Bhai Ghulam Mohammed Chand Jee Rababi

Published on April 24th, 2007

Dear Beloved Ones,

Daasre of Keertan.Org have uploaded the precious and extremely rare Keertan of Bhai Ghulam Mohammed Chand Jee Rababi. His keertan, family history, character, and spirituality are all unknown to the average Sikh of today. It is safe to say that this once Hazoori Raagi is accustomed to being ignored by the Sikh Panth for the past 50+ Years. But little do we Sikhs know that a treasure of Raag Vidiya, Keertan Maryada, and Gian of Gurmat Sangeet lies with him. Much is to be said about this Sikh living in Pakistan whose ancestors are the Sikh Rababi’s of the Sikh Panth since Guru Nanak Dev Jee’s time up to 1947 when the Rababi’s were banned from doing Keertan any longer in Sachkhand Siri Harimandir Sahib and all Sikh Gurdwaras. Bhai Ghulam Chand Jee is a descendant of Bhai Mardana Jee Rababi, who spent the majority of his life serving Guru Nanak Dev Jee and playing the Rabab alongside the Guru.

Ashiq Ali Bhai Lal (left), 17th generation descendant
of Bhai Mardana (the companion of Guru Nanak Dev
on his journey across the sub-continent and abroad)
along with his brother Bhai Irshad (2nd from right)
and two sons after paying obeisance at the Golden
Temple.

Bhai Mardana at the lotus feet of Guru Nanak, with
Bhai Bala standing reveredly with clasped hands. A
masterpiece of artist Sobha Singh.

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Here is an article that will give readers a better idea of Bhai Ghulam Mohammed Chand Jee Rababi’s background.

THE SPEAKING TREE: Babaji Keeps Alive Nanak’s Tradition
The Times of India Online
Editorial
By: Anees Jung

Listening to Ghulam Mohammed Chand, it is difficult to disentangle the musician from the sage. This 77-year-old man has been singing the verses of the Guru Granth Sahib ever since he was a boy of eight. He spouts the names of the 10 Sikh gurus with more ease than he can count the names of the 12 Imams. His ancestors trace their lineage to Baba Mardana, through whom Guru Nanak spoke, and to the strains of whose rabab he sang his hymns. The Baba’s descendants remained rababis to all the 10 gurus, keeping alive the rabab tradition, saving the musical instrument from extinction. His uncle Bhai Chand sang to it in Darbar Sahib in Amritsar.

Passions roused by the Partition dislocated people from their homes and goaded them to accept borders even in the realm of inner faith. The Chand family members left their village Raja Sansi, but took along the fragrance of a faith that was as much a part of their inner life as was the faith into which they were born. “We did not leave Nanak behind but went closer to him”, says Babaji whose home now is Lahore, less than 90 minutes drive from Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak’s birthplace.

Ghulam Chand goes to Lahore whenever occasion demands. He gives people a peek into his ilm, his lore of sacred music when he sings at a sangat every Friday there, in the home of a Punjabi poet passionate about Punjabi sufi poetry.

“In my youth I did not know what I was singing. Now when I sing, even to myself, I weep. The mind yields to the strength of the holy word and if the fervour is truly felt then a state of bliss is reached and remains. When the mind and heart are in constant consultation, when there is shikwa and jawab-e-shikwa, then your own heart becomes the guru. Gu means darkness and Ru is light. The one who brings light in darkness is a guru. Neither clothes nor appearances make a guru. He goes on to quote Baba Farid: “Kaale merey kapde, kaale mainda bhes/ Gunahi bhara mein phirya, log kahen dervish”.

“Awal Allah noor upaya; Kudrat ke sab bandey; Ek noor sab sat jag upgaya; Kaun bhale kaun mandey” — It was Allah first and then his light;/ All human beings are part of his creation;/ With that one light the entire world came into being/ Is there any among them who is good and any who is evil?” During his recital in Delhi, Ghulam Chand began with Kabir, moving on to Nanak, Baba Farid and Guru Gobind. Their thoughts mingle freely in the Granth Sahib, and his singing was suffused with the ambience of a time when kirtans carried the solemnity and joy of sufiana kalam. A captive audience sat enraptured and then rose to walk slowly up to the stage — lines of men and women, their heads covered, to make their offerings so that he does not return home with an empty jholi (bag). “Who can fill his jholi? It is he who has filled our jholis”, rose a voice in the dark as the basket left on the stage began overflowing with offerings, a gift from apna Punjab for bringing back Nankana’s Nanak and Pak Pattan’s Farid.

