Showing posts with label Sufis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sufis. Show all posts

Monday, April 23, 2012

Punjabi Folk Maestros: Jagmohan Kaur & K Deep.



A husband and wife team, who specialized in mixing comedy and slightly risqué comedy at that with music, as their variety shows became so popular not in India but all over the world also. K. Deep was the king and Jagmohan Kaur was his queen. Popular as “king of variety shows”, K. Deep and Jagmohan Kaur came into the limelight as duet singers in the ‘70s. K. Deep was perhaps the first artiste who mixed melody with comedy to make it an effective source of entertainment. His cassettes “Mai Mohno” was not only a hit in the ‘80s, but continues to be in demand even today. Jagmohan Kaur, the erstwhile ‘‘koel’’ of Punjab, was popular with her songs and captivating histrionics as “Mai Mohono”, with her husbansd K. Deep acting as “Posti”. K. DEEP is indeed a versatile Punjabi artiste. He had stopped his stage performances after the death of his stage and life partner Jagmohan Kaur about nine years ago. His entry into the world of stage was dramatic. After doing a diploma course from Sir Chhottu Ram Polytechnic Institute in Haryana, K. Deep had come to Chandigarh for an interview in 1970. He got late and in the evening there was some cultural function. He got a chance to perform at the function where a recording team of the HMV was also present. After he came down from the stage, the Director of the HMV impressed by his voice and flair for comedy made him an offer on the spot that he should come to Delhi for recording. He got his first LP recorded in 1970 and there has been no looking back since then.

Jagmohan Kaur - Puran (Lok Gatha)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyPgtrI8lWM

Traditional Punjabi Bhangra on Dhol by Jagmohan Kaur



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S01iCYQe2ms

His meeting with Jagmohan Kaur was also an interesting episode. He had gone to Calcutta on the invitation of a Punjabi society to perform at a cultural programme. Jagmohan Kaur along with several other Giddha artistes was also there. Jagmohan Kaur fell for him when he won the applause of the audience for his earthy comedy laced with a melodious voice. There were some hurdles, but they got married and performed together on stage. This continued till Jagmohan Kaur left for her heavenly abode. Their most popular songs in the ‘80s were Baitha nim thale ni jawai tere baap da..., Paisa hai nahi pale, guttar vangu jhakda..., Baba ve kala marore..., Meri gal sunno Sardarji, Tere ni bharava mannu kuttia.., and Bara karara pudna... Apart from stage performances, K. Deep also made several documentaries. He staged variety shows almost in all countries, including the USA, Canada, and the UK where Punjabis are settled in a good number. He was busy in the past few years to make a documentary on Punjabis around the world. Already he has been to 14 countries in this connection. K. Deep who was earlier known as Kuldeep when he was a student at his home village Attiana near Halwara in Ludhiana district. Attiana has given some very famous artistes, including Daljit Kaur, to the Punjabi theatre and film world.

Ni Main Kamli Aan (Bulleh Shah) - Jagmohan Kaur



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3rLfYzRjLw


Ni Main Kamli Aan by Jagmohan Kaur




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEuTd7PLT50

K. Deep is a great imitator. He can imitate any one. His voice culture is very impressive. His unmatched quality is that he can play any sort of music with his mouth without using any musical instrument. He is also an actor and has done theatre. Known as a shy boy at the school level, K. Deep has emerged as an artiste full of wit, comedy and melody. Mr K. Deep also want to make Aab-e-Hayyat a vibrant cultural centre with the help of the Punjabi Sabhyachar Akademi. Now Both K. Deep and his daughter, Gurpreet, ‘‘Billy’’ to her friends, want to perpetuate the memory of Jagmohan Kaur, an all-time great Punjabi folk singer, who like Shiv Batalvi died young. Up till now they have had numerous successful shows to their credit in North America and other places in the world in memory of her. K. Deep, besides singing, has been in production and direction of documentaries, serials and films. ‘‘Billy’’ wants to be a ‘‘promoter’’. Both K. Deep and "Billy" had settled at Burnaby in British Columbia in Canada. There too, they tried to serve their mother tongue, Punjabi, and folklore of their state of origin. REFERENCE: Ludhiana Personality :: K. Deep & Jagmohan Kaur http://www.ludhianadistrict.com/personality/kdeep_jagmohan_kaur.php


