The result of the Gurmat Sangeet movement is significant.
This movement has had profound repercussions throughout the field of north Indian classical music, one which extends beyond the Sikh community. This movement strives to to reproduce the instrumentation, rags and musical styles of the period in which a piece was composed. This movement represents an artistic "return to the roots". However in the last few years there has been a rising "Gurmat Sangeet" movement. Sometimes these forms resembled more the film song, or the folk song, rather than the austere and meditative rags specified in the Guru Granth Sahib. However other performers, either due to ignorance or commercial considerations, performed the shabad in very light styles. Some merely performed the shabad in rags different from those specified in the Guru Granth Sahib. The latitude that was sometimes taken was very great. In recent times, there was a tendency to perform the shabad in lighter forms. It is obvious that such a combination is a rare. It is a very difficult task to be a good raagi because it requires a rare combination of musical training, raw talent, years of study of the scriptures, and a high level of spiritual development. There is a special class of performers whose duties are to sing the shabads these are known as raagis. The traditional shabads are also in the more classical tals, such as tintal and ektal. These are very typical of the more classical rags of north Indian music (Hindustani Sangeet). The Guru Granth Sahib, is very specific in the rags that the various shabads are to be sung in. The shabad has historically been performed in very traditional styles. This is because, by its very nature, it embraces the infinite qualities of God. It is said that it takes a tremendous amount of study, devotion, and meditation to truly understand the significance of the Gurbani. The philosophy of the shabad and its relationship to spiritual growth is extremely sophisticated. The shabad is also referred to as "Gurbani" which literally means "Message of the Teacher". This is generally from the Guru Granth Sahib which is the holy book of the Sikhs. As such it represents the verbal description of the nature of God. The word "shabad" literally means "word". However, these songs are popular among the Sikhs, while the bhajan is found among the Hindus. Homepage > Indian Classical Music > Genre > This Page SHABAD - SIKH DEVOTIONAL SONGS