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MITAR PYARE NU First Track on New Solo Album ‘Chardi
Kala’
For over a decade,
Sonny Singh has brought his fiery trumpet playing and lead vocals to audiences
around the world in Red Baraat. An original member of the Brooklyn Bhangra
outfit, he’s been able to globally connect with fans and share love and joy
through his music.
Sonny Singh is taking
the next step now, launching a solo project that re-imagines Sikh kirtan with
boundary-defying Punjabi anthems to uplift and ignite. Named ‘Chardi Kala’ for
the Sikh concept of revolutionary eternal optimism, the album is being produced
by three- time Grammy winner WilDog Abers of Ozomatli, and represents a return
to Sonny’s early Punjabi & Sikh roots, as seen now through the lens of his
experiences over the course of his life as a touring musician, educator, and activist.
“Musically, this
project embodies the many spiritual, political, and aesthetic elements that
have shaped me,” Sonny explains.
Sonny Singh’s live band, which includes harmonium,
electric guitar, tabla, and drum set, provides listeners with an experience of
both introspective reflection and fervent urgency.
Sonny Singh explains, “Every song has an original vibe to it,
eclectic and unique, from a bolero-mariachi Sikh shabad on one track, to a
qawwali song with a reggae bass line on another, then a bombastic Ghadar Party
tribute in Punjabi and Spanish on yet another.”
It’s the first
time anyone has ever done an album setting Sikh devotional songs to this style
of music, a feat not lost on Sonny who recalls singing them in his childhood.
Pioneering a fresh sound with a timeless message has made this solo project
even more meaningful to the veteran musician, who considers his activism and
work as a social justice educator part of his spiritual practice as well,
upholding the Sikh values of tearing down oppression and fighting for justice.
