Honorary degree for Surinder Singh

Honorary degree for Surinder Singh

MUNISH DHIMAN  9th Feb 2013

Surinder Singh being awarded a degree at Punjabi University urinder Singh, of the Singh Bandhu duo, is a big name among the leading classical musicians of India and his contribution to music will remain unparalleled in the annals of its long history. Besides various awards and accolades, his recent Doctor of Literature (Honorius Causa) by the Punjabi University, Patiala, has added another feather to his cap. Singh was born in Lahore (Pakistan) and is the eldest of his three siblings. A self-taught music guru, who was associated with music in the family, later became his mentor. He was formally initiated into music when he was in the second standard and was 'handpicked' by the Lahore station of AIR, to perform as a child artist. He received an award for his pitch-perfect performance, indeed a milestone in his career, from where he never looked back. About picking up the nuances of music from his eldest sibling G.S. Sardar, he says, "My brother lost his vision when he was barely 12. He is the one who chiselled me into a fine artist, besides a finer human being. I can never forget his support in my life." Initially reluctant to accept him as his guru and learn from him, slowly yet steadily Singh recognised his in-depth knowledge and became his student. He remained under his tutelage for 20 years. While pursuing his final year of BA, Singh came in contact with Dr. S.K Saxena of Delhi University who, besides being an erudite scholar of philosophy, was an ardent fan of Indian classical music. It was he who taught Surinder that pursuing a career in music is a far nobler and sublime experience than any other. This held ample sway over the mind of young Singh. { His life changed when he was spotted during a performance in Kabul by his idol Ustad Amir Khaan Saheb. Greatly influenced by Ustad Amir Khaan and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khaan, his life changed when he was spotted during a scintillating performance in Kabul by his idol Ustad Amir Khaan Saheb, who was a part of the distinguished audience. This doyen of music accepted him as his shishya and he learnt under his tutelage for more ten years. A nostalgic Surinder relives those glorious moments — "He was kind enough to allow me to go through the ritual of ganda-bandi, which indeed was a unique spiritual experience for me." Besides contributing to music, he remained an active writer and wrote columns for various leading newspapers and magazines of India. His column Echoes and Images in Indian Express Mumbai had been quite popular with readers for years. He turned to humour writing in Hindi under the pseudonym of Mast Ram. He also contributed to Dharmyug, Ravivar, Chauthi Duniya for several years. Later his columns continued to appear in more than a dozen publications, as syndicated. His topics ranged from music to religion, current affairs, media and humour. But, music and humour were his favourite subjects. The awards for his contribution to singing include the coveted Padamshri award, The Sur Mani award, and the Maharaja Ranjit Singh award for his distinguished Services to Punjabi Culture, the Punjab Sangeet Ratan Award, Shirmani Sangeetkar Award, Rashtra Gaurav Award and the SGPC Samman. He had the rare honour of receiving the Coronation award as a school kid from the then king of Afghanistan, Zaheer Shah. About the future of his music, he says, "I think I am not only confined to learning of music, but also history, literature, philosophy and, of course, religion. I firmly hold out that the Sufi genre of music is here to stay forever." He has a piece of precious advice for the young learners of music, "If you have a job on hand, do it with utmost sincerity and if possible, with all humility." http://www.sunday-guardian.com/artbeat/honorary-degree-for-surinder-singh