“Yeh duniya jo ekhati hai, mujhey accha lagta hai”, says a visibly moved Baba ji , his small eyes smiling. He had returned to India after 60 years. To see people of so many faiths living together in one world touches him. It is in this India perhaps that Baba ji finds his metier. Though home is where his family lives, his work, his calling finds a flowering in a place which, not so long ago, was also home.

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Click Here for MP3 Audio of Baba Ghulam Mohammed Chand Jee Rababi
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25 Responses to “Bhai Ghulam Mohammed Chand Jee Rababi”

On April 26, 2007, Dervinder said:

awesome….loved the keertan!
On April 30, 2007, gagan chadha said:

i love chand ji and also have their live recording which was given to me by my fathaer
On May 1, 2007, Hargurmit Singh said:

I have had the honor of hearing their jatha do kirtan seva at GK I gurdwara in delhi about a year ago. all that has been said in this article is true. the way they sing, the bani that they put together on a theme is totally awesome. something none of our new sikh jathas have ever been able to present.
On May 1, 2007, harky said:

Gagan Chadha ji,
Whats your email…I would like to discuss keertan further with u
Fateh
On May 2, 2007, Harminder (Harry) Singh Mann said:

Gurfateh ji,

I have tracked down videos and they will be put on the net sometime today. Watch his excellent parmann! I will post them on sikhawareness.com
On May 12, 2007, tajinder said:

when u listen baba ji with eyes closed at night u feel like sitting in heaven awesome
On May 27, 2007, arvinder singh said:

he is exellent. if some one got more of is work, please put on net. We would be greatful.
On June 5, 2007, Har gobind singh said:

I have had the honour of listening to Ghulam Mohammed Chand ji and i have always loved his keertan. he is a great man and will always be one. Not anybody can easily gain my respect but this man deserves it !
On August 7, 2007, Ayaz said:

i need baba ghulam muhammad address or any contact no. any body can help me i am thanks so much
On August 9, 2007, Atul Bagai said:

i have been trying to locate baba ghulam chandji in lahore. can anyone send his address. also was the video put on the web. and someone said that he has a live recording from his father. can i have the email address of this person (.r. chaddha i suppose)
On August 9, 2007, Taimur Ali Khan (Mr.) said:

Would highly appreciate, if someone could kindly tell me about the residence address of honourable Bhai Ghulam Muhammed Chand Jee. Thanks.
On September 23, 2007, A.S.LUTHRA adv jalandhar said:

SUPERB . KIRTAN WANT TO LISTEN MORE RECORDINGS IF ANY ONE HAVE PLEASE NOTIFY, RARE PIECE OF GEMS I WOULD SAY
On November 2, 2007, shumitadidisandhu said:

Dear All,
Baba Ghulam Mohammad Chaand will be with us once again by this diwali. He will be here for a month and all are welcome to contact us to help organise his keertans. This time we will ensure that professional recordings are done.
We need your help at Saanjhey Ranng Punjab De, 18-A, Ring Road, F.Floor, Lajpat Nagar IV, New Delhi 24 to help us in all ways possible to ensure that babaji and his entourage have a fine journey here. They will be here for the Gurpurab as well so any ideas for that will be welcome.
My numbers are 9811050712 or 26292967
Shumita Didi Sandhu
Cultural Secy
Saanjhey Ranng Punjab De
On December 2, 2007, Upendra Tankha said:

I had the good fortune to listen to Baba Ghulam Mohammed Chaand at Triveni in New Delhi on 1 December. I feel his music is simply divine and we should do what we can to preserve this precious heritage of the gurus.
On December 8, 2007, sammy sameep singh bajwa said:

i want to share something.i am student of engg at GNDU, Asr.Baba Ghulam Mohammed Chaand was at our university on the eve of GURU NANAK DEV JI’s BIRTHDAY.i was with my friend at the campus gurdawara and when i just left i saw the babaji coming with his group,he was standing infront of me and everybody was touching his feet for the blessings but me n my friend hesitated, you can term it as ego or whatever but immediately i felt bad for showing this egoism.Babaji was going to perform and we came inside the gurdawara to listen his voice and thought it as once in lifetime opportunity.As Babaji started singing i was stupified and for me i was in heaven.i never had listened to this type of kirtan before though i love classical but babaji was amazing.Then on i understood i should have taken Babji’s blessings and vaak(divine guide to life) also elaborated enough to respect a saint, i thought it was order of god to meet Babaji and take blessings and remove the cloth of ego.Immediately after Gurdwara proceedings were over i went to babaji and said while touching his feet ” Baabji , pehlaan taan mein aakad kiti ? he was laughing and showered blessings on me with both hands.
After few days i’m seeing everything happening to me as lucky as i can ever get.My exams went good , now i daily go to Gurdawara which has happened after many years.I again have rediscovered my strings attached to god which for me went missing with development of sense of rationality with age. Thank you Babaji for your kindness.Do give me a chance to meet you once again.
On December 24, 2007, shumitadidisandhu said:

