Tagore Rattan award to honour Kartar Singhs service to music

LUDHIANA: Kartar Singh, an octogenarian singer from the city, will be honoured with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy Tagore Rattan (fellowship) award in Kolkata on Wednesday. The 84-year-old is an epitome of dedication to devotional music in its original form. Born in Ghumanke village in Lahore, Pakistan, Singh has traversed a long way to have reached the peak of spiritual music and has been recognized internationally.He had started learning kirtan at the age of 13 under Giani Gurcharan Singh.
Singh recalls his first public performance at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Pakistan during which he was 17 years old. After moving from Pakistan to India, he sharpened his skills in music under the guidance of Bhai Sunder Singh, Bhai Dalip Singh and J S Bhawra at the National Music College in Ludhiana.
In 1968, Singh moved on from being a 'kirtaniya' to a music teacher at Malwa Central College, Ludhiana. Many of his students won numerous prizes at 'shabad gyan' and other music competitions during his tenure as a teacher.
Singh says traditional gurmat sangeet has been his sole passion and the fact is evident in his dedicated work he has brought
out through his series of books.
His performances at the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi, at Sangeet Natak Akademi function in 2009 at New Delhi and at Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib during Prince Charles's visit are the highlights of his musical journey.
Honour List
Received World Sikh Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 in London by The Sikh Directory, UK
Conferred with Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Gurbani Sangeet (traditional)-2008 by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil in 2009
Awarded Shiromani Ragi Award by SGPC president
Gurmat Sangeet Senior Fellowship by Punjabi University Patiala