Sonny Singh – Chardi Kala (2022)
“Chardi Kala,” is the first solo album from Sonny Singh, lead vocalist and trumpeter for bhangra band Red Baraat. Sonny masterfully combines Punjabi & Sikh traditional roots melodies and rhythms with rock, funk, reggae. Mexican music and other musical influences.
“Musically, this project embodies the many spiritual, political, and aesthetic elements that have shaped me,” Sonny explains. “Every song has an original vibe to it, eclectic and unique, from a bolero-mariachi Sikh shabad on one track, to a qawwali song with a reggae bass line on another, then a bombastic Ghadar Party tribute in Punjabi and Spanish on yet another.”
“Music is a huge part of my spiritual practice. It is exciting to be able to share these shabads [devotional songs] with the world. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with someone as talented as Wil-Dog to bring this vision to life,” Sonny says.
“This is a project I’ve been excited about for awhile,” says producer Wil-Dog. “Sonny’s music is epic, and it transcends genres. It’s not just for Sikh or South Asian listeners—there is something inspiring in it for everyone.”
Most of the lyrics on this album come from Gurbani (Sikh devotional poetry) and Sufi poetry set to Sonny’s original music.
Lineup: Sonny Singh on vocals, trumpet, dhol, harmonium; Wil-Dog Abers on bass, guitar; Jonathan Goldberger on guitar; Nadav Peled on guitar; Michael Dwan Singh on sarangi; Dominic Johnson on violin; Jake Leckie on acoustic bass; Carey Frank on keyboard; Anantvir Singh on harmonium; Ernest Stuart on trombone; Miwi La Lupa on bass trumpet; Daro Behroozi on bass clarinet, tenor saxophone; Warren Huang on tenor saxophone; Estevan Sanchez on sousaphone; Mario Calire on drum set; Dave Sharma on drumset, dholki & percussion, mandolin; Neelamjit Dhillon on tabla & kanjira, alto saxophone; Justin Poreé on drums & percussion; Ganavya on vocals; Roopa Mahadevan on vocals; Ria Modak on backing vocals; Basim Usmani on backing vocals; Ashni Davé on backing vocals; Ali Mir on poetry vocals; and Sham-e-Ali Nayeem on poetry vocals.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.