Vaisakhi saw the release of the profoundly emotional and spiritual song, ‘Simar Mana’ to help raise funds for the Gurudwara built in 2006 to serve the strong Sikh community living inGrand Rapids, West Michigan USA.
‘Simar Mana’ is one of six shabads taken from the Guru Granth Sahib that feature on the devotional album of the same name, released on the Jackson Heights Music label. The album features music by leading composer Gurmeet Singh and the stunningly emotive vocals of Bhai Baljeet Singh and Shreya Ghoshal.
This moving collaboration is the brainchild of Gurmeet Singh, Bhai Baljeet Singh, Sikh Society of West Michigan and Tejinder Singh Mander, a cardiologist fromGrand Rapids,West Michigan, and President of the Gurudwara committee in the area. In 2005, the community was granted a loan to build a permanent Gurudwara inGrand Rapids, and Tejinder Singh approached renowned singer of Sikh devotional music, Bhai Baljeet Singh about recording an album to raise funds to pay off the loan. Bhai Baljeet Singh fell in love with the idea and suggested approaching the hugely respected composer Gurmeet Singh, to create the perfect musical score to complement the six shabads that they had chosen for the album. Gurmeet Singh further thought to create something unconventional handling religious experience with finesse.
Their collective vision was to make a contemporary sounding album including Western classical arrangements for which they recorded in Mumbai, Chennai andLondon, atAbbey Roadand Air Lyndhurst using musicians who play for the Telefilmonic and The London Symphony Orchestra. They hired Andrew Mackay from the Bombay Dub Orchestra to facilitate the process. The resulting album is something that will appeal to both the Sikh faithful and lovers of meditational music.
‘Simar Mana’ is available on iTunes now and the album will be released later this month. Profits from the sale of the single and album ‘Simar Mana’ will be donated to the Gurudwara fund inGrand Rapids,West Michigan.
