalist Rajwinder Kaur who has a specialisation in Gurmat Sangeet along with sarangi player Sr Satwinder Pal Singh from the lineage of Ustad Sabir Khan sahib, accompanied by renowned tabla player Auckland Manjit Singh.
The event will also feature the teacher of Gurmat Sangeet and classical vocal from Rhythm School of Indian music in Auckland Daljeet Kaur.
History of Gurmat Sangeet
Gurmat Sangeet, the Sikh musical tradition was founded by Bhai Mardana and the musical in the 1400s, when he started accompanying the first guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak on Rabab (a stringed instrument). Guru Nanak sang his writings with the music of Bhai Mardana as he was a scholar of Indian classical music of his time.
Since then, singing classical music and playing string instruments has imbibed into the rich traditions of the Sikh community.
Learning to play the instruments and singing classical music is an integral part of Sikh family life. It becomes more important for them to be associated with this tradition when they live far away from the country of their origin.
This festival aims to spread awareness about the Sikh culture and traditions in the diverse community of Auckland.
About NAAD Charitable Trust:
NAAD Charitable Trust (NZ) was incorporated with the mission to broaden the awareness of Indian culture and music to the broader community in the country and also show the correlation between Indian music and spiritual awareness.
The trust works to bring together youth, families and senior citizens within the community by organising such music workshops. Furthermore, the trust also hosts classical music concerts in New Zealand inviting professional artists and teachers from overseas.
The trust supports and encourages youth to get the professional artists from New Zealand and overseas to practice and perform on one stage.
“Since the last few years we have been organising music workshops, concerts involving local and international music professionals to benefit New Zealanders,” a representative from the NAAD Charitable Trust said.
Naad Trust is a pioneer in bringing the Gurmat Sangeet project in New Zealand, and Bhai Mardana Music Festival will be the first ever Gurmat Sangeet program in the country. It will help the broader community to know more about the Sikh community and their cultural heritage.
About the artistes:
Rajwinder Kaur is a highly skilled Gurbani singer from the holy city of Amritsar. She is the third generation of Kirtan singers in the family of musicians. Rajwinder won India’s biggest Gurbani Sangeet competition in 2014 and was named ‘Gavoh Sachi Bani’ on PTC channel. She has performed at the most prestigious Gurbani Sangeet stages in India such as Raag Darbar and Harmandar Sahib. She has been very popular with Bollywood singers and admired by many superstars such as Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal and others.
Satwinder Pal Singh is a second-generation Sarangi player from Muktsar. He is the son and disciple of famous Sarangi player of Punjab Ustad Shaminder Pal Singh (disciple of legendary Sarangi Player Ustad Sabir Khan). Satwinder Pal Singh is a highly talented young musician to gain A Grade from Prasar Bharti Doordarshan and All India Radio. He has played with many legendary musicians such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Fazal Qureshi and others.
Rhythm School of Indian music
In the realm of South Asian music, when it comes to percussionists, vocalists and instrumentalist emanating from the New Zealand the name Rhythm School of Indian Music are inseparable from Indian Classical Music in NZ. The school was formed by Manjit Singh and his wife Daljeet Kaur in 2009 with a vision to train the New Zealanders with high-quality art.
Mr Singh has performed with many internationally renowned musicians such as Ustad Fazal Qureshi, Ustad Dilshad Khan, Ustad Taufiq Qureshi, Ustad Tari Khan, Pt Purbayan Chatterjee, Dhanashree Pandit and many more. In his recent achievements, he has composed and recorded the opening ceremony music for ICC World Cup 2015.
Daljeet Kaur has a Masters degree in Hindustani vocal music with a distinction in practice, and vocal expertise that ranges from classical and Thumri to Gurmat Sangeet (Sikh traditional music), Kaur is a vocalist par excellence. She has won many competitions and awards over the years and is respected by her peers for her sublime tonal quality and vocal skills.
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