ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SAMUND SI&#7748GH BH&#256&#298 (1901-1972)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="SAMUND,SIDGH,BH*,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279SAMUND SI&#7748GH, BH&#256&#298 (1901-1972), a leading Sikh musicologist of the twentieth century, trained in music under leading maestros of the art, Sikhs as well as Muslims, was born on 3 March 1901, at the village of Mull&#257 Hamz&#257, in Montgomery district, now in Pakistan. He started his training so young that for many years after he had started giving public performance, he was known as <i>K&#257k&#257</i> (child) Samund Si&#7749gh. His father, Bh&#257&#299 Haz&#363r Si&#7749gh was a <i>r&#257g&#299</i> (musician) of repute and for accompaniment played on a string instrument called <i>t&#257&#363s</i>, so named because of its peacock shape. For five generations, his ancestors had been performing <i>k&#299rtan</i> at Gurdw&#257r&#257 Janam Asth&#257n at Nank&#257&#7751&#257 S&#257hib, the birthplace of Gur&#363 N&#257nak. Among them Bh&#257&#299 Gurdit Si&#7749gh had won renown as a deft <i>tabl&#257</i>-player.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Samund Si&#7749gh's first major performance came at the age of nine when he staged <i>k&#299rtan</i> before a large gathering at a session of the Sikh Educational Conference. Soon he became the rage for Sikh <i>d&#299v&#257ns</i> throughout the Punjab. His training continued under his father and under other masters. He was quick at memorizing the holy word of the Gur&#363s. Thus his range and repertoire from Gurb&#257&#7751&#299 were very wide. He learnt to play on string instruments such as the <i>t&#257&#363s, dilrub&#257</i> and <i>t&#257np&#363r&#257</i> besides the harmonium and <i>tabl&#257</i>. He acquired mastery of most of the thirty-one <i>r&#257gas</i> in which Gurb&#257&#7751&#299 is composed. He excelled in <u>Kh</u>ay&#257l, &#7789humar&#299 A&#7749g, Mult&#257n&#299 A&#7749g, Dhrupad and Dh&#363mar. He began to live and enjoy the Word he sang with exceptional ease and effect. His presence inspired veneration and his performance helped to create a devotional atmosphere.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Samund Si&#7749gh was given employment at Gurdw&#257r&#257 Janam Asth&#257n at Nank&#257&#7751&#257 S&#257hib where he performed <i>k&#299rtan</i> with his two companions, Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh and Harn&#257m Si&#7749gh. He resigned from the position of head <i>r&#257g&#299</i> after a few years, but continued to live in the holy city of Nank&#257&#7751&#257. He travelled to the remotest corners of the country on invitations from Sikh societies and institutions to perform <i>k&#299rtan</i>. He introduced Gurb&#257&#7751&#299 <i>k&#299rtan</i> to Hindu and Muslim lovers of music and great artists, including Ba&#7771e <u>Gh</u>ul&#257m 'Al&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n. He was among the first Sikh musicians to broadcast <i>k&#299rtan</i> from the Lahore station of All India Radio.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After the partition of 1947, he migrated to Amritsar and performed <i>k&#299rtan</i> at the Golden Temple, later shifting to Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257. He continued to command respect as the most accomplished Sikh musician. In 1970, he was given the Bh&#257&#299 Mard&#257n&#257 Music Award by the Punjab Government, at a state ceremony at Cha&#7751&#7693&#299ga&#7771h. He gave on the occasion what turned out to be his last major performance. Samund Si&#7749gh died at Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257 on 5 January 1972.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Jodh Si&#7749gh; Jalandhar<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>