Sikh Kirtan and Its Journeys

Instruments, Theories, Technologies

Gurminder Kaur Bhogal

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English

University of Chicago Press
19 November 2025

Sacred & religious music; Sikhism

Series: Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology

An unprecedented portrait of Sikh devotional music demonstrating how musical traditions shift to meet changing needs.

Kirtan—the sung expression of sacred verses—spans the Indian subcontinent, but it plays a unique role in the Sikh faith. In Sikh Kirtan and ItsJourneys, musicologist Gurminder Kaur Bhogal introduces the devotional tradition of kirtan, examining it alongside the writings of holy figures, the Sikh Gurus and Bhagats, and its practice among musicians. The long-established tradition of kirtan originated in a canon of instruments and songs, each of which produces a singular spiritual and worldly effect when kirtan is sung. However, the realities of colonization and migration have necessitated changes to these canonical practices. Bhogal offers a deep exploration of the traditions that gave rise to kirtan and a robust portrait of the many transformations kirtan has undergone, particularly in the wide-ranging Sikh diaspora, dedicating special attention to marginal kirtan players such as women and innovators developing digital techniques and styles. A practicing kirtaniye, Bhogal has spent her life studying and performing this music, steeped in the histories and controversies her book describes.

Through a rigorous explanation of the traditions and evolutions of kirtan, Bhogal ultimately shows that kirtan is fluid, multi-faceted, and ever-changing because it reflects the shifting spiritual needs and musical tastes of devotees and practitioners across the world. Moreover, wherever kirtan is offered and received, it heightens corporeal vibrations between practitioners and devotees to motivate a sense of social purpose, social responsibility, and selfless service.

By: Gurminder Kaur Bhogal
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 626g
ISBN: 9780226845937
ISBN 10: 0226845931
Series: Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology
Pages: 328
Publication Date: 19 November 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Gurminder Kaur Bhogal is Catherine Mills Davis Professor in Music at Wellesley College. She is the author of Details of Consequence: Ornament, Music, and Art in Paris and Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, both published by Oxford University Press.

Reviews for Sikh Kirtan and Its Journeys: Instruments, Theories, Technologies

""Sikh Kirtan and Its Journeys transcends prior prescriptivist writing and debates over authenticity to present a remarkably inclusive account of the global Sikh community’s multivocal musical practices. Deftly pivoting between musicological analysis, historiography, iconography, and ethnographic interviews, Bhogal provides fresh insight on such less thematized topics as women kirtan performers, heritage instruments, digital technologies, and epistemologies of sound."" -- Gibb Schreffler, author of 'Dhol: Drummers, Identities, and Modern Punjab' ""It is rare to encounter a work of such academic sophistication communicated with such clarity, accessibility, and resonance across multiple disciplines. Drawing on original verse, historical documents, traditional exegeses, oral narratives, and sound recordings, Gurminder Bhogal offers an invaluable archive of Sikh Kirtan. Her theoretical framing, paired with guided musical listening, forms an effective aesthetic approach to appreciating the complexity and beauty of the Guru Granth Sahib’s musical modes. A landmark contribution that offers enduring insight into the sound and spirit of Sikh Kirtan."" -- Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, author of 'Janamsakhi: Paintings of Guru Nanak in Early Sikh Art' “Bhogal fills a significant gap in a domain of devotional music that is central to the Sikh religion and worship, yet one that scholars have so far neglected. She brings her sophisticated intellect, which is undergirded by her command over a myriad academic fields, whilst combining it with her fine practitioner’s skills as a talented musician who can play multiple instruments. Bhogal sets the gold standard for scholars to follow and for a broad audience to learn from her singular book in the present.” -- Parminder Bhachu, author of 'Movers and Makers: Uncertainty, Resilience and Migrant Creativity in Worlds of Flux'