Wadali Brothers | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Wadali brothers performing at the Raja Rani Music Festival. Puranchand Wadali (L) and Pyarelal Wadali (R) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Amritsar,Punjab,India |
| Genres | Sufi music,Folk |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Past members | Pyarelal Wadali |
TheWadali Brothers –Puranchand Wadali andPyarelal Wadali – areSufi singers and musicians from Guru Ki Wadali in theAmritsar District inPunjab,India.[1] Pyarelal Wadali, the younger of the two died on 4 March 2018 at the age of 75 due to cardiac arrest at the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Amritsar.
Born into the fifth generation of musicians given to singing the messages of Sufi saints, the Wadali brothers dabbled in the most unexpected of professions before they became Sufi singers. While Puranchand Wadali, the elder brother, was a regular in anakhara (wrestling ring) for 25 years, Pyarelal contributed to the meager family income by playing the role ofKrishan in the villageRas Lila.
Their father, Thakur Das Wadali, compelled Puranchand to learn music. Puranchand studied music from celebrated masters such as UstadBade Ghulam Ali Khan of thePatiala Gharana. Pyarelal was trained by his elder brother, who he considered his guru and mentor up till his death.
Their first musical performance outside their village was in Harballabh Temple inJalandhar. In 1975, the duo went to Jalandhar to perform at the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan but was not allowed to sing because their appearance did not pass muster. Disappointed, they decided to make a musical offering at the Harballabh temple, where an executive of All India Radio, Jalandhar, spotted them and recorded their first song.
The Wadali Brothers sing in thegurbani,kafi,ghazal andbhajan genres of music. They live in their ancestral house in Guru Ki Wadali, and teach music to those who promise to preserve it. They do not charge their disciples, and lead a very simple life devoted to the divine one.
They believe in the Sufi tradition deeply. They consider themselves as a medium through which the preaching of great saints is passed on to others. They have never indulged commercially, and they have only a handful of recordings to their name (mostly from live concerts). They believe in singing freely as homage to the divine one. They do not feel very comfortable in using electronic gadgets in their music, and stress onAlap andTaans. They believe that spiritual heights can only be attained if you sing unreservedly, in a free atmosphere.
In 2003, they enteredBollywood, rendering music director and writerGulzar’s soulful lyrics in their unique style in the filmPinjar. They also sang one song inDhoop. On the cards is a documentary which the Discovery Channel is planning to make on them.
