29-Sept. Fly Mlbn./Brisbane for 'Diversity Talks' Forum and Queensland Multicultural Arts Festival.

DIVERSITY TALKS FORUM (BRISBANE)

I have the honour of being invited by the Premier's Department of Queensland and Griffith University, as one of four Australian multicultural artistes to talk about our experiences with music in the mainstream from our respective backgrounds and with demonstrations. Chaired by reknowned Australian journalist Geraldine Doogue, it was held at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Conservatorium in Southbank. A great evening held in front of an invitation-only audience of over 200. They heard a fair bit about the Sikh diaspora and the evolution of 'Sikh music'. The Q/A session proved that this audience generally knows a great deal about Sikhism. Punjab does not have a great attraction as a tourist destination though most wish to go to Darbar Sahib (the Golden Temple). Gurinder Chadha has done a great service of bringing Darbar Sahib) to millions thru her movie - 'Bride &Prejudice'. An audience member talked of the opening scene with Darbar Sahib in all its glory which took the breath away! Tabla maestro Dheeraj did a short tabla solo followed by our rendition of Mool Mantr and then a 'Satnaam/Waheguru' recitation in qawali form. The other three artistes - from Bolivia, Ghana and from southern California too were interviewed and performed short pieces with some of their group members. Dheeraj and I were honoured by being given the prime time.

BRISBANE

I spent two very lazy days (30Sept. and 1.Oct) just walking through the great city of Brisbane. It is a beautiful city but with very rapid growth. You can tell by the huge number of cranes which you can see in the skyline above the city on top of half finished high rise buildings. It is the fastest growing city in Australia and the state of Queensland is progressing very fast. Real estate is getting more expensive.

The weather was a beautiful mid- 20's all weekend compared to Melbourne where it was 7 degrees (C) when I left and ten degrees when I arrived back on the Monday! I shall finally retire in Brisbane I think. I love the weather here. One can get down to the beach and have a swim all year round!

QUEENSLAND MULTICULTURAL ARTS FESTIVAL

The rest of the group arrived on Saturday (1.Oct.) for performances at the Queensland Multicultural Arts Festival on Sunday (Oct.2) in the heart of the city - Roma Park. The festival was attended by (official figures) 40,000. We did two concerts of 45 minutes - one at the Amphitheatre at 1pm. and the second at the Lakeside Marquee at 5pm. The girls (Singh Sisters), with two local Sikh youngsters playing dhols, did a 'bhangra' demonstration and workshop (with about 2500 people dancing!) at 7pm in the main oval (dance marquee). It was heartwarming to see plenty of young Sikh boys and girls joining in and 'proud to be Sikhs'.

03-Oct, Monday Jamel, Harsel and Parvyn (The 'Singh Sisters') conducted four classes and two demonstrations of bhangra to 2000 school children who had come especially to get an injection of multiculturalism. The girls excelled and great fun was had by all. Great exercise for all to! Some of our 'ragi/granthi fraternity' could do with this level of exercise! The 'Singh Sisters' have been invited to do similar workshops in Townsville and Cairns in the near future.

We flew back to 'cold' Melbourne on Monday night...

CONCLUSION ON QUEENSLAND VISIT

Over the weekend we would have reached at about 20,000 people (non-Sikhs) and given them a glimpse of Sikhs and Sikhism through gurbani, through our image, and through 'bhangra'. All that was missing was a 'gatka' demonstration. My aim has always been to reach out to as many non-Sikhs as I can and we are achieving that with Waheguru Ji's grace. In the process, Sikh youth involved, get an injection of their own identity as Sikhs. It was great to see Sikh youngsters with patkas and dastaars and even one or two young ladies in dastaar, enjoy the bhangra. A great many elder Sikhs also joined in the revelries. After all, we were all displaying our true Sikh identities as friendly citizens and enjoying our background music (and dance) - spiritual and folk. Waheguru give us more such opportunities.

FOREST OF TRANQUILITY

I was informed by organisers that the 100 Indian sandalwood (chandan) trees that I have purchased and which are going to be grown as a special memento patch at Woodford (north of Brisbane) folk festival site, on behalf of the Sikh community of Australia, are flourishing and shall be grown in December. I am looking forward to that! 'Chendhen vaas venaspat...'

Back to dreary Melbourne on Monday night Oct3.

Oct5. Daughters Jamel and Harsel left for Singapore as Harsel is starting work in Singapore. Jamel is taking a well earned three weeks break.

07-Friday. Drove to Sydney for Sikh Youth Camp Sydney Management Meeting.

ANNUAL SIKH YOUTH CAMP, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (11-15January 2006)

Theme: 'Sikh to Khalsa'

Just to let all you folks know that the above camp shall take place from 11-15 January 2006 in a Scouts Camp (Myuna Bay) site north of Sydney near Newcastle. This year's theme is : 'Sikh to Khalsa'. Write to me in the first instance if you want any information. I have had the honour of preparing the subject matter of the past four camps here and that culminates this year in this final theme - 'Sikh to Khalsa'. We are also expecting to have an 'Amrit Sanchar' ceremony as some of the youngsters have expressed the desire to partake of Amrit.

Our main thrust on amrit is: 'Is amrit a 'coming of age' ceremony from childhood into adulthood or is it reserved for an elite group called the Khalsa?' I was brought up to look upon it as a 'coming of age' ceremony. We have a group of prominent 'delivery team' members who shall look at this issue and hopefully our youngsters will understand that 'amrit' is not a future life of very restrictive and rigid practices, but liberation in this lifetime.

