Sher Mastana

I was listening to Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shant on youtube today it reminded of this conversation long time ago - A lot of these conversations are anywhere from the year 2000 to 2011. And they seem to pop up in my head randomly as Bhai Saab had a very confident and clever way of expressing himself. So I had picked up a CD of Gurmat Sangeet Project from the NY Sikh Day Parade and there was a Tarana on there sung by Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shant, it was about Kavi Goyal describing the scene of Guru Gobind Singh ji going into battle. To me this was very inspirational and it was very well sung so being the excited kid I was back then I go..

SS: Hey Bhai Saab I bet you have never heard this before its really awesome.
BS: What is this?
SS: (Explains the above)
BS: Turn it off its stupid this is not Gurmat.
SS: -___-

Here’s the link to this awesome recording.

http://www.gurmatsangeetproject.com/Recordings/GurmitSinghShant4/gurmeet%20singh%20shant%20-%20Itti%20naubate%20ghanana%20ghanana.mp3

I love conversations but some conversations stick with you so here are some positive, some sarcastic, some negative and some funny that have stuck with me over the years. 

Conversations with BS #4. 

SS: Hey Bhai Saab how come we do not do akhand paaths at the gurdwara?
BS: We don’t believe in pakhand paaths. 
SS: -___-

Conversations with BS # 3

I love conversations but some conversations stick with you so here are some positive, some sarcastic, some negative and some funny that have stuck with me over the years. 

Conversations with BS #3. 

During a conversation about 1984 and Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale.

SS: Hey Bhai Saab did Sant ji ever say what the main issue was that lead to such a huge movement in the 80’s?

BS: Yea, he said the problem is of 1 inch only - the Indian Government wants us to walk with our heads down while we want to walk with our heads up. This difference of 1 inch is the real root cause of the movement among all the other prevalent issues.

SS: wow! 

I love conversations but some conversations stick with you so here are some positive, some sarcastic, some negative and some funny that have stuck with me over the years. 

Conversations with BS #2. 

One of the most common questions asked by youngsters at camps etc.

SS: Hey Bhai Saab What do you think of homosexuality and Sikhi?
BS: There is no such thing. 
SS: I mean what does Sikhi say about being gay?
BS: These people today have many issues in their lives, being gay is like a trend its like a fashion statement, you cannot be Gay and Sikh!

I love conversations but some conversations stick with you so here are some positive, some sarcastic, some negative and some funny that have stuck with me over the years. 

Conversations with BS #1. 

S: Hey Bhai Saab have you heard of Shamsher Singh Zakhmi?
B: umm did he get hurt when he was younger or something? 
S: ah I think that’s just his name he’s really awesome…
B: They are all the same…
S: -___-

Love this video. 

http://youtu.be/aRy1M6E30uw

I have been thinking about blogging/posting things for so many years but either did I not have the time or I thought of it as being useless to anyone. It was until I started reading a few blogs and just read in general that I felt that I could - but with so much information online and everyone trying to outbid each other, I just want to share things that inspire me and aren’t always popular in the rat race.

So, here goes my first post.

Recently, something amazing happened. One of my good friends, Swaranjit Singh Khalsa, sent me an audio of a kavishri back in April of 2009 - like most things, I downloaded it and it sat on my desktop for a couple days till I decided to open this mysterious mp3 titled “avtar”. Just the beginning caught my ears, I have always been a fan of poetry and here was this amazing voice singing in punjabi about Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jhujar Singh. Sitting in my office listening to it felt as though time just froze and this was being sung live and I was in the audience.

Since my first time listening to this track - I burned it onto a CD so I could listen to it in the car and then put in on the DC Gatka Dal Mix Tape to give to the gatka team in 2010 and ever since that first time, this was a track that I listened to at least once a week. Every time something new and different touched me. 

I did not know who this voice was, or where this track was from. I asked a whole lot of people but did not really get anywhere until 2 weeks ago. I happend to be in Richmond Hill, NY dropping off some T-shirts to a customer and decided to go pay a visit to the amazing new Gurdwara of the Sikh Cultural Society NY. It felt like I was in Punjab stepping into the Gurdwara, so much sangat and huge darbar hall and just the ambience there. You really don’t get that vibe in the suburbs out in Jersey or the DC area.

I met Dr. Onkar Singh at his Gatka class and then we hit the Langar Hall and while having langar, I hear the exact same voice I been listening to for the past 3 years. I quickly look up and ask Onkar Bhaaji if this could be the same person and he wasn’t sure. I quickly finish up, go upstairs and listen to this middle aged Singh tell the story of Guru Gobind Singh ji during his time in Machiwara and 5 minutes into it we were 100% sure this was him. This was the voice I have been listening to.

If I could I would have run up and hugged him but we listened and I made a fairly bad recording on my phone but the moment of truth was when he finished and they thanked him for his time and mentioned his name “Bhai Avtar Singh Tari”. I was ecstatic to have a name of this amazing writer/poet.

I had the pleasure of meeting Bhai Avtar Singh Tari after the Diwan and really felt like a fan at a basketball game excited to meet the players and asked him where the recording I had was from and where he’s from and how I am a huge fan. I was so eager to know more. I suggested he come to Yuba City, California in November since he would get a lot of love from the Sangat there. (I thought to myself later, I didn’t even ask him to come to Jersey or the DC area, but instead all the way to CA - I know it’s weird).

I’m posting the track that I first heard in 2009 above, and I hope you too can relate to it. It’s about 15 minutes long and really is to be listened to when you have the time for it and not just have it play in the background. There’s so much in each and every line of the kavishri. I hope you can understand Punjabi, if not try to or just ask someone or myself about some of phrases that are in really hard to comprehend. 

I think I have said enough - check out the voice of Bhai Avtar Singh Tari singing about a conversation between Bhai Daya Singh and Sahib Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji after the Battle of Chamkaur. 

Till the next inkspill…

Mastana