Wah! What a blissful night it was! Last year SYNZ held its annual kirtan function at North Shore Gurdwara Sahib with the blessings of Akaal Purakh. The kirtan program is a part of the greater SYNZ initiative to encourage Sikh youths in New Zealand to engage with Gurbani, Sangeet and Sangat. These three elements lay an important foundation in the Sikh lifestyle. To break this down:
- Gurbani being the poetic writings of the Sikh Gurus, and Bhagats.
- Sangeet refers to the musical setting of Indian music.
- Sangat refers to the congregation.
Despite having taken part in SYNZ diwans for the past few years, I was blessed with the opportunity to organize the 2023 program. Luckily enough for myself, the program turned out to be a banger, and we saw many amazing talents sing on stage. The SYNZ kirtan diwan serves to promote sikh practices and values of which devotional singing is an integral element. Within Gurbani, there are countless references of the importance of singing kirtan. In describing the state of a Gurmukh (One who faces the Guru), Guru Amar Das ji writes:
ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵਹਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਿਤ ਪੜਹਿ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
Har gun gaaveh har nit paReh har gun gai samai ||
They sing of the qualities of the Divine; they read about the divine. Singing the Praise of the Lord, they merge in absorption.
One thing that I have noticed is that by providing a youth specific stage, young people are provided with greater comfort and confidence to sing in the congregational setting. Through doing so, they develop a sense of confidence and empowerment. Within the four hours that the diwan lasted, we saw multiple jatha demonstrate their musical skills. One of my favorites from the night was ‘Aao Saajan Sant Meet Pyare’ by Balpreet Masaun.
Alas, as all good things must come to an end, the program ended with a ‘prize giving’ to all the participants. Despite only running for a few hours we saw amazing feedback from the Sangat for the encouragement of Gurbani Kirtan. Many came and suggested that one diwan a year is far from enough, that more should be held in the coming years. Overall, the program serves more than just providing empowerment for young people. It provides them the opportunity to see others from the same age group sing and encourages them interaction and inspiration. I truly cannot wait for the 2024 Youth Kirtan Diwan to happen!
ਸਚਾ ਖਸਮੁ ਕਲਾਣਿ ਕਮਲੁ ਵਿਗਸਿਆ ॥
sachaa khasam kalaan kamal vigasiaa ||
Singing the Praises of their True Lord and Master, the lotuses of their hearts have blossomed forth.
Raag Maajh- Guru Angad Dev Ji Ang- 148
