What is Sikh Sacred Music? The Structure and Role of Music in Sikh Traditions

What is Sikh Sacred Music? The Structure and Role of Music in Sikh Traditions

Inderjit N. Kaur (Sikh Music Heritage Institute, Santa Cruz)
Monday, March 5 / 12:30 pm
1414 Bren Hall

The lecture addressed two questions: what is Sikh sacred music, and what is Sikh about this music? The answer to both questions derives from the special nature of the words that are sung, which are considered Gurbani, the Guru’s revealed word contained in the Guru Granth, Sikh sacred scripture. Sikh music is intended to lead the congregation in a process of contemplation. The lecture explored the elaborate rules and structures that govern how Sikh music is sung and that differentiate it from music as entertainment.