Snatam Kaur
Encyclopedia
Snatam Kaur Khalsa is an American singer and songwriter. She lives in Española, New Mexico
. Kaur performs Indian devotional music, kirtan
, and tours the world as a peace activist. The name "Kaur", meaning "princess", is shared by all female Sikhs.
when Snatam was two, living in Long Beach
and Sacramento
. When Snatam was six, the family went to India
where her mother studied kirtan
. Snatam lived on a ranch near Bolinas, California
until 8th grade and then moved to Mill Valley in 1986. During her childhood, she played kirtan with her mother in Sikh temples and at Sikh
religious ceremonies. She attended Tamalpais High School
in Mill Valley
. While at Tam High, she played violin in the school orchestra and began songwriting. Bob Weir
of the Grateful Dead
coached Kaur and her classmates before they performed her song Saving the Earth at an Earth Day
concert in San Francisco on April 22, 1990.
Snatam was also active in social and environmental causes while in high school, serving as president of the social action club known as, "Students for Justice," in her senior year. The club started a campus recycling program and organized environmental awareness programs. The club also led the effort to change the school mascot and sports team names from the Indians
to the Red Tailed Hawk
in 1989 and 1990 due to a speech given at the school by Sacheen Littlefeather
.
After graduating from Tam, Snatam attended Mills College
in Oakland, California
, receiving a bachelors degree in biochemistry. She then returned to India to study Kirtan under her mother's teacher, Bhai Hari Singh. In 1997, Kaur began a career as a food technologist with Peace Cereals in Eugene, Oregon
.
On her official web site she states, “Music is essential in my personal practice. It’s the core spiritual practice of Sikhs."
Many of the words are in Gurumukhi, the sacred language of the Sikhs. “I play the harmonium, guitar and violin, but my main instrument is my voice. It’s the way I communicate with my Creator.”
or a Mahatma Gandhi
, that they—and we—will experience that level of unfolding of consciousness. “The purpose of our concerts is to create a beautiful experience, to offer people a chance to go deep within themselves and be uplifted from the inside out. The music allows them to experience the quietness within, a total sense of contentment and gratitude. “Sacred music can help people find peace inside themselves so they can express it outside themselves. It’s humbling but also empowering that our inner space absolutely does have an effect on the planet around us.”
Why is world peace such an important theme in Snatam’s mission? “Peace is something that requires people of all faiths to come together and understand each other. That became especially apparent after September 11th. It was a very sad time and also a scary time for everyone. People in the Sikh community wear turbans. In my home town, there was a lot of confusion, fear and anger directed toward anyone that looked like they might be of the same culture as those who brought about the 9/11 disaster. I became very active in reaching out to the interfaith community to create dialogue so that people could know who we were, that Sikhs stand for peace. Sikhs believe in peace through strength. Don’t be afraid of anyone and don’t make anyone afraid of you.” “I also do community service to connect with everyone in the communities we visit, not only the people who come to our concerts,” Snatam says.
Her Celebrate Peace world tour includes stops at schools, hospices, juvenile detention centers, and other facilities where her music can help to heal and inspire. “We reach out to children through our free Children’s Peace Hour, which serves many children in underprivileged communities.” Snatam is a Peace Ambassador working through a United Nations NGO (non-governmental organization) called the 3HO
Foundation (the three H’s stand for “happy, healthy, holy”). Snatam uses her public programs as an opportunity to educate audiences about the importance of mutual understanding and respect in these troubled times.
On tour, Snatam is joined by her longtime musical partner GuruGanesha Singh who exudes joy and warmth with his guitar and vocals. She also travels with her husband Sopurkh Singh who serves as her manager, and their new baby daughter Jap Preet Kaur.
Snatam offers tools for maintaining a balanced and loving internal state with her “Creating Inner Peace through Kundalini Yoga and Meditation” workshops. These classes provide instruction in the technology of Kundalini as taught by Yogi Bhajan. Chanting is an essential part of the Kundalini Yoga practice. “There’s an actual yogic and scientific effect that happens when you sit with a straight spine and chant,” Snatam says. “The energy rises through the spinal cord to the top of the head and there the tenth gate opens, which is the connection with the Infinite. “ By chanting at home, and practicing Kundalini Yoga, anyone can stay tapped into the bliss they experience at Snatam’s concerts all year long.
is a world religion that began in India in the mid-fifteenth century with the master Guru Nanak (1469-1539 C.E.). The essence of being a Sikh is that one lives one’s life according to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, devoting time to meditating on God and the scriptures, chanting, and living life in a way that benefits other people and the world.
