Amar Singh Chamkila
Encyclopedia
Amar Singh Chamkila (July 21, 1960 – March 8, 1988) was a controversial Punjabi
singer, songwriter
, and musician
. His detractors lamented the vulgarity in his songs while his fans relished their sensual appeal. He was also among the major Punjabi live stage performers or Akhara singers. In his heyday, he was known to do three stage performances in a single day.
near Ludhiana, Punjab
, India
. He was born into a poor family and was from the Chamar
caste. The youngest child of Kartar Kaur and Hari Singh, he was educated at Gujar Khan Primary School in Dugri. His aspirations of becoming an electrician
were unfulfilled and he found work at a Ludhiana cloth mill.
With a natural aptitude for music, he learned to play the harmonium
and dholki. Punjabi musician Surinder Shinda
has said that in 1978, Chamkila approached him for the first time on a bicycle. When Shinda heard the 18-year-old Chamkila sing, he had finally found the protege that he had been looking for. Chamkila would go onto play alongside Punjabi artists such as K. Deep, Mohammad Saddiq and Surinder Shinda
. He wrote several songs for Shinda and accompanied him as a member of his entourage before deciding to pursue a solo career. It is rumored that Chamkila was happy enough writing songs, but he wasn't earning enough money to look after his family, so had to start singing.
Family life=
He was married to Gurmail Kaur and had two daughters, Amandeep Kaur and Kamaldeep Kaur. Kamal has gone on to follow her father's footsteps by becoming a singer. She has released albums of her own, some of which contain unsung but written lyrics by her father. He later married his co-singer Amarjot while still being married ot his first wife.
In 1980, Chamkila left Sonia and established a short-lived stage relationship with Miss Usha. He left Miss Usha in the same year in favor of teaming up with a female folk singer named Amarjot. Not much is known about Amarjyot Kaur, except for the fact that she was previously married but left the marriage to pursue her dream of singing. Amarjot herself was a renowned singer and sang with Kuldip Manak
. She would become Chamkila's permanent singing partner providing the female vocals for his duets, that is, the majority of the songs that he wrote.
Chamkila, for the most part, wrote his own lyrics, the majority of which were boyish and suggestive, yet fluent, commentaries on extramarital affairs, alcohol, sex and drug use. It could be argued that his lyrics have a double entendre
meaning. The couple's appeal grew not only in rural Punjab and people of a rural bsckground settled in urban areas and abroad, while they had a lot of detractors in the urban and gentrified classes. Around this time, Chamkila was considered by some to be more popular than singing legends such as Kuldip Manak
, Gurdas Maan
and Surinder Shinda
.
Much of Chamkila's success may be attributed to the fan-base he acquired performing in free, open-air concerts (known as Akhade in Punjabi) around Punjab. Accompanying the couple would be a harmonium (a French organ) and dholki player and Chamkila would play the Tumbi
. The concerts served as a medium for gaining exposure and testing people's response to new songs that were planned for future recordings. In addition to singing his own songs, Chamkila wrote several songs and sold them to other artists. Some of these include Main Digie Tilak Ke (Surinder Shinda), Gabroo Nu Marda (Jagmohan Kaur) and Deor Naal Nach Bhabiye (KS Kooner). Chamkila continued to work with Charanjit Ahuja but also experimented by working with SN Gulati & KS Narula.
Starting in 1985, Chamkila and Amarjot released three devotional LPs: Baba Tera Nankana, Talwar Main Kalgidhar Di Haan and Naam Jap Le. While the LPs were highly successful, none of the songs featured on them were written by Chamkila himself. The profits made from these LPs were reportedly donated to charities.
Chamkila's song Pehle Lalkare Naal was featured in the soundtrack of the 1987 Punjabi film Patola. He also recorded the song Mera Jee Karda for the Punjabi film 'Dupatta'. Both films fared well at the box office and had a positive impact on Chamkila's popularity. He also reportedly recorded a music video for one of his songs for the state-owned Doordarshan channel, but after his death his video was taken off the air.
Chamkila recorded in excess of ninety songs before he got killed in Mehsopur, Punjab in 1988. At the time of his death, he reportedly had 200 songs that had not been sung or recorded. Of these some were sung at stage shows including Dhee Mar Jai Badkar Loko, Jatt Di Dushmani and Akhiyan Di Maar Buri. Chamkila also wrote and sang another serious song on the folk hero Jeona Morh called Kaadha Soorma, which was remixed by Panjabi MC in 2007.
He also had many solo songs which have been sung in recent times by artists such as Nirmal Sidhu, Amar Arshi, and even his teacher Surinder Shinda
. Some singers have used some of Chamkila's lyrics in their songs as part of their chorus. These include Nasha, Mere Yaar Ne (Gippy Grewal) and Shad De Vairne Yaari (Jazzy B
).
music label have been recompiled for release on CD by Saregama.
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. His detractors lamented the vulgarity in his songs while his fans relished their sensual appeal. He was also among the major Punjabi live stage performers or Akhara singers. In his heyday, he was known to do three stage performances in a single day.
