Muslim Teenager In Kashmir Performs, Teaches Kirtan ... To Sikhs

[kdsingh80]

http://www.sikhchic.com/music/muslim_teenager_in_kashmir_performs_teaches_kirtan_to_sikhs

Muslim Teenager in Kashmir Performs, Teaches Kirtan ... to Sikhs

by HAROON MIRANI

When someone of another faith performs Kirtan of Sikh shabads, the audience is left mesmerised

On a lazy afternoon in the summer of 2000, at a Gurdwara in Srinagar (Kashmir), devotees were listening to kirtan when a young woman took centre stage. Initially, nobody gave a second look, but the sweet voice soon cast a spell over the gathering. Everyone listened in rapt attention, and soon they joined in the singing.

After the kirtan ended, the people were curious to know more about the young singer and were surprised to discover that the 16-year-old was a Muslim. Blessings and applause followed, and Tasleema Langoo instantly became a mini-celebrity amongst the small Sikh community in Kashmir.

Today, Tasleema is an accomplished teacher and singer of kirtan in the Kashmir Valley. Members of the Sikh community are full of praise for the young woman, saying she "takes us nearer to our own religion".

With the current civil unrest, curfews and shutdowns restricting people's movement in the Valley, Tasleema's classes have also taken a break. But she is hopeful that once normalcy returns, so will her classes.

"The students, many of whom are outside the Valley, are regularly in touch with me on phone and waiting for the next classes," she says.

Tasleema belongs to a family of musicians. Her great grandfather used to sing for the Maharaja, while her grandfather, Ghulam Qadir Langoo, was a court singer. Her father, Abdul Majeed Langoo, teaches music at a women's college.

Her interest in Shabad Kirtan took root when, as a six-year-old, she watched her father's Sikh students learning to play the tabla and harmonium for kirtan.

"Our family is closely associated with music and I get to hear all types of music but, curiously, shabad kirtan would always excite me the most," says Tasleema. "I started helping the students with their instruments and they, in turn, wrote shabads in the Urdu script for me."

When she began singing the shabads in her father's class, her mesmerising voice captivated not just the other students but also their parents, who began dropping in to listen to her melodious renditions. Tasleema began teaching the music when she was just 14. As she could not read the Guru Granth Sahib - which is in Gurmukhi script, her father bought her a copy of the Sikh scripture in Urdu from Amritsar. Her father also helps her in the composition of new shabads.

It was on the insistence of her students and their parents that Tasleema first sang at a gurudwara. Her fame soon spread and she was invited to sing at more gurudwaras both within and outside the State of Jammu & Kashmir. "I got invitations almost every week. I sang at Chatti Padshahi in Srinagar, the biggest in Kashmir," she says with pride. "People also invited me for Vaisakhi and other festivals."

But her high point was when she was asked to perform at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 2007. Her sweet voice brought tears to the eyes of many. An old woman hugged her and kissed her hands, saying, "You are the voice of Sikh women and an honour to the Sikh community." The woman then removed her gold earrings and gifted them to the stunned singer.

"That was so moving. It is one of the biggest compliments I have received," says Tasleema. "But she didn't know that the girl she was praising was not a Sikh but a Muslim from Kashmir," she chuckles.

After her recitation at the Golden Temple, a pious and well-known Sikh personality, Bhai Harbans Singh, visited her house to thank her. When he heard of her work over the years he complimented her, saying, "You are doing a big favour to our community."

The girl who left studies after high school has till date trained more than 200 Sikh boys and girls in Shabad Kirtan. Residing in Srinagar's congested Shaheed Gunj area, and that too close to a mosque, she has carried on her work in an atmosphere of complete harmony, facing no opposition whatsoever from members of her family or community.

"After hearing the shabad recitation, the Imam Sahib of our mosque once came to my class, blessed me and told me that I was doing a wonderful job," recalls Tasleema.

Tasleema has never felt any conflict between her religion and her passion. "The basics of all religions are the same as they lead to one Supreme God," she says and recites her favourite shabad - "Kareema raheema Allah tu gani".

"I start my day with Nimaz (Muslim morning prayers) and recitation from the Quran," she says. "After that I open the Guru Granth Sahib, memorize a new shabad and compose it for my students with the help of my father."

She hopes that sometime in the future she can open an institution where Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus and people from any religion can come together to learn singing.

[Courtesy: The Sikh Times]

[shaheediyan]

Vaheguru - absolutley amazing.

Thanks for sharing kdsingh.

Funny that in even the most violent/war torn regions of the world - God works his magic without bounderies.

[amardeep]

Its just a matter of days before the international rehit police will forbid her to do kirtan lol

[tonyhp32]

But her high point was when she was asked to perform at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 2007. Her sweet voice brought tears to the eyes of many. An old woman hugged her and kissed her hands, saying, "You are the voice of Sikh women and an honour to the Sikh community." The woman then removed her gold earrings and gifted them to the stunned singer.

That sounds highly unlikey as women have not been allowed to do Kirtan at Durbar Sahib.

Its just a matter of days before the international rehit police will forbid her to do kirtan lol

The rehat maryada says only a Sikh should be able to do Kirtan in a Gurdwara. There is a reason for this, how can someone who believes in Islam be able to do parchar of Sikhi? Kirtan is a form of parchar and not a talent contest reliant on whose voice is the sweetest. Unfortunately Sikhs today run after novelty, apparently a Muslim girl singing Kirtan brings them closer to Sikhi than a Sikh singing Kirtan! Would a Mosque allow a Sikh to give a discourse on the Quran? of of the Bible in the church etc. Only Sikhs are lax and lazy when it comes to this regard.

[shaheediyan]

Actually, 3HO women have performed kirtan quite a few times at Darbar Sahib over the last decade, so you are right, seems the SGPC has a fondness for 'novelties' whilst employing Rottweiler like ferocity when 'Indian Sikh' women try to perform kirtan.

You can say what you like Tony, but it has become common knowledge that our Gurus had Muslim Rababis and Dhadis, and that these remained all the way up until 1940s/50s when the present puritan rules came into place. There are many living examples of this i.e. the legendary Zakhmi family - who were forced to convert when these laws came into force, with Dharam Singh Zakhmi retaining Muslim in-laws thereafter.

It's funny how you can come to all your conclusions without even hearing this girl sing. You seem to think Sikhi and love for Sikhi exists only within the defined religion... what a sadly narrow vision.

If you actually understood the 1st thing about kirtan and the farce it has become within 'Sikh' circles, you may then have been able to appreciate an attempt by an innocent person identifying a divine source and attempting to present it in the most beautiful way it deserves to be presented.

Edited September 28, 2010 by shaheediyan

[shaheediyan]

"Its just a matter of days before the international rehit police will forbid her to do kirtan lol"

It was only a matter of hours, seems like the worldwide public sector cut backs have even forced the IRP to become more efficient.