Wadali brothers
Encyclopedia
The Wadali Brothers are Sufi singers and musicians from Guru ki Wadali in the Amritsar District
in Punjab, India
. Born into the fifth generation of musicians given to singing the messages of Sufi saints, the Wadali brothers dabbled in the most unexpected of professions before they became Sufi singers. While Puranchand Wadali, the elder brother, was a regular in an akhara (wrestling house) for 25 years, Pyarelal contributed to the meager family income by playing the role of Krishna in the village rasleela.
. Pyarelal was trained by his elder brother, whom he considers his mentor and guru even today.
The Wadali Brothers sing in the gurbani, kaafi, ghazal and bhajan genres of music. They live in their ancestral house in Guru ki Wadali, and teach music to those who promise to preserve it. They do not charge their disciples, and lead a very simple life devoted to the divine one.
They believe in the Sufi tradition deeply. They consider themselves as a medium through which the preaching of great saints is passed on to others. They have never indulged commercially, and they have only a handful of recordings to their name (mostly from live concerts). They believe in singing freely as homage to the divine one. They do not feel very comfortable in using electronic gadgets in their music, and stress on Alap
and Taans
. They believe that spiritual heights can only be attained if you sing unreservedly, in a free atmosphere.
Recently, they stepped into the world of Bollywood
music, rendering music director and writer Gulzar
’s soulful lyrics in their unique style in the film Pinjar
. They also sang one song in Dhoop
. On the cards is a documentary which the Discovery Channel is planning to make on them.
Puranchand's son lakwinder wadali is also a singer who has sung in multiple reality shows
Amritsar District
Amritsar district is one of 22 districts in the state of Punjab in West India. It has a population of 3,074,207 and covers an area of 5075 km²...
in Punjab, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Born into the fifth generation of musicians given to singing the messages of Sufi saints, the Wadali brothers dabbled in the most unexpected of professions before they became Sufi singers. While Puranchand Wadali, the elder brother, was a regular in an akhara (wrestling house) for 25 years, Pyarelal contributed to the meager family income by playing the role of Krishna in the village rasleela.
Early life and education
Their father, Thakur Das, forced Puranchand into music. Puranchand studied music from celebrated masters like Pandit Durga Das and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of the Patiala GharanaPatiala Gharana
The Patiala gharana is one of the most prominent gharanas of vocal Hindustani classical music. It was initially sponsored by the Maharaja of Patiala, Punjab, which was famous for ghazal, thumri, and khyal.-History:...
. Pyarelal was trained by his elder brother, whom he considers his mentor and guru even today.
Career
Their first musical performance outside their village was in Harballabh Temple in Jalandhar. In 1975, the duo went to Jalandhar to perform at the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan but was not allowed to sing because their appearance did not pass muster. Disappointed, they decided to make a musical offering at the Harballabh temple, where an executive of All India Radio, Jalandhar, spotted them and recorded their first song.The Wadali Brothers sing in the gurbani, kaafi, ghazal and bhajan genres of music. They live in their ancestral house in Guru ki Wadali, and teach music to those who promise to preserve it. They do not charge their disciples, and lead a very simple life devoted to the divine one.
They believe in the Sufi tradition deeply. They consider themselves as a medium through which the preaching of great saints is passed on to others. They have never indulged commercially, and they have only a handful of recordings to their name (mostly from live concerts). They believe in singing freely as homage to the divine one. They do not feel very comfortable in using electronic gadgets in their music, and stress on Alap
Alap
The alap is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga...
and Taans
Taan (music)
Taan is a virtuoso technique used in the vocal performance of a raga in Hindustani classical music. It involves the singing of very rapid melodic passages using vowels, often the long "a" as in the word "far", and it targets at improvising and to expand weaving together the notes in a fast tempo...
. They believe that spiritual heights can only be attained if you sing unreservedly, in a free atmosphere.
Recently, they stepped into the world of Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
music, rendering music director and writer Gulzar
Gulzar (lyricist)
Sampooran Singh Kalra , known popularly by his pen name Gulzar , is an Indian poet, lyricist and director. He primarily writes in Hindi-Urdu and has also written in Punjabi and several dialects of Hindi such as Braj Bhasha, Khariboli, Haryanvi and Marwari.Gulzar was awarded the Padma Bhushan in...
’s soulful lyrics in their unique style in the film Pinjar
Pinjar
Pinjar may refer to:* Pinjar, Western Australia, suburb of Perth, Western Australia* Pinjar , novel by Amrita Pritam* Pinjar , 2003 Bollywood film...
. They also sang one song in Dhoop
Dhoop
Dhoop is a 2003 Indian film directed by the award winning director Ashwini Chaudhary. The film stars Om Puri and Revathi and is based on the true story of Captain Anuj Nayyar, MVC and his family.-Plot:...
. On the cards is a documentary which the Discovery Channel is planning to make on them.
Discography
- Aa Mil Yaar
- Paigham-e-Ishq,
- Ishq Musafir
- Folk Music of Punjab, all released by Music Today
- Yaad Piya Ki
- Film: DhoopDhoopDhoop is a 2003 Indian film directed by the award winning director Ashwini Chaudhary. The film stars Om Puri and Revathi and is based on the true story of Captain Anuj Nayyar, MVC and his family.-Plot:...
, 2003 - Film: Chikku Bukku (Tamil) 2010 Song: "Thooral Nindralum" Sung by: Hariharan, Wadali Brothers Music: Colonial cousins - Hari & Lesle
- Film: Tanu weds Manu ( Hindi) 2011 Song: "Rangrez mere" Sung by: Wadali brothers, Music: Krsna
- Film: Mausam (Hindi)2011 Song: Ik Tu Hi
Puranchand's son lakwinder wadali is also a singer who has sung in multiple reality shows
Awards
- Sangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
, 1991. - Tulsi Award, 1998.
- Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 2003.
- Puranchand Wadali was awarded the Padma ShriPadma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
award by the Government of IndiaGovernment of IndiaThe Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
, 2005.
External links
- Interview - Wah ustad, wah! The TribuneThe TribuneThe Tribune is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Jalandhar, Dehradun and Bathinda. It was founded on 2 February 1881, in Lahore , by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as...