RANI ISHRA DAHAN MAARDI - JAGMOHAN KAUR



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3alo0EsYu6s


THE centuries-old Pooran Di Khuee (the well of Pooran) situated at a far-off border village, Karol, in Kotli Syed Ameer sector, remains a ray of hope for the issueless who believe that the Allah Almighty will bless them with children if they take a bath around it every Sunday night in the moonlight of each Islamic month. Dozens of issueless people, therefore, visit Pooran Di Khuee every Sunday night and perform these rituals. Women hang their colourful ‘dopattas’ on the centuries-old tree near the well and the temple of Pooran, hoping that their prayers for children would be granted. Several people told Dawn that Allah Almighty gave them children after they had repeatedly visited Pooran Di Khuee. Before partition, the issueless Sikhs and Hindus used to visit the place to pray for children. Now, couples from all over Pakistan visit it throughout the year for the same purpose. According to Tareekh-i-Sialkot (the history of Sialkot), compiled by historian Rashid Niaz, Pooran was the son of the then ruler of Sialkot, Raja Salbahan. Pooran was very handsome and innocent. Raja Salbahan’s wife Rani Loonan, the daughter of the ruler of Jammu state, was issueless. The Raja felt the need of a son who could inherit his kingdom. So he married a poor and pretty girl, Ichchran. Rani Ichchran became much beloved of Raja Salbahan when she gave birth to a son named Pooran. Raja Salbahan declared Pooran as his successor. On this, Raja Salbahan’s first wife Rani Loonan become jealous of her stepson. Raja Pooran turned a handsome and charming youth full of innocence. His stepmother, one day, under a plan, accused him of trying to criminally assault her. She also misguided Raja Salbahan, terming the innocent boy a vagabond. On this, Raja Salbahan became very angry and without verifying the accusation ordered his lieutenants to throw his only and beloved son into a well (Chah-i-Zindan) after cutting his arms and legs. Pooran was not given a chance to clarify his position.

Tareekh-i-Sialkot revealed that Raja Salbahan’s men threw Pooran into Chah-i-Zindan after cutting his hands and legs. This was what Rani Loonan had wanted. Chah-i-Zindan was located on the banks of the river Chenab. The same day, Sikh saint Guru Gorakhnath, with dozens of his disciples, reached the well. They found Pooran in it and took him out in a critical condition. Later, Pooran told his entire story to the Guru, who adopted him as his disciple. It is said that Pooran regained his legs and arms with the special worship and prayers of his Guru. Pooran started worship of God under his supervision and became a Bhagat preaching the teachings of his Guru. Hearing the fame of Pooran’s miracles, Raja Salbahan and Rani Loonan went to Pooran Bhagat and requested him to pray to God to bless them with a child. Pooran Bhagat introduced himself as Raja Pooran, their son, and proved that he was not guilty as his issueless stepmother, Rani Loonan, out of jealousy had blamed him for trying to rape her. Pooran asked his stepmother to accept her fault if she wanted a child.

Rani Loonan admitted before Raja Salbahan that she had unjustly blamed her stepson who was innocent. Raja Salbahan felt ashamed and asked him to come back and take charge as a new ruler of his kingdom. Refusing to go back, Pooran Bhagat prayed to God to bless them with a child. Later, he gave them the good news that God will give them a handsome boy and his name would be Raja Rasalu. Tareekh-i-Sialkot revealed that Raja Salbahan constructed a temple, Lungar Khana, Ashnan Ghar and Dharam Shala at the place where his son, Pooran Bhagat, had lived and preached. According to another history book, Mutiny in Sialkot, Pooran Bhagat’s Samadhi remained there till 1857. It disappeared with the passage of centuries, leaving behind only a small well Pooran Di Khuee and a small temple there which are being looked after by issueless people, who visit the place. REFERENCE: A ‘ray of hope’ for the issueless February 12, 2003 Wednesday Zul Hijjah 10, 1423 http://archives.dawn.com/2003/02/12/fea.htm#1

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Tribute to Great Punjabi Folkster Alam Lohar (Courtesy: Imran Mehmood)

