A highly regarded santoor master will perform in Vancouver this weekend. Ustad Kiranpal Singh will be accompanied by Hriday Buddhdev on the tabla at 6 p.m. on Sunday (October 13) at Bridge and Enrich Lives Society (718 East 20th Avenue).
Neeraja Aptikar Kalasaadhaa is presenting the concert in partnership with the Bandish Network. Tickets are $20 through e-transfer at aptikarneeraja@gmail.com or $25 at the door.
Kiranpal Singh was born in Dar es Salaam before moving to the U.K., where he has lived for a half-century. According to his biography, he studied tabla under Ripudaman Singh of the Punjab gharana.
A former leader of the Namdhari Sikhs, Sri Satguru Jagit Singh Ji Maharaj, was incredibly impressed by Kiranpal’s musicianship. As a result, the now-deceased Namdhari Sikh spiritual leader arranged for Kiranpal to study under the legendary Pandit Shivkumar Sharma in Mumbai.
Kiranpal Singh plays the santoor in this video.
Santoor master performed at Buckingham Palace
Over a 12-year period, Sharma mentored Kiranpal in vocal music and in playing the santoor and tabla. The trapezoid-shaped santoor is often made of walnut and has 25 bridges. Each bridge has four strings, adding up to 100 strings for this gentle instrument.
Sometimes, people will say that the santoor creates the sound of raindrops. Sufi mystics often relied on the santoor to accompany their hymns.
According to South Asian Arts-uk, Kiranpal is one of the U.K.’s leading santoor performers. He has played concerts all over the globe, including for Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace.
The tabla player at Sunday’s concert, Hriday Buddhdev, also has impressive credentials. He was included on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s 2023 list of the 30 under 30 hottest classical musicians. Buddhdev is a disciple of Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri (tabla) and Alam Khan (sarod) at the Ali Akbar College of Music.
Event Details
Neeraja Aptikar Kalasaadhana will present an evening of Indian classical music in association with the Bandish Network at 6 p.m. on Sunday (October 13) at Bridge and Enrich Lives Society (718 East 20th Avenue). Tickets are $20 through e-transfer at aptikarneeraja@gmail.com or $25 at the door.
Follow Kiranpal Singh on Instagram @kiranpal.singh and Hriday Buddhev @hriday.buddhdev. Follow Pancouver on X (formerly Twitter) @PancouverMedia and on Instagram @PancouverMedia.
