Chandigarh, October 24: ART excels when skill expresses truthful and intense emotions. And it can reach its apex when emotions subsist on spirituality. For the select audience at the Tagore Theatre here this evening, it was much more than a fine musical performance as the saintly Baba Gulam Mohammad Chand Mardana, from Lahore rendered a soul-stirring shabad-kirtan. Keeping alive the rababi tradition, Babaji is a descendent of Mardana, the wanderer accompanist of Guru Nanak Dev. He has devoted his life to singing shabads from Gurbani much on the lines of his illustrious uncle Bhai Chand and grandfather Bhai Sundar.

It’s been quite a controversy that Bhai Mardana, being a non-sikh has been denied to perform at the Harmandir Sahib by the SGPC, a dream he has been harbouring for the last 60 years and which he pressed even during today’s performance. The programme organised by Preetlari trust in collaboration with the Chandigarh Sangeet and Natak Akademi showered a sufi mood...an occasion that was more than fulfiling in all its capacities and intentions.

For those who looked for vocal expertise were satiated by the amazing vigour and technical range displayed by the lean and seemingly senile man, while those (maximum) who came for a spiritual experience from shabads imagined the ‘erstwhile’ Mardana in his form.

Award for Bhai Mardana

PREETLARI’S editor Poonam announced an award of Rs 51,000 for Bhai Mardana. The award shall be given annually to those who have unanimously devoted their lives to music and culture. Shumita from Delhi contributed Rs 50,000 in the beginning which shall be reimbursed to her after contributions from general public are received. Channi from Sangeet and Natak Akademi thanked Zoya, Shumita and Poonam for planning the visit of the Bhai to India. Dr Man Singh Nirankari honoured the performers and appealed the masses to press the SGPC to let the descendent of Mardana perform at Harmandir Sahib. ‘‘Why is Mardana separated from Guru?’’ he questioned.

He opened with saint Kabir’s Awwal allah noor upaya kudrat ke sab bande in his inimitable manner. Accompanying him were Mohd Afzal (vocal) and Riyaz Ahmed on tabla...an ensemble that proved its worth to the best.

Dressed in pristine white, Bhai Mardana not only sang the Guru’s preachings but like a true sufi, explained the hidden meanings of verses making the performance all the more enlightening.

Changing notes in between he would make such elucidations often charged with wit in his strong voice. ‘‘It was not mirasi what guru called Mardana but mera-see (he was mine),’’ said the traditional singer as he continued with Baba Bulle Shah’s famous kalaam - mera piya ghar aaya.

Demands came from the audience for shaabd from Rehraas ‘tera keeta jaato nahin’ and Guru Gobind Singh’s ‘mittar pyaare noon’. And Bhai Mardana went on to surprise with one after another shabad revealing his vocal deftness.

‘‘After coming out of the trance under river Veyin, Guru Nanak took Mardana along on his tour realising the oneness of all being,’’ he said adding, ‘‘here and there, everywhere is He, and that’s how I compare Pakistan and India. Pakistan, where Guru Nanak and Guru Arjan Dev were born, and India, where Guru Ramdas and Guru Gobind were born.’’ He went on to impress the audience with more such intellectual remarks, ‘‘What is Guru? Go—means darkness and rooh means light and Guru means one who dispels darkness...satguru nanak pargatiya miti dhund jag chanan hoya...