Muhammad Alam Lohar was a prominent Punjabi folk music singer of Pakistan.He died in 1979 in an accident. He is also credited with popularizing the term and song Jugni. Alam Lohar was born in the small village of Aach Goach in Gujrat District, in Punjab, Pakistan into a family of blacksmiths. He was gifted with a melodious voice and began singing as a child. Alam Lohar developed a new style of singing the Punjabi Vaar, an epic or folk tale. He is famous for his rendition of Waris Shah’s Heer, which he has memorized in 36 styles and forms. He recorded his first album at the age of 13 and has outsold all other singers in Pakistan (Verified in records kept with HMV Pakistan 1979)




Alam Lohar - Jugni (classic original)

URL: http://youtu.be/0VuJ5_W-3eY

ALAM LOHAR - MIRZA MASSI KOL JANDA (ALAM LOHAR)

URL: http://youtu.be/Crnn37jWTak




In his childhood he used to read sufiana kalaams, Punjabi stories and participate as a young child in local elderly gatherings expressing a vocal only art form in reading passages of great poets. From many of the gatherings out of the rural background rose a great singer that could influence his audience with elements of joy peace, happiness and sadness. Further on: he started going to festivals and gatherings on a regular basis and within these performances he rose to become one of the most listened to singers in South Asia. In the 1970s it was the Queen's Jubilee event in the UK and there was a singing competition between all Commonwealth Countries and after all performances: Alam Lohar won the award as the best performance and was handed a gold medal for his unique and God given voice. Throughout the period of 1930's and until his passing away in 1979 he has dominated Folk singing in Pakistan and been a major singer in Punjabi and Sufi singing throughout the entire World. In many rural villages the local traditional people have called him 'Sher-e-Punjab' or 'Heerah' meaning diamond.



ALAM LOHAR - MEIN NEEL KARAIYAN (ALAM LOHAR)

URL: http://youtu.be/eJ1posqv6jg




Alongside his God given voice and singing in difficult high and low pitches he had a unique style of singing with his Chimta. Now the Chimta has been around for centuries as it was a tool used in gathering livestock in rural settings or used as a aid in other activities, but Alam Lohar has the unique credit that he single handedly popularised this instrument globally and modified its use and changed its outlook.








ALAM LOHAR - BURA KITTE SAHIBAN (ALAM LOHAR)

URL: http://youtu.be/n2vU84xlgJI

ALAM LOHAR - TOO JEEVAIN BARIWALEYA (ALAM LOHAR)

URL: http://youtu.be/zJwIipzvU7M







Other than being a famous singer, Alam lohar was also a great poet writing his own songs and kalaams and also had another quality that he used old books of Sufi saints and stories and brought them in a song format: which gave his songs overwhelming great lyrical content which could make people cry and express joy at the same time. The word "Jugni" was his creation and he created this term from reading many Sufi writings and represented this word as a spiritual feeling of ones experience of the world. Furthermore he was the pioneer of introducing the writings of Saif Ul Mulook and Mirza Shabaan in a song format.




ALAM LOHAR - BOLE AKBAR BADSHAH (ALAM LOHAR)

URL: http://youtu.be/mOSRJprgWcc





Alam Lohar had another quality that he had overwhelming singing stamina - he was renowned to sing all night and sometimes without the music technology we have with PA systems now-nevertheless his strong voice could be heard in large gatherings. In rural punjab he used to sing from village to village and without any modern music technology: his voice reflected with the background of the natural echo caused by the stillness of the night. In essence, later on Alam Lohar organised a full-fledged theatre with a complete orchestra. His troupe toured all over Punjab for religious and seasonal festivals and was one of the first Pakistani as well as South Asian singers to sing internationally in almost all countries that had people from the South Asian region.



ALAM LOHAR - LIVE - AYE ISHQ DA ROG AWALLA AYE (Baba Bullay Shah)

URL: http://youtu.be/u7P6myajv8Q





Alam Lohar died in an accident near Sham ki Bhaitiyan on July 3, 1979. He was laid to rest in Lala Musa, Punjab, Pakistan. He was given the Pride of Performance award in 1979 by General Zia Ul Haq in Islamabad and has received numerous awards within his lifetime. He is a pioneer in cultural and Folk styled singing and has in his own right become a folk story. He set a bench mark and many Punjabi and other folk singers have greatly been influenced. Therefore he has left a great legacy of a unique style of singing which is still followed in Pakistan by Punjabi as well as other folk singers. One of the greatest singers of all time: he is seen and remembered through his son Arif Lohar who has continued in the same tradition. May he rest in Peace - & May God grant him Peace - Alam Lohar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alam_Lohar