Rabbi Shergill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rabbi Shergill (born 1975) is an Indian musician famous for his debut album Rabbi and the chart-topper song of 2005, Bulla Ki Jana. His music has been described variously as rock,[1] Sufiana, and "semi-Sufi semi-folksy kind of music with a lot of Western arragements."[2] Rabbi himself has been called "Punjabi music's true urban balladeer".[2]
Rabbi's father was a Sikh preacher. His mother is a college principal and a Punjabi poetess. Rabbi is an alumnus of Khalsa College, Delhi. He started at the Fore School of Management but dropped out after a year. He did ad jingles for a while, including for Nova ghee, Yamaha RX-T motorbikes, and Times FM.[1]
He struggled for many years to get his debut album published. He was working with Sony Music for a while, but Sony later backed out. He then approached Minty Tejpal, brother of Tehelka's editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, who liked his music and offered him a contract. After Tehelka's first sting operation, the company ran into financial problems. Magnasound also offered him a contract, but the company became bankrupt before the album could materialize. Rabbi was offered decent money to include his songs in Hindi movies such as Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II, Dubai Returned and Paap, but refused.[3] He was finally signed on by Phat Phish Records, who brought out his eponymous debut album, Rabbi, in 2005.
His fans famously include Amitabh Bachchan and Sir V. S. Naipaul, who said of his music, "I didn’t understand it but it was very, very soulful, very deep."[3] Mira Nair compared him to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.[4]
Rabbi's music has been inspired by rock as well as Sufi and Punjabi folk music. His lyrics are deeply philosophical, most of them his own, though his most famous song was written by the 18th century Punjabi poet Bulle Shah:
|
|
"Bulla Ki Jana is all about us not knowing who we are, of thinking of life in terms of boxes, until we are enlightened. And then, you realise how meaninglessly you've compartmentalised life," Rabbi explains.[2] The other songs in the album Rabbi are an ecletic mix, including songs of joy (Ajj Nachna), love (Tere Bin) and even contemporary issues (Jugni). Rabbi writes in Punjabi, for "It is my pride," he says.[5]
- Here goes the lyrics for TERE BIN with a wonderful translation.
- tere bin / besides you
- sanu sohnia / my love
- koi hor nahio labhna / i shan't find another
- jo dave / who'll give
- ruh nu sakun / peace to my soul
- chukke jo nakhra mera / and indulge me
- ve main sare ghumm ke vekhia / i have gone and seen it all
- amrika , roos, malaysia / america, russia, malaysiana
- kittey vi koi fark si / there wasn't any difference
- har kise di koi shart si / they all had some condition
- koi mangda mera si sama / some asked for my time
- koi hunda surat te fida / some were fascinated with my face
- koi mangda meri si vafa / some demanded my fidelity
- na koi mangda merian bala / none wanted my demons
- tere bin / besides you
- hor na kise / no one else
- mangni merian bala / wanted my demons
- tere bin / besides you
- hor na kise / no one else
- karni dhup vich chhan / shall shade me in the sun
- jiven rukia / (the) way you paused
- si tun zara / slightly
- nahion bhulna / i shan't forget
- main sari umar / all my life
- jiven akhia si akhan chura / you said, looking away
- "rovenga sanu yad kar" / "you shall weep in my memory"
- hasia si main hasa ajeeb / i laughed a strange laugh
- (par) tu nahi si hasia / but you didn't
- dil vich tera jo raaz si / you had a secret in your heart
- mainu tu kyon ni dasia / why didn't you tell me
- tere bin / besides you
- sanu eh raz / none shall tell this
- kise hor nahion dasna / secret to me
- tere bin / besides you
- peerh da ilaaj / what druid
- kis vaid kolon labhna / has the cure to my ills
- milia si ajj mainu / i found today
- tera ik patra / a note of yours
- likhia si jis 'te / on which you had scribbeled
- tun shayr varey shah da / a varis shah couplet
- park ke si osnu / upon reading which
- hanjnu ik duliya / a teardrop fell
- akhan 'ch band si / what was locked in the eye
- seh raaz ajj khulia / was revealed today
- ki tere bin / that other than you
- eh mere hanjnu / these tears of mine
- kise hor / won't be kissed by
- nahio chumna / none else
- ki tere bin / that other than you
- eh mere hanjhu / these tears of mine
- mitti vich rulnha / will wither in the dust
Rabbi has since performed at the World Social Forum in Brazil, and played at the inauguration of the Tri-Continental Film Festival in New Delhi.[6] He is making his debut in films as music director and lyricist with the upcoming Hindi movie, Delhii Heights.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Meet Rabbi Shergill, Indipop's latest star! by Sumit Bhattacharya, Rediff.com Specials
- ^ a b c Rhythm Divine by Swagata Sen, The Telegraph, November 21, 2004.
- ^ a b Triumph of Will by Minty Tejpal, Tehelka, September 25, 2004.
- ^ It’s not about being what they (Hollywood) are, it’s about them opening their eyes to us by Shekhar Gupta, Indian Express, January 11, 2005.
- ^ No balle balle this by Surya Praphulla Kumar, The Week, December 5, 2004.
- ^ The thinking pop star by Mandira Nayar, The Hindu, January 23, 2006.
- ^ First Look: Delhii Heights by Manas Mishra, MovieWalah.com January 25, 2007.
[edit] External Links
- Rabbism, a blog of Rabbi devotees and have collection of Rabbi's lyrics.
