The word “Sikhism” may not ring a bell in the minds of most Americans and few may know it’s an East Indian religion. However, for Snatam Kaur, Sikhism is a way of life and singing Sikh devotional songs is a vocation.
As an American Sikh, Kaur is an exception, as most followers of Sikhism are of East Indian origin. Nevertheless, with years of training, Kaur has evolved into a prolific international performer of Sikh religious music. Today, at 36, she’s a full-fledged New Age artist with 10 music albums and admirers around the world.
In 2006, 1,200 people attended her recital in Mexico City, according to Sopurkh Singh, Kaur’s spouse and tour manager. The same year, 900 people came to her show in Barcelona, Singh says.
Kaur, who blends Indian religious lyrics with western music, believes the impact of her sacred chants is what draws people to her concerts.
“One of the most challenging experiences we face as human beings is loneliness,” she says. “The sacred chants help you identify that God’s love is guiding you. The more you chant, the more you see that God is within you and around you.”
Kaur typically starts her shows offering salutations to God, the Divine Mentor. Within minutes, the auditorium swells with voices chanting the chorus – “Aum namo, Gurudev namo,” which in Sanskrit means, “I bow to you, Divine Teacher.”
Kaur’s lyrics are mostly lines from the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred text of the Sikhs.
“The way Sikh songs are often structured, you repeat a line within the song,” Kaur says. “That repetition … brings a lot of peace to the mind. Sikh music has the capacity to awaken your inner sense of courage. Some songs also evoke an inner longing to be one with God.”
Kaur has been touring full-time since 2005, Singh says. She’s sung all over North America, Europe, Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, and India, Kaur adds. Next year, she plans to perform across Europe, U.S., and Canada, she says.
Kaur’s latest album, “Feeling God” is scheduled for release in September this year, Kaur says. It’s an album for children, recorded with Spirit Voyage Records based in Virginia.
A blend of the East and West
Snatam Kaur started learning Sikh devotional music as a child from her mother, Prabhu Nam Kaur. Later, in her teens, she spent months in India training with her mother’s music mentor, Bhai Hari Singh. Despite her growing international fame, Snatam Kaur continues to take music lessons from Prof. Paramjeet Singh, who’s based in Toronto, Canada.
“I’m still learning,” Snatam Kaur says. “There’s just a vast ocean of ways to learn and grow spiritually through the Gurubani style of kirtan (devotional songs).”
Snatam Kaur’s melodies are a mixture of multiple genres – with influences ranging from classical masters like Mozart and Bach to Bluegrass music.
“My stepfather managed The Grateful Dead,” Snatam Kaur says. “When I was in my early teens, I was able to go backstage and listen to their music. Jerry Garcia (the lead guitarist) has a real Bluegrass sound I’ve always enjoyed.”
Among eastern influences, Snatam Kaur says she’s inspired by the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a renowned Pakistani singer.
“In Indian classical music, specific notes evoke spiritual emotions,” she says. “For many of our pieces, we choose those specific notes and sing within them.”
A life of worship
Snatam Kaur’s spirituality transcends her music. She lives the life of a devout Sikh in an ashram (a spiritual community) in Espanola, N.M.
In public, Snatam Kaur always dons a spotless white turban punctuated with an ornamental pattern symbolizing Sikhism. She’s mostly draped in a flowing white robe that reaches well below her knees. In her personal life, Snatam Kaur is strictly vegetarian and, like most Sikhs, she never cuts her hair.
Snatam Kaur says she follows Sikh traditions to “be a better person, a kind person, and an honest person.”
“With the work I do – sharing the teachings of the Sikhs through music – I find people from all cultures are really being healed by the healing words (in my songs),” Snatam Kaur says. “I share with people the healing experiences I’ve had with this path in a very universal way that is not limited to any specfic race, ethnicity or cultural history. As for me, I look for that twinkle in somebody’s eyes when they’re connected with the divinity within themselves, whatever their path may be.”