Punjabi Antenna
Passion for music
Randeep Wadehra
Garima Noor is the winner of the 2006 Punjab da Superstar singing competition conducted
by ETC Punjabi |
Garima
Noor, the dulcet-voiced lass, arrived with a sheaf of
certificates testifying to her talent as singer. However, her
debut music album Jazbaat (as solo singer)—which was
recently released by noted poet Sardar Anjum—is proof enough
of her talent and potential, displaying her ability to essay
different moods in the disc’s 11 songs; there is joy,
wistfulness, longing and light-hearted banter.
Noor, a young MBA
graduate specialising in finance, is the winner of the 2006 Punjab
da Superstar singing competition conducted by ETC Punjabi.
Then there are a clutch of first prizes won in different youth
festivals she had participated in during her student days.
Garima wants to dedicate herself to music in the traditional guru-shishya-parampara
spirit. Consequently, she has had two gurus—one the famous
Dolly Guleria, under whose tutelage she did a brief stint, and
now her mother Savita Jain, with whom she had cut a devotional
disc Maa beti te kar kirpa some time back.
Her two mentors
have introduced her to the essentials of classical, light
classical and folk music. She has already performed for DD1, DDJ
and DD, Shimla. Although she has won awards in other fields like
Rangoli, dancing and theatre, too, and is a professionally
trained manager, she says: "Music is my passion and my
approach towards it is non-mercenary. I prefer to have education
and professional skills in other academic fields so that I may
excel in music. Unlike some who jump into the field half-baked,
I do my riyaaz regularly and would continue to do so
because education in music never ends." Well said.
One was bewitched
by a bouquet of folk songs on DDJ’s Sur Punjabi.
The rendering of Sufi songs as well as Mirza was a treat.
However, why is DDJ so miserly in highlighting the names of
performers? One could catch the name of only one—Gurmit—and
that, too, I am not sure whether I got it right.
Zee Punjabi’s Pindaan
Vichon Pind is another very interesting programme. It
introduces us to various Punjabi singers, writers, poets etc
through elaborate interviews held in simple rural surroundings.
The idyllic ambience adds great value to the rich content that
has immense archival value.
Lastly, but
certainly the most important one, is The Masters on PTC
Punjabi. Currently Barkat Sidhu is on the show. He and the
preceding singer Gurmeet Bawa have been concentrating on Punjabi
folk although Sufi, too, gets due space. One admired the veteran
Bawa’s voice control and stamina—she can give any youngster
the blushes. Some of the marriage songs—sitthnee, ghodi
and suhaag—must have made old-timers quite nostalgic.
Barkat Sidhu, on
the other hand, did sing Sufi songs but reveled in love legends
like Heer and Mirza. One little known legend of
Sehti and Murad seemed to be his favourite. Sehti was Heer’s
sister-in-law. Sidhu’s renderings have the quality of being
timeless.
However, there are
other legends that have been favourite with the folks since ages
and need to be performed on quality TV shows like The Masters;
to name just three: Dulla Bhatti, Jagga, and Ballo
Mahiya need to be re-composed and presented to today’s’
audiences. Let us hope to see some of the future singers regale
us with these.
By the time this
column appears in print, PTC Punjabi will have announced the
date for its music awards function to be held this month. Music
wafts in the salubrious March air.
PS:- On February
28 one waited for The Masters till 8.10 pm (scheduled
time 7.30 pm) but all one got was mindless repetitions of
commercials. Such callous arbitrariness is bound to put off
up-market viewership.
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