Singer-songwriter Harpreet Singh’s new album based on well-known Punjabi poet and author Nanak Singh’s 900 lines long 1920-poem Khooni Vaisakhi, about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Nanak was present at the Bagh on April 13, 1919, as part of a rally to protest against the Rowlatt Act, when he collapsed in the stampede during the civilian shooting. He regained consciousness and found himself under a pile of corpses. The poem was banned by the British.
Harpreet’s project, which started five years ago, is one of the closest to his heart. In 2019, Teamwork Arts’ Sanjoy Roy, introduced Harpeet to Nanak Singh’s grandson, Navdeep Suri, who was then India’s Ambassador to the UAE. At the time, Navdeep was planning the launch of his book Hymns in Blood, an English translation of his grandfather’s Khooni Vaisakhi. He approached Harpreet to set the poetry to music.
Emotional connect
With nearly two decades of experience in musical adaptations of the works of various poets, the project deeply resonated with him. Further, having grown up in a Sikh family, he had always heard stories of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre since childhood, which left a lasting impression on him and created a strong personal connection to the book. “Nanak Singh ji’s poetry, written from the heart of a survivor, conveys profound pain and emotion, making it an honour to bring his words to life through music,” he explained.
A view of the Flame of Liberty memorial at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. | Photo Credit: NARINDER NANU
Hapreet composed a 10-minute piece from the book and performed it at the book launch on April 13, 2019, marking the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The response of the audience was overwhelmingly positive, prompting them to take the launch to various parts of India, the U.K., Ireland and the UAE, where the reception was equally enthusiastic. This inspired Harpreet to create a full album that captures the book’s narrative.
“All seven tracks in the album outline the narrative of the book, focusing on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the events surrounding it,” said Harpreet. The opening track, ‘Prarthna’, is an invocation to Guru Gobind Singh. ‘Ramnavmi’ is a poignant reminder depicting the unity among Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, who celebrated Ramnavmi together as one family. ‘Phade jaan di khabar’ describes the public’s reaction to the arrest of two prominent pro-independence activists Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal by the British.
Bullet holes are a reminder of the horrific massacre. | Photo Credit: PRABHAS ROY
‘Jallianwala Bagh (Amritsar 1919)‘ portrays the actual evening of the infamous massacre, highlighting the grief of parents mourning the loss of their children. ‘Shaheedan di awaaz’ features the martyrs addressing the nation, urging them not to forget their sacrifice. ‘Shaheedan walon general Dyer nu’ condemns General Dyer, labelling him a murderer for eternity. In the concluding track, ‘Chitthiyaan dardan diyan”, Nanak Singh becomes the voice of the ordinary public who write anguished letters of pain and sorrow to the British.
The Chennai visit
As part of the album release tour, Harpreet will be travelling with Ambassador Navdeep Suri to Chennai (August 21, Chennai International Centre) and Bengaluru (August 25 at Courtyard Koota and August 27 at Bangalore International Centre). They will then head to the U.S. and Canada for performances at JLF Houston, JLF New York, JLF Colorado, JLF Seattle as well as events in Toronto and Vancouver.
This musical project is one of the closest to Harpreet’s heart. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Currently, Harpreet is working in his Mumbai studio on several songs that he has performed but not yet released, including ‘Bandhu’ and ‘Geetfarosh’, among others. “These songs have been well received at various music festivals and concerts, and I’m excited to share them with a wider audience soon,” he said.
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