Ludhiana, September 3
From Sangatpur near Phillaur to
Coventry in UK, Shinda Sureela has come a long way. From the earlier
days when he used to sing at programmes in schools and colleges, today
he is much sought after artist in UK after the release of his maiden
album ‘Duniya da Experience’.
Presently in the city to oversee
arrangements of his album next week in India, Shinda shared his
experiences with Ludhiana Tribune here today. He said: “I moved to
Germany in 1992 after completing my graduation from Guru Nanak
National College, Nakodar. But I was not allowed to sing though I have
been always passionate about singing, as my family was against my
adopting singing as a career. It was only when I shifted to UK in 1995
and with encouragement of my sister Ms Kulwinder that I got permission
to pursue singing. I was fortunate to get Baldev Mastana as a teacher.
He is a well known as a music director and writer of UK.”
After
training for a couple of years, finally he released his video and
audio album ‘Duniya da Experience’ in January, 2003. The album was
then released in Canada and America. Shinda says,” The video of the
album has been shot in Mumbai and adheres to our Punjabi culture.
Hence there is no vulgarity and the whole family can sit together and
watch the album. The lyrics are very meaningful and besides
entertaining , they also teach important lesson of life. “
Every
day new singers are coming up and they get lost in the multitude of
new crop of singers. But Shinda was lucky that he got recognition after his first album only. Music Mind
Company released his album in UK
and now Music Mind International is going to release his CD in Punjab
on September 12. Shinda said after September 15, his songs will be
telecast on Jalandhar Doordarshan and Punjabi channels like Alpha, ETC
and others will be beaming the video songs.
Shinda says he is sure
that Punjabis are going to like his album as he has seen that
India-based Punjabi singers like Hans Raj Hans, Kuldip Manak and many
others are a hit with Indians abroad. Shinda said that the lyrics are
very meaningful. He has roped in Hans Raj Hans to tell what is Jugni
as many persons do not what really it is. Before his song Jugni, Hans
Raj Hans tells the audience that “Jugni in reality is a
‘talisman’ or ‘taveez’ that one wears round the neck to ward
off evil spirits. This is given by Muslim ‘fakirs’.
In a song
titled ‘Babanath’, an elderly man gets married to a foreigner and
drifts away from his culture. But later he repents and comes back to
the mainstream. In the song Jawani, Shinda says two overpowering
emotions are love and hate. Since love is a positive emotion, the song
urges youngsters to walk down the path of love. He says that Punjabis
are very good people full of life and drive. He quoted these
lines:
“Jidhar vekho udhar hi Punjabi sab to aage/mein karan
duavaan enano tatte vah na lage/mehnat kar ke har passe kiti enane
khushali/sache suche bandyan di rab karda rakhwali”.
