Dya Singh Plays Spiritual music at Ashok’s Palace
On October 4th we were graced with a very special visit. The internationally renowned World Music group Dya Singh, performed at The Hindu Temple of Georgia’s Community Center –Ashok’s Palace. It was the centerpiece of an evening’s entertainment hosted by Dr. Inder Paul Sing of Atlanta, in commemoration of the first anniversary of The Sikh American Society of Georgia, which he founded. Dr Singh, who addressed the crowd of over 500, was able to book the band that hails from Australia, due to their being on a ten city tour of the United States. Among other speakers in attendance, was our very own Swamiji, Dr Commander “Selvam,” who welcomed the society and the musical group.
If you have never heard of Dya Singh before, you are really missing-out on a unique musical treat. The group takes its name from its founder Dya Singh, who was born of Punjabi Sikh missionaries, who immigrated to Malaysia. Dya decided to continue in his parent’s spiritual footsteps by promoting Sikhism through song and music and immigrated to Australia. Awarded "Male Artist of the Year" by the Australian World Music Organization, he has composed numerous spiritual songs and has recorded more than nine albums. Many of his songs are taken from Sikh sacred texts, and put to his melodies. He popularized the saying, “If you do not see God in all, then you do not see God at all,” which is boldly proclaimed across the front of the tour’s T-shits.
The World Music of Dya Sing mixes Indian musicians and instruments, with Western musicians and instruments. However, the resulting sound is still unquestionably South Asian to the Western ear. Dya laid down the musical foundation of each performance, by singing the lead vocals, usually in Punjabi, and unobtrusively accompanying himself on his, Harmonium, an Indian hand-pumped portable organ.
His youngest daughter, Parvyn, was seated to his immediate right, sang back-up, and added rhythmic punctuation, with wooden Dandya sticks. To her right sat Australian Andrew Clermont, playing sometimes a massively elongated didgeridoo, sometimes his white Epoch © electric violin, and sometimes an acoustic-electric guitar. Andrew embellished the musical theme with seamlessly spot on melodic contributions. On Dya left was one of the worlds finest Tabla Players, Dheeraj Shrestha. And finally, on stage left, was Josh Bennett, a left handed Australian, who played either his Gibson ES 335, a semi-hollow bodied, electric guitar, with an “OM” symbol emblazoned on the pick-guard, or his Dilruba - a bowed Indian instrument similar to a Sarangi.
When Josh plays the Gibson, if you closed your eyes, you would swear that he was playing a Sitar. Such is his musical dexterity and tonal mastery. I had a chance to speak with Josh after the performance, and he told me that although he is fluent in Folk, Jazz, and Blues, it is his current overwhelming fascination with Indian music, that brings him to the group. After the current tour, he plans to return to India, to continue his Sitar studies.
His wonderful music made the guests to dance forgetting their age and all other worldly things. Swamiji presented Shawls and gifts to the singers, officials of Sadsangat of Georgia and to the kids who performed cultural events. The fantastic dinner was also served to all the visitors. Everybody was happy to be at the holy place on a very happy evening.
On October 4th we were graced with a very special visit. The internationally renowned World Music group Dya Singh, performed at The Hindu Temple of Georgia’s Community Center –Ashok’s Palace. It was the centerpiece of an evening’s entertainment hosted by Dr. Inder Paul Sing of Atlanta, in commemoration of the first anniversary of The Sikh American Society of Georgia, which he founded. Dr Singh, who addressed the crowd of over 500, was able to book the band that hails from Australia, due to their being on a ten city tour of the United States. Among other speakers in attendance, was our very own Swamiji, Dr Commander “Selvam,” who welcomed the society and the musical group.
If you have never heard of Dya Singh before, you are really missing-out on a unique musical treat. The group takes its name from its founder Dya Singh, who was born of Punjabi Sikh missionaries, who immigrated to Malaysia. Dya decided to continue in his parent’s spiritual footsteps by promoting Sikhism through song and music and immigrated to Australia. Awarded "Male Artist of the Year" by the Australian World Music Organization, he has composed numerous spiritual songs and has recorded more than nine albums. Many of his songs are taken from Sikh sacred texts, and put to his melodies. He popularized the saying, “If you do not see God in all, then you do not see God at all,” which is boldly proclaimed across the front of the tour’s T-shits.
The World Music of Dya Sing mixes Indian musicians and instruments, with Western musicians and instruments. However, the resulting sound is still unquestionably South Asian to the Western ear. Dya laid down the musical foundation of each performance, by singing the lead vocals, usually in Punjabi, and unobtrusively accompanying himself on his, Harmonium, an Indian hand-pumped portable organ.
His youngest daughter, Parvyn, was seated to his immediate right, sang back-up, and added rhythmic punctuation, with wooden Dandya sticks. To her right sat Australian Andrew Clermont, playing sometimes a massively elongated didgeridoo, sometimes his white Epoch © electric violin, and sometimes an acoustic-electric guitar. Andrew embellished the musical theme with seamlessly spot on melodic contributions. On Dya left was one of the worlds finest Tabla Players, Dheeraj Shrestha. And finally, on stage left, was Josh Bennett, a left handed Australian, who played either his Gibson ES 335, a semi-hollow bodied, electric guitar, with an “OM” symbol emblazoned on the pick-guard, or his Dilruba - a bowed Indian instrument similar to a Sarangi.
When Josh plays the Gibson, if you closed your eyes, you would swear that he was playing a Sitar. Such is his musical dexterity and tonal mastery. I had a chance to speak with Josh after the performance, and he told me that although he is fluent in Folk, Jazz, and Blues, it is his current overwhelming fascination with Indian music, that brings him to the group. After the current tour, he plans to return to India, to continue his Sitar studies.
His wonderful music made the guests to dance forgetting their age and all other worldly things. Swamiji presented Shawls and gifts to the singers, officials of Sadsangat of Georgia and to the kids who performed cultural events. The fantastic dinner was also served to all the visitors. Everybody was happy to be at the holy place on a very happy evening.
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