Singer wanted to bring Gurbani to larger audience
Los Angeles-based music group White Sun, which won the Grammy for Best New Age Album at the 59th Annual Awards, has a strong Indian connection; and the Sikh band aims to bring Gurbani to a larger audience. Gurbani relates to teachings of the Sikh gurus, and texts of their religious book Guru Granth Sahib.
The band was co-founded by Gurujas Kaur Khalsa, Adam Berry and Harijiwan Khalsa in 2015. It features Grammy winning kora player Mamadou Diabate, Fiddle player Gabe Witcher of the Punch Brothers, Indian American table player Abhiman Kaushal and singers Julia Waters, Maxine Waters and Oren Waters.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, the lead singer and songwriter of the band Gurujas talked about the band’s journey to the Grammys.
“Harijiwan gave it this name, it has a profound meaning, for in all time, space and universe, it is the central sun. Harijiwan formed the band because he wanted to bring Gurbani mantras to a larger audience so that many more people could benefit from them. The sound of these mantras has changed so many lives,” Gurujas, who embraced Sikhism in 2005, told Hindustan Times.
“It’s an incredible feeling. It’s difficult to describe it. Now we are working on a third album after which we will start touring. India is very much on our itinerary,” she said.
The 33-year-old Ohio-born Gurujas is a kundalini yoga teacher and she said that she visits India regularly.
“Once a student asked our teacher about kundalini yoga and she told her that it was a very fast yoga. That caught my interest. When I went to LA, I searched for kundalini teachers and started learning it from Harijiwan.”
She continued: “My husband, Harimander Singh Khalsa, is also an American Sikh. He works in Hollywood as a visual effects supervisor and has an Emmy Award to his credit. Our 11-month-old daughter, Pritam Shanti, was with me at the Grammys. Since 2005, I’ve been visiting India regularly. I am particularly fond of Gurdwara Goindwal Sahib, where I recited Japji Sahib on each of the 84 steps. I also enjoy going to Dharmashala and other Buddhist places.”
White Sun is well-known for its musical interpretations of Gurbani hymns and many of the lyrics from the Grammy winning album are hymns from Guru Gobind Singh’s Jaap Sahib. Both Gurujas and Harijiwan are followers of late Yogi Harbhajan, who introduced kundalini yoga to the United States.
Abhiman Kaushal, the Hyderabad-born table player of the band is the disciple of the legendary Ustad Amir Khan and renowned Ustad Sheikh Dawood of Hyderabad. Currently, he is faculty and director for music of India at the University of California, Los Angeles.