📌 Key Points
- Gurdas Maan emphasizes the cyclical connection between earth and glamour in his performances.
- He finds fresh emotion in ‘Challa’ through the audience’s diverse interpretations and reactions.
- Maan highlights the importance of audience love for a performer’s energy and stamina.
- He views modern adaptations of Punjabi music, like Hip-Hop and Trap, as new ways to deliver timeless stories.
Gurdas Maan, a pioneer of Punjabi music, recently shared his thoughts on the connection between tradition and modernity. He discussed the impact of social media, the evolving sound of Punjabi music, and the enduring legacy of his iconic song, ‘Challa’.
Mitti and Maya: The Essence of Performance
Often described as the pioneer of modern Punjabi music, Gurdas Maan recently performed in Mumbai. Ask him how it feels to bring the fragrance of Punjab’s fields to the concrete jungle of Mumbai and he tells us “Mitti (the earth) and Maya (glamour) have a very strong connection, its kind of cyclical. Everything was once mitti, and will one day become mitti again. So yeh maya mitti ka khel hamesha chalta rahega, aur Punjab ki mitti ki khushboo Mumbai ki emarton mein hamesha se khilti aayi hain.”
The musician has been performing Challa for decades. How does he find a fresh emotion in those same lyrics every single time he hits the stage? “The fresh emotion comes from the audience I am performing to, because Challa is interpreted differently by everyone, some dance to it, and some go into an emotional trance, I try and balance the both for the audience. That’s the fun of Challa,” he says with a smile.
Known for performing for three- four hours straight without a break, when asked if its physical stamina, or a spiritual high that keeps him going, he says, “The only thing the performer needs is the love of an audience, if the artiste is performing on stage, the audience is performing off the stage, that’s the only difference.”
The Enduring Emotion of ‘Challa’
Punjabi music is dominating global charts today with Hip-Hop and Trap. As the root of this tree, how does he feel about the ‘branches’ moving away from traditional instruments like the Tumbi and Sarangi? “Its very kind of you to call me the root of the tree, but I think for me to even be a branch on that tree, is a huge compliment – There are many seasons, and through each season trees look different, they adapt to the changing seasons, but the essence of the tree never changes. Hip Hop and Trap are delivery methods to deliver poetry and storytelling -The essence of Punjab is rooted in its stories and not how those stories are delivered to people so as long as the stories and emotions are not corrupted, the tree will always stand strong and grow. Our artistes today should be mindful of that, ” he says.
And if he had to collaborate with one modern-day Punjabi artist for a track, who would it be? “There are so many of them – maybe some surprises are on the way.”
Punjabi Music: Roots and Branches
His signature line is ‘Dil Saaf Hona Chahida’ (The heart must be clean). Speaking sbout the age of social media noise and ‘cancel culture,’ he says, “We must not take everything we see on social media to heart – people have always had thoughts and opinions, but today they have a platform to put them out – so nothing has changed really – having faith in the divine force has always protected me.”
With Baisakhi coming up, about his plans this year and traditions he maintains. “For me Baisakhi is always about celebrating with an audience, so I willbe in Canada for my upcoming tour in March/April this year too.”
Maan’s perspective highlights the enduring power of Punjabi storytelling. He embraces the evolving sounds while emphasizing the importance of preserving the core emotional and narrative essence within the music, ensuring its continued growth.
