Jasdeep Singh Degun was born and raised in Leeds in northern England, and still lives there. He is the second son of nonmusical parents, born in the North Indian state of Punjab. Degun was a small child when he began singing devotional kirtan at the Sikh Temple in north Leeds, and vocal training with an Indian classical teacher while at primary school.
Aged 15 he commenced his study of the sitar under Ustad Dharambir Singh MBE, a master of the North Indian gayaki ang singing style that simulates the human voice through a gliding, pulling string technique called meend.
“I worked as hard at becoming a musician as if I were studying to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer, which are the professions Indian parents often expect of their kids,” Degun said.
“The teacher/student tradition in Indian classical music has parallels with Sikhism. Sikh means ‘seeker’ or ‘learner’. In all the projects I do, even if I’m simply having coffee with Anoushka, Nitin or any of the British Asian musicians that influenced me growing up, I’m always soaking up information. Your Ustad (master musician) will always remind you that you are never bigger than the music you are serving.”
Musician and educator Ustad Dharambir Singh influenced Degun’s music and life. “Every single Indian classical musician in Britain has links with my teacher,” said Degun, who obtained a degree from SOAS, University of London before undertaking a six-month period at Sangeet Research Academy, a top music school in Kolkata, North India.
“It is thanks to Ustad Dharambir Singh that British Asian musicians know both the music of North and South India, which is rarely the case with musicians on the subcontinent itself. Being here in the UK makes us arguably more versatile and plugged into music as a whole.”
Degun participated in a Talent Development program called Take Five for emerging jazz and improvising musicians and composers that provides mentorship, connections, collaborations, and performance opportunities. The program is produced by performing arts presenter Serious, funded by the PRS Foundation, Help Musicians, Arts Council England, and Serious Trust.
In 2022, Degun released his debut album titled “Anomaly”. “The scene is small; we all know each other. For Anomaly, I picked the best of the best”, said Degun. “Anomaly is my way of shining a light on Indian classical music, on the music that comes naturally to me as a product of my surroundings as well as my training.”
(headline image: Jasdeep Singh Degun – Photo by Adam Lyons)
Discography:
Anomaly (Real World Records, 2022)
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.