Sufi strains

Even with a 9,000-strong crowd waiting patiently at JU?s open air theatre on Sunday evening to hear his Sufiana music, Rabbi Shergill sat backstage wondering aloud what he was doing on the terrain of Bangla bands. ?I have no idea how I will connect with these youngsters. I just want my sugar levels to be up when I am out there,? he said, as he chewed on a packetful of raisins.

On stage, the singer-songwriter set out to win hearts. ?I am from a small place near Amritsar. So, it?s thrilling that now so many of you have come here to hear me sing,? he said, before belting out hits like Jugni, Tere Bin and Gill Te Guitar at Sanskriti, the annual cultural fest of JU?s engineering and technology department, held in association with The Telegraph.

The language barrier was hardly a hindrance ? the audience waved enthusiastically and broke into impromptu bhangra jigs.

Here?s what the singing sensation had to say...

lDo you make a special effort when you are performing before a crowd that doesn?t understand Punjabi?

That?s what stage shows are about. I want the audience to enjoy when I am performing. So, I explain to them what my songs are about.

lDo you write your own lyrics?

Yes, usually. I put in a lot of thought into it.

lHow important are lyrics in any composition?

It is of utmost importance, much more than melody and rhythm. Lyrics are the soul of a song.

lDo youngsters these days feel the depth of your songs?

The state is quite sorry when it comes to Indian youngsters. They just lapped up Bulla ki jaana when it was released. Not that I am complaining, but I think not many bothered to go into its depth. Not many realise what it takes to pen the lyrics.

lHow important is recall value of a song?

That depends on what genre the song belongs to. Pop thrives on recall value. But while you can enjoy listening to Beethoven, you cannot be expected to remember intricate segments of the composition.

lWho are the musicians you would love to work with?

Wadali Brothers. And amongst international musicians, I have so many favourites. I would love to work with Jeff Beck.

lWhat is the theme of your next album?

I haven?t named it yet. One of the songs is called Challa, which means a ?ring?. Most of the songs revolve around love.

V. Shubha (Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya)