DYA SINGH in concert (Suppurt act Farid Drokhshan Afghan music and song)

Dya Singh Globalising the Sikh Music Tradition
Crossing the boundaries of folk, world & traditions
Australia’s Dya Singh is a legend in the genre of world-music. In the early 1990s this Sikh singer together with his music group single-handedly took Sikh spiritual/devotional music into the modern era, transforming a relatively unknown branch of the Indian music tradition into a modern cultural phenomenon.
An outstanding communicator, Dya Singh had a huge impact on world music in Australia helping define and champion the new multiculturalism of an ethnically changing country by crossing Sikh/Punjabi traditional music (Ghazal, Kirtan and Qawalli) with global sounds and blending with English verses and translations. A centuries old musical genre suddenly became understandable to the rest of the world. Dya’s rich and powerful voice, female harmonies from his daughters and a blend of western folk, blues and roots music from ‘switched on’ western musicians made a totally new sound for ‘Indian-based devotional music. It was all about the song and the words using glorious vocals backed by Indian tabla and harmonium blended with guitar, bouzouki, santoor, flute and sometimes violin and didgeridoo to create a powerful and ethereal sound that uplifted and inspired. Sikh music incubated in the holy temples of the Sikhs for hundreds of years burst forth onto the western stage.
Acclaimed at folk, world music, arts and new age festivals Dya Singh soon became a headline act at festivals around Australia including the Sydney Arts Festival, Womadelaide and Woodford Music Festivals. In a 24 year career Dya Singh toured overseas on 25 occasions featuring at festivals , venues and events in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indian, USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Kenya, Ireland and Turkey. Dya has been a prolific studio artist realising the best way to develop and to music spread his new approach was with recordings. He has released over 22 CDs of material ranging from Rocked –up Sikh hymns, totally reworked traditional material, meditational recordings and even an album of Sikh nursery rhymes.
From 1998- 2006 the Dya Singh group toured extensively around the world to music festivals and also to the Sikh and North Indian diaspora, performing at music festivals but also in temples and at special events. For the last eight years Dya has focused on his spiritual workshops, writings and recordings with less touring during this period.
Summer 2016 will see the Dya Singh group return to UK with a five piece group for a number of selected performances. This is an amazing opportunity to see one of the masters of world music in performance, presenting astoundingly beautiful music that ties in a global message of tolerance, peace and personal growth
This concert features the main performers from Dya Singh’s world touring group:
Dya Singh Vocals and harmonium
Dhjeeraj Shrestha Tabla
Quentin Eyers Didgeridoo, Mandolin, Guitars
Josh Bennett Guitars, Dilruba
Keith Preston Bouzouki & Santoor
Parvyn, Jamel & Harsel Singh vosals and dance