Dear Sammy Sameep Singh,
it was wonderful to hear your loving appreciation. Babaji will be in Amritsar by the 7th of jan. He goes back on the 8th. We will again come to the University. Pls keep in touch with Prof jolly. also you can call us at 09811050712. it would be good for him to meet all of you loving students again
shumita didi
On January 4, 2008, Jeet Singh said:

Gur Fateh
As you guys put lots of very good comments. i like to listen Baba ji kirtan as i never heard. please send me link or source or your contact info.
Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh
On February 28, 2008, jazwinder said:

I must congratulate all those who have found this diamond to mount on the tiara of our faith for all to see… Ive enjoyed his kirtan.its gifted divine and inimitable.
I hope all his precious repetoire will be recorded for posterity and with every opportunity of fair rewardto him.
If someone can contact me in malaysia id like to sponser his troupe for the malaysian sangat to be blessed
Ghulam Mohamed may be the early building block to bridge the rift between the Punjabis on either sides of the border..hopefully more will be found and the way cleared for posterity for Moslem and sikh to sit pray and eat together..we have so much in common to share with each other
Likewise raagis can sing the name of Allah which appears many times in gurbani..what is in a name..It menas the same thing…
On April 25, 2008, Mohinder Singh said:

Isn’t it a shame that most of our present Sikh ragis are singing Gurbani based on filmi tunes and making a good living out of it and hardly any of them can come close to this type of keertan sung by the living legend Baba ji Gulam Mohammed. Our ragis should try to listen to his sort of keertan and learn. It’s called dedication and sacrifice which our sikh ragis seem to lack. May waheguru ji bless Baba ji and may he train someone to be as good as him to last for years so to bring joy to the hearts of people who appreciate Gurbani keertan sung in the most traditional way. Thanks to all who are sharing their view. Bhul chuk muaf. WGJKK WGJKF
On April 25, 2008, SALEEM AKHTAR said:

I need contact details of Baba Ghulam Mohammad Chand. I really appreciated if i can get any phone or cell numbers.

I am living in New York USA.

Thanks,
Saleem.
4/25/08
On May 24, 2008, kanwar said:

This kertan is probably the purest form of BANI.
I am truly delighted
On May 26, 2008, Mohinderpal Singh said:

WJKKWJKF

True form of Keertan still belongs to the descenders of Bhai Mardana ji because Bhai Mardana ji was blessed with this gift by Jagat Guru Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. No wonder the descenders like Bhai Chaand (late), Bhai Gulam M Chaand, Bhai Lal ji were or are still the best keertanyas in the world. They have lived in Pakistan ever since the partition in 1947 and have still maintained the highest standards, wow. The only Sikh Raagis who have ever come close their standards were or are Bhai Samund Singh ji, Bhai Bakhshish Singh ji, Bhai Balbir Singh ji, Bhai Sudh Singh - Pardan Singh ji, Pro. Darshan Singh ji, Giani Dyal Singh Ji, and only a handful more whose name don’t come to my mind right away and I do apologise. God bless the descenders of Bhai Mardana Ji and let us pray that our present sikh keertanyas take a few lessons from them and improve their standards. Giving up the filmi tunes to start with and concentrate on classical raagas and adapt the old traditional reetan style. Shame on some modern raagis (if you can call them raagis) who don’t even know the true meaning of being raagis (raagis= people who sing raags) who sing Gurbani on cheap filmi tunes and shame on us who encourage them by giving them keertan offerings (chardawa). It’s time we realise ourselves and make THEM realise what harm they are doing. The biggest downfall are the organisers in the SGPC who do not themselves employ acedemic music scholars to filter out the less able raagis.

I/ we can only hope and pray for the best. Gur Fateh to all.
On May 26, 2008, Mohinderpal Singh said:

My apologies: The other raagis to include amongst the elite Sikh raagis are: Bhai Surjan Singh Ji, Bhai Santa Singh.
On June 10, 2008, sammy sameep singh bajwa said:

well if anyone can give me contact details of baba chand ji….m really desperate to talk to him….
On July 2, 2008, Mohan Singh said:

wjkk wjkf
Ghulam Mohammed Chand Rababi’s kirtan was mesmerizing, our Ragi’s need to learn these old reet’s from Baba Ji, otherwise yet another unsung Guru Ka Kirtania will be lost by the Panth. If someone can pass me any contact details I would love to correspond with Baba Ji. Thanks for the wonderful post on this site.

Mohan Singh