Keertan always was, and still is, my favorite pasttime. My mother taught me the first Shabad, "Saadho Gobind Ke Gun Gaavo" when I was eight years old. To be honest, I was more of a tabla person when I was a kid. However, I very much kept an interest on the vaja, too, and soon, I enjoyed playing the harmonium more than any other instrument. I have also taken lessons in sitar from Ustad Jyoti Kaur and I played the American flute in the sixth grade. I can play the dholki, tabla, and the surmandal and tanpura are also my favorites when playing ragas.
As I grew older, my passion for Keertan grew stronger. I would listen to top class jathas like Bhai Ravinder Singh Ji, Bhai Rajinder Singh Ji [Singapore] and Bhai Jasbir Singh Ji [Paonta Sahib]. Then, after getting acquainted with their styles, when I got into high school, I began listening to Bhai Satvinder Singh Ji/Bhai Harvinder Singh Ji [Delhi]. To me, they are my favorite ragi jatha. In 2004, I came out with a cassette in India, "Raakha Ek Hamaara Swaami." A few months before coming out with the cassette, I began to create my own style of Keertan - a mix between the ragis that I enjoyed the most that I used to listen to when I was young.
Honestly, I got into raga Keertan when I went to school at California State University, Sacramento. I graduated with a B.A. in Ethnic Studies. I began to listen to a lot of indian classical music as I enjoyed the sound of string instruments. With Guru's kirpa, I have almost very close to knowing the 31 raags in the Guru Granth Sahib. Professors come and go in California and I would learn a raag here and there from each of them. They would help me improve my raga Keertan very much. In February 2007, I got the chance to do Keertan in Sri Harimandar Sahib a number of times and other historical Gurdwara Sahibs in India. Now, with Guru's blessings, I have attached the title of Hazoori Ragi Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, to the end of my name; the goal that I always wanted to reach in my life.
UnitedSikhs.com interviewed me a few years ago and it is online. There is more information about me in that interview. Click here to go to that page.
In the live tracks, Jagdeep Singh, my friend from Amritsar, is accompanying me in singing and Harjit Singh, also my friend from Amritsar is accompanying me on the tabla. Bhai Ranjit Singh, from Jandiala, is supporting with vocal support in the track "Kab Dekho Prabh Aapna."
I am now weekly going to Jalandhar to Ustad Gurmeet Singh Ji "Shaant" and learning/brushing up on the 31 classical ragas from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.