By Yannick Peterhans | USA Today |
Makheer Singh teaches other students how to master the taus and dilruba, two instruments to help connect them to their Sikh faith. He performed at the Shri Guru Singh Sabha in Walnut, California this summer as part of a July 4 Kirtan Darbar event.
Makheer Singh stood in front of the Darbar hall of a Sikh worship center in Southern California this summer − packed with several hundred people waiting for the teenager to play the taus.
As he played the notes of the instrument which dates back to the 1800s, Singh says he felt closer to his heritage and his religion. The 20-minute performance of an instrument that few people know of, and even fewer play, demonstrated how young Sikhs are revitalizing their music and transforming how the next generation will practice their religion.
“I’m trying to get this younger generation to start picking up these instruments,” Singh said. “It’s becoming a lost art. I’m trying to bring it back to life.”
Many Sikhs no longer play the taus, a large instrument with 18 strings shaped like a peacock that can be difficult to learn. The taus was replaced by many for the smaller and more portable dilruba, both niche string instruments within the massively popular music group of Indian classical music. They are important to Sikhs as two of their gurus played them, and some credit them both with creating the instruments.
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