A Turbaned Woman at the Grammy's

[nanosecond]

With contributions by Karan Khalsa

Can you imagine a Turban at the Grammy's? Can you picture a Sikh Artist being selected from thousands, and being acknowledged and awarded on the public stage for their contribution to music?

Dare to imagine, for this could become a reality. Snatam Kaur Khalsa's solo album 'Shanti' is now in the semi-finalists for being awarded a Grammy in the New Age category. Selected from over a thousand albums by highly acclaimed artists, Shanti finds itself among a genre of music gaining widespread popularity with mentions in Time Magazine, Martha Stewart's Living, Newsweek, and many more.

The Grammy Foundation is an American organization founded in 1989 which cultivates the advancement of the art of Music. Within the music industry, they are the most prestigious of awards.

On Shanti, her second solo release, Snatam sings beautiful prayers from the Sikh tradition. Her graceful chants reveal the magic and beauty of each prayer. "I didn't make a conscious choice to make the pieces," explains Snatam. "But I would sit down and be inspired."

Shanti, as with all of Snatam's recordings, reflects a universal sensibility that embraces many faiths. According to Snatam, these songs "go beyond all boundaries to break through to pure awareness."

Snatam has also released three major albums and numerous mantra albums with a music group called Peace Family. These albums have focused on spiritually uplifting themes.

Snatam's soothing vocals on the album are tas

tefully enhanced by Eastern and Western instrumentation, but the power of her devotion is the force that inspires and moves.

Snatam Kaur was born and raised with yoga and meditation as a daily practice as taught by Yogi Bhajan. She received musical training all throughout school in violin, voice, and percussion. Upon graduating high school she lived in India and studied with masters of the Sikh traditional style of music called Gurbani Kirtan. With her meditative practice and musical training she combined these two streams of disciplines into creating devotional music.

She has shared her music throughout the world on Gurbani Kirtan tours throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and India. Her ability to transport people into the realm of the heart and spirit through music is her gift.

States Snatam: "The experience of creating an album or preparing to perform is for me to tune into the living and breathing consciousness of sound, which I call my Guru."

[V]

does anyone have the album...?

CAn anyone send it to me..

as I can't buy the album living faaaaaaaaar awar from the US

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

[warrior*princess]

I know, i have heard some of her Gurbanee sung at Sikh.net....

Im a bit weary about how Gurbanee is sometimes heard on tunes a bit on the outside of the keertan styles we hear at the Gurudwara Sahib and i don't really like the fact that it sounds like a song rather than Gurubanee. BUT if her type of music appeals to people, thats very good despite my doubts.

My main concern is that i hope she does not get carried away with the music she uses...otherwise it will cause dramatic Baistee to the GurSikhs who are trying to portray the correct lifestyle of Sikhi.

Other than that, its a great sight to see a Singhnee doing Parchaar!!!

[Akaali]

AMAZING!!!!!!

Its tru what people say the western people of this world are gonna make SIkhi flourish and when it does, it will spread like wildfire..

As for the album, its goood because this way people will find out more about Sikhi..

warrior bhainji....

their culture is very different from ours, and as we all know the relationship between religion and culture is very close, their way of doing gurbani kirtan is different, and we should respect that, after all its poetry, no matter how you sing it, it conveys the same message/meaning to everyone!!

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

MASIVE respect to Bibi Snatam Kaur Ji.

:nihungsmile: :nihungsmile:

[Guest Jas Singh]

does anyone have the album...?

CAn anyone send it to me..

as I can't buy the album living faaaaaaaaar awar from the US 

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

goto sikhnet.com, the main page has some audio samples

[Guest balwinderkaur]

i agree with khalsa veer. Big up to bhainjee for getting so far.

[Jkaur]

yeah big up to her

[simmal tree]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

I really respect the Gursikhs who came from totally different lifestyles and embraced Sikhi full fledge. I have no hesitation in declaring that they are probably much more dedicated to their Sikhi than somebody like me who has been exposed to Sikh grandparents and had the ability to go to nagar kirtans and the gurdwara and listen to keertan dispite having had a haircut until I was 19. I have been exposed to Sikhi and I still misuse my resources in life. I have a comfortable living environment and many amenities - I live in a very nice city and house with a safe neighbourhood and I have a loving family and a lot of sangat. Despite all of this I fail to rise at amrit vela, and I fail to be an all round Gursikh.

I am a complete sacrifice to singhnees like this - who are actually following Gursikhi despite all the challenges. She probably lives a lifestyle many thousand times better than mine. I have no place to say anything about her or her Sikhi or her keertan.

There is just ONE CONCERN,

The pyare Gursikhs of 3HO need to distinguish between the GURMANTAR and pakhandee/jhootae manthars and also between SACHEE BAANEE and kachee baanee. Yogi Bhajan has written many new "aquarian age" shabads and mantras that are no where in Guru Granth Sahib. I was very happy to see in Snatam Kaur's CD that the tracks are all shabads UNTIL I SAW THE L

AST TRACK. Alas, it is a new mantra by Yogi Bhajan.

What do these mantras have that Gurbani doesn't? Nothing. They can't compete. They are kachee banee.

They may be great folk song material - great for tadee vaars - but they are not the gurmantar or gurbani.

This is my ONLY concern about this CD.

:T:

Bhul Chuk Maaf Karnaa Jee,

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

[Guest balwinderkaur]

agree with kulpreet singh.