Singer Harpreet Singh | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Singer-songwriter Harpreet Singh’s new album is based on a 900-line 1920 poem by renowned Punjabi poet and writer Nanak Singh Bloody crutchesAbout the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Nanak was present at the Bagh on April 13, 1919, as part of a rally protesting the Rowlatt Act, when he fell into a stampede during civilian firing. He regained consciousness and found himself under a pile of corpses. This poem was banned by the British.
Harpreet’s project, which began five years ago, is close to his heart. In 2019, Sanjay Roy of Teamwork Arts introduced Harpreet 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 Hymn in the BloodEnglish translation of his grandfather’s book Bloody crutchesHe approached Harpreet to compose the poem.
Emotional connection
With nearly two decades of experience in musical adaptations of works of various poets, this project was of utmost importance to him. Moreover, having grown up in a Sikh family, he had heard stories of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre since childhood, which left an indelible mark on him and he developed a strong personal connection to the book. “Nanak Singh ji’s poems, written from the heart of a victim, express profound pain and emotion, so it is an honour to bring his words alive through music,” he said.
A view of the Flame of Freedom memorial at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. | Photo courtesy: Narinder Nanu
Harpreet created a 10-minute excerpt from the book and performed it at the book launch on the occasion of the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 2019. The response from the audience was overwhelmingly positive, leading them to take the launch to various parts of India, the UK, Ireland and the UAE, where the reception was equally enthusiastic. This inspired Harpreet to create a full-fledged album that encapsulates the narrative of the book.
“All the seven tracks on the album underline the narrative of the book, focusing on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the events surrounding it,” Harpreet said. The opening track, ‘Prarthana’, is an invocation to Guru Gobind Singh. ‘Ram Navami’ is a poignant reminder of the unity among Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs who celebrated Ram Navami 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.
The bullet marks are a reminder of the horrific carnage. | Photo Credit: Prabhas Roy
‘Jallianwala Bagh (Amritsar 1919)’ depicts the actual evening of the infamous massacre, showing the grief of parents mourning the death of their children. ‘Shaheedaan Di Awaaz’ has the martyrs addressing the nation, urging them not to forget their sacrifice. ‘Shaheedaan Walon General Dyer Nu’ condemns General Dyer, labelling him a murderer forever. In the final track, ‘Chitthiyan Dardan Diyan’, Nanak Singh becomes the voice of the common people who write anguished letters of pain and sorrow to the British.
chennai tour
As part of the album release tour, Harpreet will travel to Chennai (August 21, Chennai International Centre) and Bengaluru (Courtyard Kuta on August 25 and Bangalore International Centre on August 27) with ambassador Navdeep Suri. They will then travel to the US and Canada to perform at JLF Houston, JLF New York, JLF Colorado, JLF Seattle, as well as events in Toronto and Vancouver.
This music project is closest to Harpreet’s heart. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Currently, Harpreet is working in his Mumbai studio on several songs that he has sung but is yet to release, including songs like ‘Bandhu’ and ‘Geetfarosh’. “These songs have been well received at various concerts and music festivals and I am excited to share them with a wider audience soon,” he said.
