Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

I am grateful to you for paying tribute to my younger brother, Bhai Sahib BhaiAvtar Singh ji Ragi on your web site.

He was 10 years 6 months younger to me and thus, he was very dear to my heart. Both of us learnt Kirtan from our father (late) Bhai Sahib Bhai Jwala Singh Ragi since our childhood.

I had just finished my metric from Khalsa College, Amritsar, when both (Avtar Singh and my self) joined our father’s Kirtan Jathaa in the year 1934. I was 18½ years old and Avtar Singh was 8 years old at that time.

We learnt Gurmat sangeet, parr-taal, dhrupad, dhunia, and the great traditional kirtan under the kind guidance or our father. It was common practice in those days to learn to play all instruments including Taus, Harmonium Tabla etc., in order to understand the intricacies of Gurmat Sangeet.

We did Kirtan with our father (Bhai Sahib Bhai Jwala Singh ji Ragi) from the year 1934 to 1946. During that period, I accompanied on Tabla for 7 years, on Harmonium for 3 years and on Taus for 2 years. My brother Bhai Avtar Singh ji, accompanied on Taus for 6 years, on Tabla for 3 years, Harmonium for 2 years and cymbals (kainsian) for about 1 year.

We made a separate Jathaa with the blessing of our father in 1946. My brother and my self played harmonium. We were accompanied by Bhai Ratan Singh on Tabla for about 5 years. Thereafter, Bhai Tarlok Singh(who is currently staying in UK) played Tabla with us for 9 months. Bhai Swaran Singh joined our jathaa in 1952 and he has been playing Tabla in this Jathaa ever since.

We did kirtan together for 46 years and have toured U.K. , U.S.A and Canada many times. Our Jatha got lots of love, respect, ashirwaad from Guru ki Sangat from all over World.I retired from the Jathaa and moved to Canada in 1991. My brother and Bhai Swaran Singh continued the great Kritan tradition along with Bhai Tejpal Singh – who accompanied on Harmaonium in my absence for several years.

In the year 1999-2000, my nephew, Bhai Kultar Singh replaced Bhai Tejpal Singh and joined his father, Bhai Avtar Singh ji. My blessing are with Kultar Singh since he left his engineering profession and is now continuing the family tradition of Gurbani Kirtan.

The ‘Gurbani Sangeet Prachin Reet Ratnavali‘ in (2 volumes) was written my by both me and my brother. All the Kirtan noted in this books was also sung by the ‘Bhai Avtar Singh Gurcharan Singh Jathaa’ in which Bhai Swarn Singh played tabla. These recordings are still available with Patiala University. Our history and how these books came into being is all written in the first few pages of the first volume of this book. The book also contains pictures of ‘Bhai Jawala Singh Jathaa’ performing at Dehra Baaba Nanak and ‘Bhai Avtar Singh Gurcharan Singh Jathaa’ in new Delhi.

Please feel free to contact me if you need any further clarifications.

Once again, I thank you for tribute to my brother (late) Bhai Avtar Singh Ragi and may Waheguru’s blessing be on you for doing this seva.

From:
Giani Gurcharan Singh Ragi
5 Stonepark Lane, Nepean, Ontario, K2H-9P7, Canada.
B-5, N.D.S.E Part –II, New Delhi, 10049, India.

I hereby fold my hands and pray to the almighty Akalpurkh to bless his soul and send us one more of Bhai Avtar Singh Ji Ragi on this earth, to bless us all.

Bhai Sahib’s youngest son, Bhai Kultar Singh Ragi is the torchbearer now. I wish him good luck and hope he will succeed in quenching our thrust of kirtan in the time to come.