But Bhai Santa Singh was exceptional among them all. Other famous students of Sain Ditta included Bhai Taba, Bhai Naseera, Bhai Darshan Singh Komal and Sain Ditta’s own son Bhai Desa. Several of Sain Ditta’s students served as the “Huzoori Ragis” at the Golden Temple. The head teacher was a renowned trainer in classical music Bhai Sain Ditta. Bhai Santa Singh was no exception, he enrolled at a very young age as a learner of Sikh classical music in the music department of the famous “Yateemkhana” (orphanage) in Amritsar.
#Shabad kirtan bhai surjan singh ragi professional#
During those days very few Sikhs used to sing even in the gurdwaras and those who did sing had to hone their skills at classical music under the strict guidance of Muslim or Pandit professional classical teachers. His exact date of birth is not known, but according to recorded information he was born in the walled city of Amritsar in 1904. A number of “Shabads” recorded on 78 RPM gramophone records in the voices of Bhai Santa Singh Ragi and party were available in the market for decades and different stations of All India Radio including Delhi, Jalandhar, Jammu and Lucknow used to play these records.īhai Santa Singh had the God given unique capability to sing in very high notes, which most other musicians could not replicate.
I knew it all along that it was somebody special, somebody highly accomplished. He revealed for the first time that the group of musicians performing “Shabad Kirtan of Asa Di Vaar” at the Golden Temple during the first ever live transmission on the Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak was indeed led by Late Bhai Santa Singh, the then senior most musician of the Golden Temple. Sardar Jodh Singh happened to be the announcer of the programme in the sanctum sancrorum of the Golden Temple on that auspicious day. Several years later, I had a chance meeting in America with Sardar Jodh Singh, the retired Assistant Station Director of All India Radio Jalandhar. For a number of years the voices heard on that day were shrouded in mystery, but my curiosity was always there to unravel this mystery. I had no knowledge as to who was singing, nor did anybody announce it especially. At that young age I did not understand as to what was being sung, nevertheless, I felt highly impressed by the melody, tone and texture of the music. The special recitation of the hymns of the “Guru” sounded genuinely emotional and appeared rather impressive. It seemed that the musicians were emotionally calling Guru Nanak to once again bless this earth with his physical presence in human form. In a split second the beat of the drums (tabla), the sound of harmonium and high pitched voices of a group of musicians could be heard. The announcer told that we are taking you to the Golden Temple Amritsar for a direct transmission of the recitation of “Asa Di Vaar”. Then a sweet voice announced the time 5:00am and the start of a special one hour morning service on the airwaves of All India Radio Jalandhar-Amritsar in honour of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
The sign-on tune of All India Radio looked like a great achievement. I pushed the on-button and the light came on.
After I put on new clothes, she took me to the family radio and asked me to operate it. But on one cold early winter morning of 1948, my mother woke me up at about 4:30am, gave me a bath and made my JooRa (a bun of combed and knotted hair worn by the Sikhs). AS a child I was used to waking up between 6 and 7am.