Dya Singh, a Malaysia-born Australian Sikh, has taken the centuries old musical traditions that flourished as a part of the Sikh spiritual tradition out of the Gurudwaras into the mainstream, of course in the process, altering the sound of it. Ever since he has had to deal with the uneasiness, and sometimes open opposition of the old guard. Sometimes, they are pretty cut and dried and tell him that his music is not welcome. Like it happened last year at the Dixie Gurudwara, which, Dya Singh tells us, refused him permission to sing there. However, an increasing number of people both within the Sikh faith and outside seem to be gravitating toward the unique music created by Dya Singh. Today, he is so popular that he tours the world singing at private concerts to world music festivals, to yes, even gurudwaras. He was booked for a series of them at the Malton Gurudwara this week.

It all began quite accidentally. By an accident of history really. He was a regular kind of white-collar guy working diligently as an accountant in Adelaide where he had moved from Malaysia. Dya Singh has never lived in India, but he was always a pious Sikh though as a Malaysian, he was able to absorb the essence of other cultures and traditions too. The tumultuous events following the attack on the Golden Temple in the mid-80s had its impact on Dya Singh, like it did on millions of others. He tended to move closer to his own roots, and he looked for a way to express himself. Traditional Sikh music helped him release some of that internal tension while being able to communicate the eternal message of the gurus to his own people as well as some outsiders

In 1992, he teamed up with Dheeraj, a tabla player from then living in Adelaide. Along came an Aussie musician, Andrew Clermont who played the didgeridoo among other instruments to start a trend that still continues to reverberate through the musical world. His three daughters are there to lend him vocal support. He started with bhajans with a "semi classical touch". "It's not Ravi Shankar, it's not that serious," Dya Singh told the Voice this week during an interview. He is on a week-long tour in Toronto.

They started out performing at small mehfils within the Indian community. Soon they had a manager, Keith Preston, and his Australian ears perked up. "He told us that we had something of value here." A CD called Australian Sikh Rhythm & Blues came out in 1992. The fame happened soon after. "We got an invitation to the Sydney Arts Festival and the Singapore Arts Festival after that," says Sardar Dya Singh. He had truly arrived on the musical scene. And if there was any doubt of his music's sustainability, Dya Singh was determined to prove it otherwise. He soon quit his regular job and became a full-time musician.

Today, Dya Singh is a nomad, moving from city to city, continent to continent, entertaining audiences that seem to grow wider each day. He recently was given the singular honor of performing at the opening of the first permanent Sikh exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington. He is due to play at this weekend's Masala Mehndi Masti festival at the Harbourfront Centre (Saturday 3.30p.m.). And hold your breath, he has an even bigger honor coming his way. He is due to perform at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall on Sept. 26 to mark the 400th Anniversary of the Guru Granth Sahib.

If Dya Singh has been able to earn recognition at this high level, then you might legitimately ask what's all the fuss about his music? Dya Singh explains, "What I did was to take the seriousness out of the traditional music. The words are the same. We have taken it out of the gurudwaras and taken it mainstream." He believes that while doing so, he has been able to reach the Gurus' message to a wider audience, and more importantly to the Sikh youth. "Those Sikh youth who normally didn't go to the gurudwaras would come to venues where we performed," he says.

He says though his music may sound different, the core message comes through unaffected. He says, "Sikh youth should be proud of their Guru-given Khalsa identity and yet play a very full role in the multi-cultural societies they live in. They should also take a keen interest in Gurbani sangeet in all its rich variety. My mission by bringing diverse music traditions together through Dya Singh World Music group is to show that the language of music is universal. So is the message of Gurbani. Music transcends language. In the present age of kalyug spiritual music can bring real peace and harmonious co-existence in the world (So says the Guru: Kalyug meh kirtan pardhana."

Dya Singh, the son of a granthi, had fifteen years of Kirtan training as a youngster. "So my grounding is very solid," he says. In the past decade, he has produced 14 cds and has taken the Gurbani music to every corner of the world. And while the traditional style is still popular with the masses, he is able to perform where other voices cannot reach. The paradox that he finds in people is "We are becoming more traditional as we step out into the future. Music is the most powerful means to discover your own spirituality. For us to sing this is pure joy and it tells us that we are a universal people. It is my firm belief that the beauty and relevance of the Guru's universal message for the benefit of humankind should be shared by all and not restricted to the four walls of Gurudwara only. By taking the universal message of the Guru to the world, to folk festivals, concert halls, shopping malls, convention centers and wherever else the Guru takes me, I am only following the path shown by the Guru."

For full information on Dya Singh's engagements in Toronto, please call Puneet Kohli at 416 824 6217

Dya Singh CD’s available for sale now at www.ethnicisland.com