A beautiful collection of Saloks from the Guru Nanak's Message of Peace through Music project, where Zeeshan Ali, Amrita Kaur, Aruna Sairam and Anantvir Singh came together to recite the message of oneness and unity from their respective faiths. This performance embodies the renowned words of Guru Gobind Singh Ji: 'Recognise all humankind as one.

Saloks Performed
00:00 Start
00:10 Avel Allah | Amrita Kaur
03:10 Allah Hu, Allah Hu | Zeeshan Ali
04:27 Sarab Prithpaal Raheem | Anantvir Singh
07:00 Na Punyam | Aruna Sairam
09:00 By Thy Grace Swayyas | Amrita Kaur
11:12 Gorakh Dhanda | Zeeshan Ali
12:38 Koee Bole Raam Raam | Anantvir Singh
14:32 Jap Naam | Aruna Sairam

History and Origin of Saloks

Saloks are devotional verses found in Sikh scripture, serving as a distinctive literary form within the Guru Granth Sahib. The term derives from the Sanskrit word 'shloka', meaning verse or couplet. Saloks were composed by various Sikh Gurus, most notably Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Arjan Dev Ji, as concise spiritual teachings that encapsulate profound philosophical concepts. These verses typically appear at the end of longer compositions called shabads, providing commentary, emphasis, or summary to the main hymn. Characterised by their brevity and rhythmic structure, saloks employ simple language to convey complex spiritual truths about the nature of God, human conduct, and the path to liberation. Many saloks also draw upon everyday metaphors and observations from nature to make their teachings accessible to common people. The tradition of composing saloks represents an important evolution in devotional literature, blending the Sanskrit poetic tradition with vernacular Punjabi expression to create a unique form of sacred poetry that remains central to Sikh worship and meditation today.

About the Project

Performance Date* 6 April 2025
Venue Barbican Centre, London
This project explored how Guru Nanak’s timeless message of equality, compassion and spiritual awakening continues to resonate. Music was central to his mission—he travelled with Bhai Mardana, a Muslim rababi, using song to share spiritual wisdom beyond caste and creed. Darbar honoured this tradition by bringing musicians of diverse faiths onto one stage, spreading unity and peace.

Credits: -

Musicians

Aruna Sairam (carnatic vocals)
Zeeshan Ali (sufi vocals)
Bhai Anantvir Singh (kirtania)
Amrita Kaur (kirtania)
Momin Khan (sarangi)
Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam)
Giridhar Udupa (ghatam)
Surdarshan Chana (tabla & jori)
Gurdain Rayatt (tabla)
Beibei Wang (da ga drum)

Darbar Team:

Sandeep Virdee OBE (Artistic Director)
Simrat Lall (Darbar Festival Manager)
María Guardiola (Festivals and Events Manager)
Depesh Patel (Events Manager)
Jamie Craven (Head of Design)
Rahul Ravindran (Creative Video Editor)
Sana Ejaz (Marketing Executive)
Zahabiya Patharia (Marketing Executive)
Christoph Bracher (Head of Sound)

Filming Crew

Pritpal Sagoo (Digital Consultant)
Gurwinder Soor (Content Creator and Platform Manager)
Tom Grancia (Technical Production)
Carl Owen (Camera Operator)
Chris Connel (Camera Operator)
Anup Parmar (Camera Operator)
Nick Morchang (Camera Operator)

Technical Team

Phil Jones (Front of House Sound)
John Duckett (Sound Monitors)
Mark Gardner (Lighting Designer)