Snatam’s own teacher, Yogi Bhajan (1929-2004), was influential in helping promote the Sikh tradition in the West.
Sikhism is based on the Shabad Guru. On Kaur's official website she explains, “Shabad is the sacred energy or recitation of sound, and Guru means the living teacher. For Sikhs, our living Guru exists within the sacred words of our tradition. As part of our daily practice we take a sacred divine reading from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, which is a collection of writings from enlightened teachers and sages in India. It includes the Sikh Gurus, but also incorporates saints from other traditions. These sacred poems were originally sung in specific notes, and have been passed down to us exactly as the words were originally recited by our Gurus. The energy of these songs are alive and gives us healing and guidance. The living presence of the Guru through sound is our foundation. We really feel the Shabad Guru has blessed our lives, and when we sing it, it affects our physical body and our environment. The reason we practice it every day is so we can create within us that resonance of peace, and then go out into the world with that resonance still supporting our words, and still in our thoughts, and still creating the light around us.”
with her husband Sopurkh Singh Khalsa, whom she married in January 2006, and their daughter Jap Preet Kaur.
Española, New Mexico
Española also known as Espanola , is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in the United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Española was founded in 1880 as a railroad village, incorporated as a city in 1925. The city is situated in...
. Kaur performs Indian devotional music, kirtan
Kirtan
Kirtan or Kirtana is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed...
, and tours the world as a peace activist. The name "Kaur", meaning "princess", is shared by all female Sikhs.
Early life and education
Her family moved to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
when Snatam was two, living in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. When Snatam was six, the family went to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where her mother studied kirtan
Kirtan
Kirtan or Kirtana is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed...
. Snatam lived on a ranch near Bolinas, California
Bolinas, California
Bolinas formerly Juggville is a coastal unincorporated community in Marin County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bolinas is located west-southwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 36 feet...
until 8th grade and then moved to Mill Valley in 1986. During her childhood, she played kirtan with her mother in Sikh temples and at Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
religious ceremonies. She attended Tamalpais High School
Tamalpais High School
Tamalpais High School is a public secondary school located in Mill Valley, California. It is named after nearby Mount Tamalpais, which rises more than above Mill Valley....
in Mill Valley
Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay...
. While at Tam High, she played violin in the school orchestra and began songwriting. Bob Weir
Bob Weir
Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
of the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
coached Kaur and her classmates before they performed her song Saving the Earth at an Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
concert in San Francisco on April 22, 1990.
Snatam was also active in social and environmental causes while in high school, serving as president of the social action club known as, "Students for Justice," in her senior year. The club started a campus recycling program and organized environmental awareness programs. The club also led the effort to change the school mascot and sports team names from the Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
to the Red Tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
in 1989 and 1990 due to a speech given at the school by Sacheen Littlefeather
Sacheen Littlefeather
Sacheen Littlefeather is a Native American activist who donned Apache dress and presented a speech on behalf of actor Marlon Brando, for his performance in The Godfather, when he boycotted the 45th Academy Awards ceremony on March 27, 1973, in protest of the treatment of Native Americans by the...
.
After graduating from Tam, Snatam attended Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, receiving a bachelors degree in biochemistry. She then returned to India to study Kirtan under her mother's teacher, Bhai Hari Singh. In 1997, Kaur began a career as a food technologist with Peace Cereals in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
.
Snatam's music
In 2000, Kaur signed with Spirit Voyage Records—the founder of which, Guru Ganesha Singh, became her manager and guitarist. Her professional collaboration also includes New Age music producer Thomas Barquee. Titles of Kaur's CD's include: Prem, Shanti, Grace, Anand, and Liberation's Door.On her official web site she states, “Music is essential in my personal practice. It’s the core spiritual practice of Sikhs."
Many of the words are in Gurumukhi, the sacred language of the Sikhs. “I play the harmonium, guitar and violin, but my main instrument is my voice. It’s the way I communicate with my Creator.”
