Sunday, 27 July 2025, Naad Pargaas Australia hosted a special lecture titled “The Shabad Kirtan: Tradition, Contemporary Forms, and Future Perspectives.”
Arunjit Singh (Researcher, Naad Pargaas Australia) provided an introductory overview, highlighting the historical and cultural significance of Kirtan, its impact on society, and its relation to Sikh traditions. Participants discussed the need to develop a model that harmonizes various forms of Kirtan and its philosophical underpinnings.
Dr. Kulwinder Singh (Associate Professor, Department of Theatre and Music, Lovely Professional University, Punjab) opened his lecture on the tradition and practice of Shabad Kirtan, its cultural significance, and its role in spiritual consciousness. Dr. Singh’s presentation focused on the necessity of creating a Sastra (treatise/science) for Shabad Kirtan within Sikh academia. According to him, a significant question revolves around whether Kirtan is solely “Gurmat Sangeet” (Sikh music) or if it encompasses broader forms. Universities have struggled to establish a unified model for Sikh philosophy and Kirtan, leading to this ongoing debate. Kirtan’s meaning and interpretation, he argued, must be rooted in the divine nature of the Shabad. It should encompass the entirety of human consciousness and experience.
He emphasized the symbolic inclusion of instruments (like the Rabāb) and Rāgas from diverse cultural backgrounds. Guru Sahib also integrated local tunes (like “Tunde Asraje Ki Dhuni” for Asa di Var) and musical forms associated with life events (e.g., “Ghoriyan,” “Lavan” for weddings, “Maru Raag” for funerals) into Kirtan, allowing people to connect with the Shabad at various stages of life.
Further, Dr. Singh detailed the structure of Kirtan Chauki, a traditional performance format with distinct sections (e.g., Shaan, Mangal, Ashtpadis, Vaar), which is not widely practiced in modern Kirtan. He highlighted that Gurbani’s musical framework extends beyond the 31 primary Rāgas in Guru Granth Sahib, encompassing many more in other scriptures like Dasam Granth and Sarbloh Granth, some of which are no longer common in Indian classical music.
Moreover, Dr. Singh outlined various styles that evolved, each serving a specific purpose in connecting human consciousness with the Shabad. Jotiyan da Kirtan is a call-and-response style, including Prabhat Feriyan (morning processions), emphasizing communal participation. Dhārna Kirtan, popularized by Sant Baba Atar Singh, employs sharp instrumental tones such as harmonium, chimta, and dholki to focus the listener’s mind, often incorporating narratives from Gurbani and Sikh history.
Akhand Kirtan involves continuous, long-duration singing aimed at awakening the senses and bringing the body into a state of tension to facilitate spiritual connection. Praman Pradhan Kirtan features multiple Shabads with similar meanings, exemplified by Bhai Chand Ji. Katha Vyakhyan combines narrative explanation with Kirtan, blending storytelling and spiritual singing.
Charanjit Singh (Research Scholar, GNDU, Amritsar), before posing his question, provided a detailed overview of existing academic terms for music in Gurmat Studies namely Gurmat Sangeet (established by Dr. Gurnam Singh), Gurbani Sangeet (introduced by Bhai Baldeep Singh), and Gurbani Kirtan (Professor Surinder Singh’s attempt). He then presented Naad Pargaas’s efforts to establish Shabad Kirtan as a fourth framework, emphasizing the need to include various musical stages and forms within it such as Dharna Sangeet (from the Sant tradition), literary forms like Geet, Ghazal, Nazm, Prageet, and Kav Tarannum, and folk forms like Alaahṇīāṁ, Karhale, Vanjare, and Ghoṛīāṁ.
He stressed the importance of incorporating classical music elements like Rāg, Tāl, and especially Chhand Prabandh (meter/prosody), which he noted has been largely overlooked but is crucial for understanding the musical energy in Dasam Granth and its connection to Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s music. He also highlighted the distinction between a “Rāgi” and a “Kirtankār” based on their performance context and discussed the concepts of “Deh da Rāg” (melody of the body) and “Aatam Rāg” (melody of the soul), and the role of Simran in the journey from Naad to Pragaas. His specific question to Dr. Kulwinder Singh was about Sufi singing, exemplified by Nusrat Sahib’s “ecstasy,” and how Dr. Singh views the various musicians who have sung Kirtan in that style.
Dr. Kulwinder Singh indicated that Sufi music can be understood within the broader framework of Shabad Kirtan. He also linked it to Sugam Sangeet (light classical music), which encompasses various forms like geet, ghazal, and nazm. He emphasized that these forms, despite originating from what he termed the “lower realm of the body’s practice,” should not be ignored. Their understanding is essential for comprehending and establishing the comprehensive perspective of Shabad Kirtan.
Gurpreet Singh, posed a question regarding the decline in the contribution of Kirtankars from the Sahajdhari tradition to Gurbani Sangeet. Dr. Kulwinder Singh acknowledged the roles of various Sikh panths (such as the Nirmale, Udasis, and Sahajdharis) in Kirtan. He referred to the insights of Professor Manjinder Singh, who observed that prior to 1925, Raag Darbars or Kirtan Diwans commonly featured Kirtankars from these diverse traditions.
Dr. Singh attributed the decline in their participation to the Gurdwara Reform Movement, especially around 1925, and the emergence of the Singh Sabha movement. He suggested that the formalization of Sikh identity and maryada during this period led to the marginalization or exclusion of these groups from mainstream Kirtan practices.
Komalpreet Singh (M.Sc., Panjab University, Chandigarh) asked about the relationship between scientific knowledge and Gurmat Sangeet or Shabad Kirtan, focusing on how Western music theory and sound science such as the body and brain’s response to sound can help incorporate global traditions. He inquired whether current research allows for “free music” and scientific perspectives within Shabad Kirtan, if the divine is understood as all-embracing.
Harpreet Singh (Perth, Western Australia) presented a profound perspective, Professor Navtej Singh (Adelaide, South Australia) reiterated that the Gurus composed Gurbani in Rāgas because of their direct connection to human consciousness (Surat) and spiritual absorption (Liv), which amplifies the impact of the Shabad.
Rabbi Shergill (Prominent Artist) in his presiding remarks, observed how modern life (loops, increasing music tempo) mirrors societal demands for productivity and reduced attention spans. He questioned the Gurdwara’s current role as an “audience-driven” space and highlighted the challenge of engaging younger generations. He provocatively asked whether “higher music” has produced truly transformative spiritual personalities in recent times.
He also stressed the need for a unique Sikh scientific and philosophical framework for understanding music, going beyond the limitations of Newtonian science and Western musical theory, to truly grasp Kirtan’s transformative potential and address contemporary global crises.
The discussion also touched upon incorporating scientific understanding of sound and its effects on the body and neural activity into the study of Shabad Kirtan. This calls for experimentation beyond traditional and Western music theories, aiming for a secular yet comprehensive analysis that aligns with the universal principle of the Divine.
Gurpal Singh (Barrister and Solicitor, Melbourne) moderated the entire session. The programme concluded with closing remarks by Simranjit Singh and a reaffirmation of Naad Pargaas Australia’s mission to develop a Sikh civilizational model rooted in Shabad philosophy.