M. L. Dhawan, Chandigarh

II

Surinder Kaur was the dean of Punjabi singers. She called music her soulmate. She never sang any plebeian song gratifying the ignoble tastes.

Because of her soft, dulcet voice she enjoyed the honorific epithet of "Bulbul-e-Punjab". Whenever I hear a song sung by her I croon the verse: Us ghairat-e-naaheed kee har taan hai Deepak/ Sho’la sa lapak jaaey hai aavaaz to dekho (ghairat-e-naaheed: One exciting the envy of the songstress of heaven).

Once in Moscow, though unacquainted with the Punjabi language, top Russian leaders heard her songs with rapturous and enthusiastic applause. Humility was the hallmark of her personality. She took pride in being a Punjabi and sang for Punjab. But for the coveted award of Padma Shri, she was the nominee of Haryana.

Immediately after the 1971 Indo-Pak War, Chacha Islah-ud-din declared on Radio Pakistan that if India wanted to resolve the Kashmir issue it should give Surinder Kaur to Pakistan in lieu of the whole of Kashmir. Could there be a better expression of compliment for the singing legend?

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian

III

In Surinder Kaur’s death, Punjab has lost its most versatile female music voice. She will be ever remembered as a paradigm of pure melody and decent singing. The niche carved by her in the Punjabi music world is peerless. Her felicity of style is yet to be surpassed by any other Punjabi lady singer.

She could sing romantic, sad, light and folk songs with equal ease and charismatic charm. She performed on the stage with such feminine dignity and grace that we miserably miss this in most of today’s younger singers.

Whatever Surinder Kaur chose to sing was highly aesthetic, tenderly poetic and distinctly native; topical and universal at the same time. She won the hearts of the listeners just by her honeyed voice which abounded in lilt and cadence, pang and longing.

Often, she preferred to sing from the stage sitting in a chair. Yet people swung and swayed, clapped and danced as she sang. On the sheer strength of her voice quality, she regaled the audience and garnered their thunderous applause and admiration. She was simply subtle and subtly simple. May the legacy of the Nightingale flourish!

C.L. ARORA, Ferozpore city

IV

Surinder Kaur and her sister Parkash Kaur sang most immortal songs of Punjab in the Forties. She also song playback songs in 1947-48 for two Hindi films Shaheed and Pyar Ki Jeet starring Suriya. In the hit film Pyar Ki Jeet (1948), she sang Kitne door ho hazoor, kaise mulakat ho? (How far you are, now how could we meet?).

Surinder Kaur is no more, but her melodious songs would echo our ears forever. Her memory is fresh and it will remain so far all time to come. For the melody Surinder Kaur struck was truly timeless and immortal. May her soul rest in peace! n