Often described as the pioneer of modern Punjabi music, Gurdas Maan recently performed in Mumbai. When asked how it feels to bring the fragrance of Punjab's fields to the concrete jungle of Mumbai, he replied, 'Mitti (the earth) and Maya (glamour) have a very strong connection, its kind of cyclical.'
The musician has been performing Challa for decades. When asked how he finds a fresh emotion in those same lyrics every single time he hits the stage, he said, 'The fresh emotion comes from the audience I am performing to, because Challa is interpreted differently by everyone.'
Punjabi music is dominating global charts today with Hip-Hop and Trap. When asked about the 'branches' moving away from traditional instruments like the Tumbi and Sarangi, he said, 'Hip Hop and Trap are delivery methods to deliver poetry and storytelling -The essence of Punjab is rooted in its stories and not how those stories are delivered to people.'
Speaking about the age of social media noise and 'cancel culture,' he said, 'We must not take everything we see on social media to heart - people have always had thoughts and opinions, but today they have a platform to put them out.'
