Sunder Singh

A revolutionary vocalist from Banogi (a village in Tirthan valley), who unfortunately lost his father at a tender age of two and his mother during the early years of his school life. He moved in with his grandfather and began to take a deeper dive into the musical culture of Himachal Pradesh as he learned various forms of “Nati” (a traditional dance form that has earned a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records) from his guru, Balakram Ji.

Inspired by the traditions of Himachal, he has played an instrumental role in the revival of folk music culture in the state and aims to showcase it across the globe. Sundar Singh began his journey in the field of music as a teenager and imbibed the skills from the elders of his village who would perform during various cultural fairs. With a group of talented instrumentalists, he has performed in cultural festivals like Kullu Dussehra and Una Utsav and has done shows in all districts of Himachal Pradesh as well as the former capital city; Chandigarh. He has displayed his prowess in many other cities including the national capital, Delhi, and seeks opportunities to exhibit the skills of his group across the whole country. Focusing on songs composed for the Nati dance, the group’s expertise lies in instruments like Dhol, Nagada, Karnal, Narsingha, and Shehnai.

Sundar Singh started a music club in Banogi called “Kashyap Narayan Yuvak Mandal” in order to support and collaborate with new and upcoming folk musicians in the region. His dream is to establish a music academy that specializes in traditional folk music and teaches the art to the youth so that the prolific musical displays of his culture never vanish into the western influence.

• Himachal Pradesh
• Kullu