Youths participate in Asa Dhi Var, Nitnam, Naam Simran and do kirtan besides discourses/discussions on Sikhism. This camp, from reports back from parents, has proved to be a boon for their offsprings to learn more about their faith and background in a frank, open and fun filled manner. Youngsters also make friends and 'chat-line' pals and also have great fun in water sport, rope climbing, rock climbing etc. besides soccer and basketball. Generally a very good time had by all and also come out better informed about Sikhism and having made friends. This year there is the added bonus of being able to become Guru Ji's own - Khalsa, at the amrit sanchar ceremony.

SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE - DRIVE

After a weekend of meetings and preparations for the camp I drove back to Melbourne on the Monday. Melbourne to Sydney is an easy nine hour drive along the Hume Highway or a 16 hour 'tourist' drive along the coast - preferably with an overnight stay of course. We do not have the kind of traffic one sees say between San Francisco to Los Angeles, or in Delhi, in London or Kuala Lumpur. We are fortunate if we get a dual carriageway! So, driving in Australia can be very pleasant. I do it as often as I can even though our internal flights are very cheap. I could have flown one way Melbourne to Sydney for as low as Aus$69 or about Aus$160 (off peak). Fuel (Gas) for my vehicle cost me about Aus$100 ! But as I said, it is a lovely drive. I was able to listen to our latest version of Asa Dhi Var to give me ideas for further improvements in it. Time well spent.

VISITORS :

1. Chris Mooney Singh and his wife, Savinder Kaur. Chris is an old friend from Adelaide who has done extensive research on the 'rebarb' and its revival.He is also a poet. I happened to bump into Chris in Brisbane when we were there over the first weekend in October. He was there to attend and participate in 'Writers week' He also came to Melbourne for the same purpose and we were able to spend a day together. His research into the rabarb has been extensive. Apparently the rabarb played by Bhai Mardhana was a small one, but that used by Guru Gobind Singh Ji was a very large one. Replicas have been made after extensive research and taking into consideration description of the rebarb of Bhai Mardhana in the bani of Bhai Gurdas. I believe Chris Mooney Singh has a website about this very sacred instrument of the Sikhs besides others. Anyone interested to know more, well, get in touch with me.
2. We also had a prominent couple from Nairobi in Kenya visit us. It is a pleasure being able to pay back some of the hospitality that we as a group receive when we go to far off places like Kenya.
3. A lovely lady from Bangkok, Bibi Amarjit Kaur, stayed with us a few days. She came to help her son settle into university here in Melbourne. Unfortunately we have not had an invitation to Thailand yet because our group is of a mixed nature (not all Sikhs!). Hopefully, our Thai brothers and sisters will realise soon that our faith stands for equality for all. After all, Baba Nanak travelled with a Moslem friend and reputedly a Hindu friend, Bala. So, if Guru Ji came today, he would not be allowed to do kirtan at the Bangkok Gurdwara '... tere bhanay sarbat dha bhala...'. Nevertheless, our kirtan cd's are pretty popular in Thailand, we are told. Guru Ji, mat bakhshay.
4. Brother Angadh Singh. Angadh is a white Australian, a Vietnam War veteran, who has now become a Sikh. He has spent over one year in Punjab and Haryana helping Sikh people there by helping to set up schools and also purchasing teaching and learning aids. He has also joined an Order of Nihangs. His favourite story: a supposedly very holy Sikh in Woolgoolga in New South Wales told him, when Angadh was enquiring about Sikhism, that it was essential to become a vegetarian as a Sikh. Angadh said what a pity because he has these lovely fishing rods. The Sikh said no problem, HIS SON WILL HAVE THEM!

THEN GOD SPOKE AGAIN! - PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE

A devastating earthquake in mid-October. The death count keeps climbing steadily towards the 100,000 mark with almost 5 million people homeless with harsh winter coming on. First the tsunami, then a series of hurricanes like Katrina, now this devastating earthquake. Waheguru is speaking - are we listening?

MELBOURNE NAUJAWAN SAMELAN - 5-8 Jan.

Melbourne sewadhars Sarjit Singh and Manpal Singh Calais came for a meeting on 25th. The camp is going to be held in a place called Daylesford - a hot springs area west of Melbourne. The Saturday will be spent at a hot springs site. The camp is going to focus on 'self-improvement the Sikhi way'. I am delighted to see that the 'youth-camp culture' which I promote strongly is catching on and Melbourne is keen to set up a structure as in Sydney. Waheguru grant all the sewadhars Cherdhi Kala and 'udham' (divine effort) to carry on with such fruitful sewa for the benefit of our younger generations.

VISITORS FROM OVERSEAS / YOUTH CAMPS

A number of you readers from overseas have requested help in planning a trip to Australia. That is why I have elaborated on some of the prominent 'features' of Australia. Others are keen to come when there are some 'youth' activities ongoing - so you have some details of our camps in eastern Australia - in January. Nationals are urged to come and bring your children for these camps - you have to decide how beneficial these camps are for your youngsters. Besides these camps in Melbourne and Sydney , one other camp which I recommend is the annual Malaysian Naujawan Sabha Samelan which is the 'mother of all Sikh youth camps in the world.' Over 1000 participants and 300 sewadhars. You, from any part of the world want to see 'how things should be done', then come for this camp in Malaysia. Highly recommended.

TENTATIVE FUTURE PLANS

We are recording two concerts (audio) in Adelaide for our next 'live' cd in November. Then there is the big Woodford Folk festival in Queensland from after Christmas ushering in the new year.

Our next tour to USA, Canada is from April. Please contact Bicky Singh on Bsingh@fcsinet.com if interested in programs in your region. (USA and Canada only)

Our next tour to UK, Europe and Kenya is scheduled for September, Contact our good friend Satt Matharu on smatharu@acs-england.co.uk for programs and details.

We are also performing at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (Aus), the Adelaide Arts Festival in March and the Brisbane Arts Festival in July.

Dya Singh