sikhpride

Description

When we talk about Punjabi Music and Songs, the name duo Surinder Kaur and Parkash Kaur figures among the top singer of Punjabi folks and songs. Surinder Kaur who sang many songs, individually and also jointly with her sister had become popular during her life time as ‘The Nightingale of Punjab’. She was always profusely applauded wherever she gave her performances in the world. In some her performances, another popular singer Asa Singh Mastana also sang duets with her. Her great contribution to Punjabi movie includes her giving a successor for the Punjabi music lovers. This successors, popularly known as Dolly Guleria is all an excellent singer. She was born on Baisakhi day in Bombay. She aspired to be a doctor and for that she was studying medical, but when in 1970 she got married to an Army officer S.S. Guleria, she was encourage by her husband to sing and trained others in classical music. Earlier, she had learnt singing while singing along with her mother, but after marriage she got an opportunity to become the disciple of a very learned Ustad, ‘Khan Sahib’ Abdul Rehman Khan, of ‘Patiala Gharana’ who trained her in the field of classical music as foundation with specific aptitude to implement the same in light classical and folk singing. Devotionally minded since childhood, under the able guidance of her Ustad, she chose to release her solo debut album in Gurbani in Ragas and sang “Rehras Sahib” the evening ‘Path’ in its original ragas. Subsequently albums were released of Punjabi folk songs, some with her mother and some solo including Shabad Kirtan, poetry of Shiv Kumar Batalvi, Bhai Veer Singh and other renowned writers. She has also contributed her voice as playback singer in Punjabi films such as ‘Rab Dia Rakhan’, ‘Deson Pardesh’ and ‘Mai Maa Punjab Di’. Like her mother she has also trained her daughter Sunaini, who has been giving company in a number of performances at different places. For example, during her goodwill and cultural exchange visit to Pakistan in November 1997 she and her daughter Sunaini enthralled the audience of Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore ad in Faislabad (Layalpur) at the Chenab Club with her music. She was honoured with a golden plaque of Miner-e-Pakistan and a Gold Medal her outstanding contribution. As Dolly enjoyed live performances and the immediate response of the audience boost her moral, she has given such performances in many country of the world. She is a role-model not only because she is an excellent singer, but also because it is her wish to keep the Punjabi music alive it its purest form and for that she teaching music to dedicated students in her famous Nightingale Music Academy at Chandigarh. This academy was started in March 2005 in the memory of her mother and since then it has been training the students not only in Indian classical music, but also various other aspects connected there with namely Yoga, Surabhyas, Voice Culture, Speech Therapy, Personality grooming, Performance Techniques and Exposure to Live Performance. Workshop and periodically had to encourage the students and enable them to prepare their new albums.