Sonny Singh Homages Sikh Langars With Cumbia-tinged Single 'Jaano Jot'

While there is no shortage of diaspora artists drawing upon their South Asian roots within contemporary contexts, what consistently makes Brooklyn's Sonny Singh notable is that he never makes the fusion of styles itself the focus (a fault most fusion attempts tend to do) but rather keeps it to the emotional core of the composition.

In his latest single 'Jaano Jot', that core is the revolutionary spirit behind the practice of Langars in Sikhism, where communities would be fed while subverting any hierarchies of caste or beyond to promote equality, charity and mass-level well-being. A version of the hymn written by Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, the track's lyrics encourage recognising the illuminating light within us.

The track subtly borrows from the Colombian style of cumbia to give an inviting and physically moving liveliness to the Punjabi source material and its contemporary indie style while its music video by Shruti Parekh puts in the limelight the langars in Brooklyn.

Sonny Singh explains: "Given the anti-caste, anti-hierarchy meaning of Guru Nanak's radical wisdom I sing in 'Jaano Jot', focusing the video on langar felt like a perfect way to embody this message. The Langar Hall puts our ideals of equality and dignity into practice - a window to the kind of world we want to build. The video might make you hungry as well, and I suggest you visit your local gurdwara to remedy that - everyone is welcome at the langar."

'Jaano Jot' arrives as the second single from Sonny Singh's sophomore album 'Sage Warrior', which is due to be released alongside a namesake book by writer and activist Valarie Kaur on September 6.

Watch the music video below and follow Sonny Singh for more information.