Discography
| Release Date | Album Title | Record Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Prem (Love)
|
Spirit Voyage Records |
The Celebrate Peace Tour
Snatam spends much of the year on the road, singing and teaching yoga wherever she’s invited. Sometimes the audiences are very large, other times they’re small. “My prayer is that of the 100 or 1000 people who come, every one of them will become a Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
or a Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, that they—and we—will experience that level of unfolding of consciousness. “The purpose of our concerts is to create a beautiful experience, to offer people a chance to go deep within themselves and be uplifted from the inside out. The music allows them to experience the quietness within, a total sense of contentment and gratitude. “Sacred music can help people find peace inside themselves so they can express it outside themselves. It’s humbling but also empowering that our inner space absolutely does have an effect on the planet around us.”
Why is world peace such an important theme in Snatam’s mission? “Peace is something that requires people of all faiths to come together and understand each other. That became especially apparent after September 11th. It was a very sad time and also a scary time for everyone. People in the Sikh community wear turbans. In my home town, there was a lot of confusion, fear and anger directed toward anyone that looked like they might be of the same culture as those who brought about the 9/11 disaster. I became very active in reaching out to the interfaith community to create dialogue so that people could know who we were, that Sikhs stand for peace. Sikhs believe in peace through strength. Don’t be afraid of anyone and don’t make anyone afraid of you.” “I also do community service to connect with everyone in the communities we visit, not only the people who come to our concerts,” Snatam says.
Her Celebrate Peace world tour includes stops at schools, hospices, juvenile detention centers, and other facilities where her music can help to heal and inspire. “We reach out to children through our free Children’s Peace Hour, which serves many children in underprivileged communities.” Snatam is a Peace Ambassador working through a United Nations NGO (non-governmental organization) called the 3HO
3HO
3HO is a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the teachings of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, founder of the group....
Foundation (the three H’s stand for “happy, healthy, holy”). Snatam uses her public programs as an opportunity to educate audiences about the importance of mutual understanding and respect in these troubled times.
On tour, Snatam is joined by her longtime musical partner GuruGanesha Singh who exudes joy and warmth with his guitar and vocals. She also travels with her husband Sopurkh Singh who serves as her manager, and their new baby daughter Jap Preet Kaur.
Kundalini yoga
“A man came up to us after a concert and asked when we were coming back,” Snatam remembers. “I said I’m coming back in a year, and that made him really sad. He didn’t think he could wait that long to feel so good again! “Yoga is the tool you can use on a daily basis so you don’t have to be dependent on our concert our anyone else’s.”Snatam offers tools for maintaining a balanced and loving internal state with her “Creating Inner Peace through Kundalini Yoga and Meditation” workshops. These classes provide instruction in the technology of Kundalini as taught by Yogi Bhajan. Chanting is an essential part of the Kundalini Yoga practice. “There’s an actual yogic and scientific effect that happens when you sit with a straight spine and chant,” Snatam says. “The energy rises through the spinal cord to the top of the head and there the tenth gate opens, which is the connection with the Infinite. “ By chanting at home, and practicing Kundalini Yoga, anyone can stay tapped into the bliss they experience at Snatam’s concerts all year long.
Sikh influence
SikhismSikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
is a world religion that began in India in the mid-fifteenth century with the master Guru Nanak (1469-1539 C.E.). The essence of being a Sikh is that one lives one’s life according to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, devoting time to meditating on God and the scriptures, chanting, and living life in a way that benefits other people and the world.
Snatam’s own teacher, Yogi Bhajan (1929-2004), was influential in helping promote the Sikh tradition in the West.
Sikhism is based on the Shabad Guru. On Kaur's official website she explains, “Shabad is the sacred energy or recitation of sound, and Guru means the living teacher. For Sikhs, our living Guru exists within the sacred words of our tradition. As part of our daily practice we take a sacred divine reading from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, which is a collection of writings from enlightened teachers and sages in India. It includes the Sikh Gurus, but also incorporates saints from other traditions. These sacred poems were originally sung in specific notes, and have been passed down to us exactly as the words were originally recited by our Gurus. The energy of these songs are alive and gives us healing and guidance. The living presence of the Guru through sound is our foundation. We really feel the Shabad Guru has blessed our lives, and when we sing it, it affects our physical body and our environment. The reason we practice it every day is so we can create within us that resonance of peace, and then go out into the world with that resonance still supporting our words, and still in our thoughts, and still creating the light around us.”
Personal life
Snatam lives in Espanola, New MexicoEspañola, New Mexico
Española also known as Espanola , is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in the United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Española was founded in 1880 as a railroad village, incorporated as a city in 1925. The city is situated in...
with her husband Sopurkh Singh Khalsa, whom she married in January 2006, and their daughter Jap Preet Kaur.