bhaibaldeep

At 96, Bhai Gurcharan Singh, the elder brother of Bhai Avtar Singh, needs no introduction.

Here we are singing a composition in Vadhans Barwa. Am editing his recent work in which he has notated 214 compositions in 50 ragas sung over the centuries by the Kirtaniyas of the gurus court.

He always emphasizes my doubly-relatedness with him: he is my grandfather Gyani Bhagat Singh’s first cousin and his wife was the youngest sister of my grandma, Bibi Sant Kaur. So he claims me as his 100% grandson – ’50 from here and 50 from there’, as he says…! 

The one who saw my talent early and started teaching with Raga Nat Narayan in 1989.
The one who safely kept the pakhawaj/jori books from the 1930’s when he studied from Bhai Arjan Singh Tarangar, his elder cousin and passed them on to me. The one who told me in 1989, ‘if you want to ever learn pakhawaj/jori/tabla go to Arjan Singh Bhau…’ Signore grande – solid gold.