A Ragi (; ''rāgī'') is a

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

musician who plays hymns ( shabads) in different

raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...

s as prescribed in the

Sri Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the rel ...

Guru Arjan Dev Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith and the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of th ...

, the 5th Guru of the Sikhs, started the ragi tradition of amateur musicians, as he didn't want the Sikhs to depend on professionals for their connection to the divine with sacred music. Ragis now are often professional and have much knowledge of the scriptures. Thus, they are highly respected. However, they are not a privileged elite as some today see them -- rather, the ragi tradition was meant to bring musical experience of the Sikh scriptures to a layperson, without a middleman (or woman). Today, the ragi tradition is slightly different than in the Guru's time. Music is often not sung in the correct raag and often does not use the Guru's instruments but rather relies heavily on the

harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

, brought by the British colonizers. The lines of the shabads before the rahaos are not emphasized as they are prescribed either. Today also there are no female ragis allowed in Sri Harimandir Sahib, the most important temple for Sikhs, which goes against the Sikh principle of gender equality. Now, some efforts are being made to revive

Gurmat Sangeet Sikh music, also known as Gurbani Sangeet (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਸੰਗੀਤ; meaning ''music of'' ''the speech of wisdom'')'','' and as Gurmat Sangeet (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸੰਗੀਤ; meaning ''music of the counsel o ...

, kirtan the way the Gurus prescribed it.

References

Further reading