It was tough not to get to go to the Gurdwara today. This weekend would have been an Akhand Paath and celebration of Vaisakhi. Yet we are playing an important role in the health and wellbeing of the community by staying at home. Sikhnet is holding lots of live events so there's lots to participate in online. I’ll post the history of Vaisakhi tomorrow.
Yesterday I noticed that I started my youtube channel back in July of 2016, around the same time that I started my Sehaj Paath, started doing simran, etc.! I’m still surprised that I had the courage to start it. I didn’t even think about the channel name at all at the time. I've been trying to do updates the last couple of days. When I started this channel it was hard to find shabads on the female scale on youtube, or even many shabads at all. As we are isolated in Northern BC, I recognized how helpful it is to increase access to those without an in-person teacher. I left out comments and didn’t monetize the channel because I didn’t want it to become about ego. I made two parts for the channel- one playlist where I show how the shabad sounds altogether with the tabla, and one playlist where I show how to play the keys. Upon a suggestion from my cousin I’ve now added in “easy, medium, and advanced” difficulty playlists so people can start off with easier shabads if they are fairly new to kirtan. I have 182 videos uploaded and I still have just over 80 more shabads to still sing and put online. I am realizing it has been nice for me as well to have a reference to go back to and remember how to match a certain part of a shabad with the tabla, etc. I’m thankful to subscribers because that means we are continuing to spread the word of Gurbani and sing the praises of Waheguru. Gurbani is meant to be shared and the more people that sing, the better! If you have a harmonium, give it a try and learn some shabads. Gurbani has the power to heal, uplift, and bring us into chardi kala.
I updated and made a Vaisakhi playlist as well a playlist of kirtan from our yatra to pakistan. Unfortunately we still don’t have the official videos of kirtan yet from ATN, but hopefully sometime soon. In the meantime they are the videos my family made of the kirtan. Here’s one of my favorite Vaisakhi Shabads: Nanak Vaisakhi Prabh Bhaave. I was really missing having a live tabla player when I recorded this. There is this really neat thing that happens when the kirtan and tabla player get in tuned to the shabad- its raag, its taal, and just absorb into it. Hopefully I’ll find someone to practice alongside me regularly, in the meantime I’ll keep using my electronic tabla :)
A link to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaJVqGlOz5r_yLZk2KkcenQ
One thing I learned from Gurus and growing up in Canada is to LOVE God's praises regardless who is singing: Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian. As Guru ji said God's Guru(Master) form can take any shape. Gur Gur Eko, ves(forms) anek(many). Hence Guru compiling bani from Hindu sainsts like Jaidev ji, Muslims like Kabir ji and Farid ji, and so called lower casts like Ravidas ji. I love Christians singing Praises of the Guru - It don't see it as "Christian - More like the Master himself
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It's good effort on your part to celebrate Vaishakhi with others.
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