'Mystical Sardar' has West rocking

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">HOSHIARPUR: Some call him ''the Mystical Sardar'', others think he is a ''Pied Piper'' because young Sikh boys and girls tap to his melody.<br /><br />A Malaysia-born Sikh, Dya Singh, is no messiah, yet crowds throng his concerts in the West where he sings Sikh spiritual hymns in a non-conformist way, blending them with modern and contemporary trends.<br /><br />"The Gurbani (religious hymns) is not meant to be kept confined within the four walls of gurdawaras," says Dya Singh told <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">TNN </span>from Australia."What I have done is, taken the seriousness out of the traditional music. I''ve just made it more mainstream states," he adds. <br /><br />Born to a family of Sikh minstrels, who originally hailed from Ludhiana district, Dya Singh who now lives in Australia has been termed as the greatest living exponents of Sikh traditional music by <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Trad & Now</span>, an Australian music magazine.<br /><br />Dya Singh goes from continent to continent, singing Sikh music mixed with diverse influences from the world in an attempt to make it part of the world music.<br /><br />He often uses English translations for a more global acceptability of Sikh music. And accompanying Dya are his three daughters Harsel, Parvyn and Jamel on vocals and dance. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">The other members include Dheeraj Shrestha on tabla, Keith Perston on bouzouki, bohdran and santoor and Andrew Clermont on violin, mandolin and didgeridoo. Dya Singh performed his first concert in 1992 after which he established the Dya Singh World Music Group. The group has released 14 albums that include <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Mystical Traveller</span>, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Nit Neem </span>and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Australian Sikh rhythm </span>and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Soul</span>. <br /><br />The upcoming release is <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Asa de Var </span>(Sikh morning prayer), though sadly enough Dya''s music is yet to be available in India.<br /><br />"No religious organisation has opposed my music, though some individuals have fumed. I''ve apprised Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti about my music, Dya told <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">TNN</span>. <br /><br />Dya said the true spirit and the message of the Shabads was not to be technically correct.<br /></div> </div>