As the founder of the Sikh faith, and as a guru who attained self-realisation, Guru Nanak’s extraordinary musicianship often gets forgotten. He was a musician par excellence and used music to convey the most sublime teaching. His way was followed by all the nine Gurus who succeeded him, all of whom articulated their teachings in a raga. Leading kirtankar Bhai Manohar Singh, grandson of the erudite Bhai Santa Singh and son of the universally popular Bhai Mangal Singh opines, “Guru sahib perhaps felt that dry teaching may not have such a universal appeal so he added the music to make it more popular. This great tradition was carried on for nearly 250 years, a truly unique history. One can compare the “thaali” Guru sahib gave us as being the music (sangeet), the food on the thaali was his “bani” (his sayings); one cannot separate music from the Guru’s teachings.”
Following the tradition of the time, handed down since the Vedic times, the “mool mantra” of Guru Nanak, “Japji” comprising 38 verses was never to be sung, only recited, as per the Vedic tradition. Everything else that he composed, including his description of Heaven that he experienced during his Self Realisation (“sodar” in raga Asa), was set in ragas.
Guru Nanak’s entire teaching recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib is in 19 authentic ragas. These are, by and large, known and are popular even today, including Shri, Bhairav, Basant, Tilang, Bilawal, Sarang, Ramkali, Gurjari, Gauri, Manjh. Of course, one cannot be certain the ragas, as we know them today, were rendered in the same form then, some 500 years ago, as the Guru Granth neither gives note notation, nor the ‘tala’ in which they were to be sung. Dhanashri, we are told, is a raga that is depicted differently today. Some ragas including Tukhari and Vadhans are considered rare today, raga Asa is confined, by and large, to musicians with a Punjab connection. Sadly, the tradition of singing Gurmukh kirtan initiated by him
Without a doubt, his mastery as a musician was unchallenged as he chose “jor ragas” like Prabhati Vibhas, Basant Hindol, Maru Kafi and Suhi Kafi too, to compose and sing in.
Guru Nanak is said to have travelled all over the world for 37 years. Before he set out on his travels, Dr Alankar Singh, a classical musician and scholar says the Guru procured a fine rabab for his Muslim disciple Mardana from Bhai Firanda from Dharoana, near Sultanpur Lodi, so that he could accompany him.
In fact, this spot is commemorated though Gurudwara Rababsar that exists even today, underlying the importance of the accompaniment Guru sahib received. Dr Alankar recalled Guru Nanak as saying “Chher Mardaaniya rabab, baani aayee ai” (play the rabab Mardana, I am inspired to preach).
Sadly, while around 100 years ago there were still many compositions that had been handed down the generations in the form in which they were originally sung, today these are rare. The magnificent musical heritage inherited over more than five centuries is largely lost and is in the safekeeping of just a few rare repositories. The Namdhari Sikhs are one such group, with their huge centre at Bhaini sahib, near Ludhiana.
Today, “kirtankars” of the old tradition have re-invented the tunes in which they sing “shabads”. Bhai Manohar Singh laments, “Today, there is too much of a trend to use only popular tunes for Gurmat sangeet. It is easier, one doesn’t need to train properly. But it’s important to remember what our elders sang and sing the same things.” Daler Mehndi, who also trained originally in the shabad kirtan tradition, agrees, and recalls hearing the special aarti, “Gagan Mein Thaal”, sung in raga Malkauns at the Patna Sahib Gurudwara in his early years “I haven’t heard this being sung for so long now, and maybe will record it one day,” Mehndi gushes.
Dr Singh adds, “One has to try out new things too as the knowledge of authentic compositions is so sketchy. I am often told to sing the old things, but who has these now.” He feels more intensive research in the music of the Guru Granth Sahib needs to be done. “The pioneering work by Prof Tara Singh, done some 50 years ago, still remains the only authentic research on the music of the Gurus,” he said.
