Music
Surinder Kaur:
The Nightingale of Punjab
by MUKESH KAPOOR
Born on November 25, 1929 in Lahore (pre-partition Punjab), Surinder Kaur passed away on June 15, 2006.
Though both a singer and songwriter, she is widely known as "The Nightingale of Punjab" for her timeless renditions of Punjabi folksongs. Her extensive repertoire also included Urdu and Hindi songs.
At the age of 12, she and her older sister, Parkash Kaur, together studied classical music under classical masters Inayat Husain and Pandit Mani Parshad, ultimately conquering the complexities of the complete Indian musical scale with a command virtually unmatched by others in the field.
Surinder Kaur made her professional debut on Radio Lahore in August 1943, and the following year she and Parkash cut their first duet, "Maavan Te Teeyan Ral Baithiyaan," for the HMV label, emerging as superstars across the subcontinent.
Following the tragic partition of Punjab in 1947, Surinder Kaur and her parents relocated to Delhi, later settling in Bombay. There, she began working as a film industry playback singer, and for the 1949 film Shaheed recorded one of her most memorable hits, "Badnam Na Ho Jaye Mohabbat Ka Fasaana."
In all, she recorded more than 2,000 songs, among them duets with Asa Singh Mastana, Harcharan Singh Grewal, Rangilla Jatt and Didar Singh Sandhu.
Although her life and collaboration with her husband, Sardar Joginder Singh Sodhi, was cut short upon his death in 1975, she continued the family's creative tradition via duets with their daughter Dolly Kaur Guleria and granddaughter Sunaina Kaur, culminating in the 1995 album, The Three Generations.
MARRIAGE
In 1942, Surinder Kaur married Joginder Singh, a university literature professor who guided her career in the decades to follow.
"He was the one who made me a star," she later recalled. "He chose all the lyrics I sang and we both collaborated on compositions."
Together, Surinder Kaur and Joginder Singh wrote such classics as "Chan Kithe Guari Aai Raat," "Lathe Di Chadar," "Shonkan Mele Di," and "Gori Diyan Jhanjran Sarke-Sarke Jandiye Mutiare".
The couple also served as the public face of the Indian People's Theatre Association, spreading messages of peace and love to the most remote villages of East Punjab.
ILLNESS & DEATH
Surinder Kaur had been ailing for a while, having suffered a heart stroke. She was admitted to General Hospital in Panchkula.
Despite her condition, she was able to personally attend in Delhi to receive the long-overdue and coveted Padma Shri award - an honour which, her fans unanimously agreed, she had coming to her for several decades for her unparalleled contribution to Punjabi music and culture.
In 2006, her prolonged illness prompted here to seek treatment in the U.S. She died in a New Jersey hospital on June 15, 2006 at the age of 77.
In October 2008, the Sixth Annual Spinning Wheel Film Festival in Toronto, Canada honoured her and her life-work by dedicating that year's festival to her memory.
March 31, 2009
Conversation about this article
1: Satvir Kaur (Boston, U.S.A.), April 01, 2009, 9:18 AM.
She will always reside in the hearts of Punjabi music lovers. One of my favorites; I love all of her songs.
2: Jaswant Kaur (Washington DC, U.S.A.), April 18, 2009, 1:49 AM.
Surinder Kaur's music embodies the essence of the Punjabi woman - her desires, joys, trials and tribulations. Being born in the U.S., I feel fortunate to have been introduced to her distinctive voice and moving lyrics, which have helped me remain closely connected to my roots.
3: Girish (Hyderabad, India), January 29, 2010, 12:11 AM.
Where can I get the Surinder Kaur music album, 'Shabad' vcd image, please?