Akademi award for Prof Kartar Singh
Tribune News Service
Anandpur Sahib, February 11
Sangeet Natak Akademi has nominated Prof Kartar Singh, director of
the local Gurmat Sangeet Academy, for the national award-2008.
The octogenarian, known as living legend in the field of gurmat
sangeet, will be honoured for his contribution to gurbani. Prof
Kartar Singh has penned four books on gurbani and related issues.
His four books are “Gurbani Sangeet Darpan Part I”, “Gurbani Sangeet
Darpan Part II”, “Gurmat Sangeet Darpan” and “Guru Angad Dev Sangeet
Darpan”. He has to his credit 372 compositions of ragas.
Born in Ghumman Ke village in Lahore, Pakistan, Prof Kartar Singh
started to learn kirtan in 1941 from Giani Gurcharan Singh and Bhai
Dalip Singh. He has taught music at Guru Nanak Girls College,
Ludhiana, for 27 years and also remained head of the music department
for sometime at the same college. He has also taught at Malwa Central
College in Ludhiana.
In 1999, he was appointed director of Gurmat Sangeet Akademi at
Anandpur Sahib (run by the SGPC) and since then has been teaching
children gurmat sangeet.
“The award comes as Guru ki data (gift of the Almighty) for me. I was
never in the race for any kind of award or citation. Few days ago, I
got some documents and letter from Sangeet Natak Akademi that asked
to fill a questionnaire pf around 23 questions. And a few days later,
I was told that I would be conferred the prestigious honor,” said
Prof Kartar Singh while talking to The Tribune.
The award symbolises highest standard of excellence and achievements
on a national basis, recognises sustained individual work and
contribution to the practice and appreciation of arts through
performance, teaching and scholarship. The Akademi Ratna carries Rs
1,00,000 and Akademi Puraskar Rs 50,000 besides a tamrapatra and
angavastram. These would be awarded to Prof Kartar Singh in March.