Sikh Kirtan and Its Journeys: Instruments, Theories, Technologies

An unprecedented portrait of Sikh devotional music demonstrating how musical traditions shift to meet changing needs.

Kirtan--the sung expression of sacred verses--spans the Indian subcontinent, but it plays a unique role in the Sikh faith. In Sikh Kirtan and ItsJourneys, musicologist Gurminder Kaur Bhogal introduces the devotional tradition of kirtan, examining it alongside the writings of holy figures, the Sikh Gurus and Bhagats, and its practice among musicians. The long-established tradition of kirtan originated in a canon of instruments and songs, each of which produces a singular spiritual and worldly effect when kirtan is sung. However, the realities of colonization and migration have necessitated changes to these canonical practices. Bhogal offers a deep exploration of the traditions that gave rise to kirtan and a robust portrait of the many transformations kirtan has undergone, particularly in the wide-ranging Sikh diaspora, dedicating special attention to marginal kirtan players such as women and innovators developing digital techniques and styles. A practicing kirtaniye, Bhogal has spent her life studying and performing this music, steeped in the histories and controversies her book describes.

Through a rigorous explanation of the traditions and evolutions of kirtan, Bhogal ultimately shows that kirtan is fluid, multi-faceted, and ever-changing because it reflects the shifting spiritual needs and musical tastes of devotees and practitioners across the world. Moreover, wherever kirtan is offered and received, it heightens corporeal vibrations between practitioners and devotees to motivate a sense of social purpose, social responsibility, and selfless service.

Gurminder Kaur Bhogal is Catherine Mills Davis Professor in Music at Wellesley College. She is the author of Details of Consequence: Ornament, Music, and Art in Paris and Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, both published by Oxford University Press.