Punjabi Antenna
New singing talent
Randeep Wadehra

Although various news bulletins covered the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill through the Rajya Sabha, the talk shows will take some time to be aired — given the nature of programming in the channels. However, DD Jalandhar’s Sunday morning show had a young woman as guest, who talked at length on the status of women in society. Most of what she said has been repeated earlier by others on different forms. However, certain things need to be reiterated in order to keep the focus firmly on an important issue.

Punjabis have a rich tradition in music. Some of them transcended geographical barriers and became legends. These include KL Sehgal, Mohd Rafi, Mahendra Kapoor and Jagjit Singh. At present, Sukhwinder Singh has caught the nation’s imagination with his Jai Ho number. It was a treat to watch his interview on PTC’s Guftagu programme.

Success stories breed aspirations among wannabes. This is a good thing. Yet, the path to success is full of challenges that only the best can overcome. However, every aspiring talent needs a helping hand. This is where the PTC group of channels’ annual music awards show can play a healthy role. This time it provided platform to the young Satinder Sartaj, a genuine singing talent.

The young lad seldom hit the high notes and eschewed the so-called crossover compositions that are known more for sound and fury than authentic substance. Meaningful in content, Sartaj’s compositions can be easily taken for traditional Sufi renderings. I had downloaded some of his musical pieces from the Internet of which Dil and Ibadat proved to be absolutely enchanting. Apparently, he is projecting a unique worldview in a style that is entirely his own.

Although it would be premature to declare his "arrival" as Punjabi music’s next big hope, he certainly is getting there. Sartaj surely knows how to make his presence felt. Despite his self-effacing attitude, the lad impresses with his aplomb onstage and in front of the camera. We are going to hear more about this young singer in the coming years.

While contrasting his rendering with the run-of-the-mill Punjabi songs that have become ubiquitous on the channels as well as various live/stage shows, one can only quote a wit: "Some prefer to listen to musical concerts without interval, while others prefer intervals without music."

I really wish I could say half as much about the music album that was awarded in the function as some of its lyrics glorifying violence. Often, while attempting to project a macho image, Punjabi singers rely upon metaphors that convey violence, viz. dunaali, gandaasi, goli etc. These may sound macho but provide the most un-poetic portrayal of Punjabi sensibility. You can be courageous without being aggressive or loud.

Our glam boys and girls have yet to realise the power of quiet dignity that demonstrates the spirit’s tensile strength. As Surjit Paatar pointed out in Samwaad: " The unjust fears the real poet." It is time our music companies encouraged lyrics with poetic beauty. They only have to sincerely look around for genuine poets. Glorification of violence is bad for society in general. Let sense and sensibility return to Punjabi music.

Now a bit about the two celebrity anchors for the show. Their performance was disappointing, to say the least. Gulshan Grover’s sweet and syrupy verbiage somehow failed to connect with the audience. Mona Singh’s equally sweet and syrupy diction was absolutely non-Punjabi, causing the disconnect. Glam factor is required to draw in the audiences, but to retain their attention, it should be backed with good performance. There is a need for discovering and grooming talented Punjabi anchors that would do justice to the shows of this nature.