A lot of Sikhs have started dissing raag style kirtan saying its weird etc. But if they actually understood Sikhi they would know that to do kirtan in raags is a hukam of Guru Ji. (If you can’t do raags due to not knowing the art, then other styles are better then no kirtan).
Example of Guru Ji’s command
Raag Aasaa, First Mehl, First House, So Dar ~ That Gate (Ang 347 Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji)
Guru Ji has told us to sing all the following shabads in the style of Raag Aasaa.
These types of commands are repeated in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji for many different Raags.
Poetry (the form in which Gurbani is written) and music (raags) are two sides of the same coin. They are independent and yet complement each other. Music versifies and provides melody, uniformity and cadence to poetry. The factor that binds music and poetry is their metrical-form (ghar or beat). Music (Raag) is based on sound (swar - notes) and a combination of notes produce distinct musical effects. Poetry is determined by Word (Shabad), which communicates a message to the mind. Music (Raag) on the other hand conveys a feeling to the heart and is therefore universal. Spirituality, after all, is striking the right balance between mind and heart. Therefore, when the poetic Gurbani is complemented with raag (music) and bound by ghar (beat), the resulting effect on mind and heart can become a catalyst for spiritual transformation. The raag conveys a feeling and Shabad a message. Every raag is capable of touching the heart with feelings like joy, sorrow, detachment, etc. Upon studying the structure of Guru Granth Sahib it can be seen that Shabads relating to common themes are generally placed under each raag. When the broad themes of Shabads are overlaid with feelings conveyed by these raags, there emerges a reason behind grouping of Shabads under a broad classification of thirty-one raags.
It’s clear that the Gurus used raags to increase the delivery power of shabad to our mind by invoking complementary feelings in our hearts through usage of the prescribed raags.
Raagmala literally means a beaded string of musical melodies. "Mala" means "a beaded string" and "Raga" is a "musical composition". It is the name given to the last composition in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji appearing after Mundavani (The Closing Seal) and a Salok by Guru Arjan Dev. Like Japji Sahib, which appears at the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib this composition has no heading to show the name of the author. This Shabad explains everything you need to know about raags!
