Staff Reporter
Lahore:THAAP held an exclusive screening of the short documentary, Mardana’s Children: The Rababis of Lahore on saturday evening.The film explored the rich history of the rababi community—Pakistani Muslim musicians with deep-rooted ties to Sikh tradition—tracing their musical lineage back to Guru Nanak and his disciple Bhai Mardana.The screening event drew distinguished guests and music enthusiasts who witnessed how South Asian classical music intertwines with Sikh spirituality. The documentary highlighted the non-sectarian spirit that connects communities across cultural and religious lines, showcasing music’s enduring role as a unifying force despite historical and political challenges.The story of the rababis is one of resilience, maintaining its legacy through colonial rule, the 1947 Partition, and ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan. Despite these challenges, their music continues to embody a wisdom that transcends national and religious boundaries.A lively Q&A session followed with Kirti James Singh, the documentary’s creator. Singh, who was born to a Scottish father and Portuguese mother and raised in the Sikh tradition, left a career in finance in Britain to pursue music. He studied under Pt. Uday Bhawalkar, a renowned dhrupad maestro, earned a PhD in Music from SOAS University of London, focusing on the history of music patronage within the Sikh context of colonial Punjab.Host of the evening Prof. Pervaiz Vandal, on behalf of the THAAP, expressed gratitude to the audience and Kirti James Singh, closing an evening that celebrated cultural heritage and promoted dialogue through the art of storytelling.