Early years
Amar Singh Chamkila was born as Dunni Ram on July 21, 1960 in the village of DugriDugri
Dugri is a village in the Indian state of Punjab.Dugri is blessed with a Holy Gurudwara Damdama Sahib of ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ and ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਾਹਿਬ of sikhs and also has Sheetla Mata Mandir. Dugri is also the birth place of famous Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila...
near Ludhiana, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was born into a poor family and was from the Chamar
Chamar
Chamar |tanner]]"; from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent occupational caste in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Chamar is a Dalit sub-caste mainly found in the northern states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and in Nepal at least north to the Himalayas...
caste. The youngest child of Kartar Kaur and Hari Singh, he was educated at Gujar Khan Primary School in Dugri. His aspirations of becoming an electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
were unfulfilled and he found work at a Ludhiana cloth mill.
With a natural aptitude for music, he learned to play the harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
and dholki. Punjabi musician Surinder Shinda
Surinder Shinda
Surinder Shinda is an Indian singer of bhangra music with traditional Punjabi roots, who is considered a "grandfather of modern Punjabi music", and has been described as "legendary". He has had numerous hit songs including Putt Jattan De, Truck Billiya, Balbiro Bhabhi, Kaher Singh Di Mout and...
has said that in 1978, Chamkila approached him for the first time on a bicycle. When Shinda heard the 18-year-old Chamkila sing, he had finally found the protege that he had been looking for. Chamkila would go onto play alongside Punjabi artists such as K. Deep, Mohammad Saddiq and Surinder Shinda
Surinder Shinda
Surinder Shinda is an Indian singer of bhangra music with traditional Punjabi roots, who is considered a "grandfather of modern Punjabi music", and has been described as "legendary". He has had numerous hit songs including Putt Jattan De, Truck Billiya, Balbiro Bhabhi, Kaher Singh Di Mout and...
. He wrote several songs for Shinda and accompanied him as a member of his entourage before deciding to pursue a solo career. It is rumored that Chamkila was happy enough writing songs, but he wasn't earning enough money to look after his family, so had to start singing.
Family life=
He was married to Gurmail Kaur and had two daughters, Amandeep Kaur and Kamaldeep Kaur. Kamal has gone on to follow her father's footsteps by becoming a singer. She has released albums of her own, some of which contain unsung but written lyrics by her father. He later married his co-singer Amarjot while still being married ot his first wife.
Rise to Fame
Adopting the stage name Amar Singh Chamkila – Chamkila in Punjabi means one that glitters – he partnered up with the female vocalist Surinder Sonia and recorded eight duets. The record was released in 1979 and was produced by Charanjit Ahuja. The cunningly worded lyrics, which he had written himself, became hits across Punjab and paved the way for the unique lyrical mastery his fans would come to expect.In 1980, Chamkila left Sonia and established a short-lived stage relationship with Miss Usha. He left Miss Usha in the same year in favor of teaming up with a female folk singer named Amarjot. Not much is known about Amarjyot Kaur, except for the fact that she was previously married but left the marriage to pursue her dream of singing. Amarjot herself was a renowned singer and sang with Kuldip Manak
Kuldip Manak
Kuldeep Manak was the adopted name of Latif Mohammed . He was a Punjabi singer who was known for singing a genre of traditional Punjabi songs called kaliyan....
. She would become Chamkila's permanent singing partner providing the female vocals for his duets, that is, the majority of the songs that he wrote.
Chamkila, for the most part, wrote his own lyrics, the majority of which were boyish and suggestive, yet fluent, commentaries on extramarital affairs, alcohol, sex and drug use. It could be argued that his lyrics have a double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
meaning. The couple's appeal grew not only in rural Punjab and people of a rural bsckground settled in urban areas and abroad, while they had a lot of detractors in the urban and gentrified classes. Around this time, Chamkila was considered by some to be more popular than singing legends such as Kuldip Manak
Kuldip Manak
Kuldeep Manak was the adopted name of Latif Mohammed . He was a Punjabi singer who was known for singing a genre of traditional Punjabi songs called kaliyan....
, Gurdas Maan
Gurdas Maan
Gurdas Maan is an Indian singer, songwriter, choreographer, and actor. He is considered one of the most notable figures in the world of Punjabi music. He was born on 4 January 1957 in Giddarbaha, Muktsar, Punjab, India...
and Surinder Shinda
Surinder Shinda
Surinder Shinda is an Indian singer of bhangra music with traditional Punjabi roots, who is considered a "grandfather of modern Punjabi music", and has been described as "legendary". He has had numerous hit songs including Putt Jattan De, Truck Billiya, Balbiro Bhabhi, Kaher Singh Di Mout and...
.
Much of Chamkila's success may be attributed to the fan-base he acquired performing in free, open-air concerts (known as Akhade in Punjabi) around Punjab. Accompanying the couple would be a harmonium (a French organ) and dholki player and Chamkila would play the Tumbi
Tumbi
The Tumbi or Toombi is a traditional North Indian instrument from Punjab. The tumbi was invented and popularized by the renowned folk-singer of Punjab "Lal Chand Yamla Jatt". In the 1960s, 70s and 80s most of the Punjabi singers used the Tumbi...
. The concerts served as a medium for gaining exposure and testing people's response to new songs that were planned for future recordings. In addition to singing his own songs, Chamkila wrote several songs and sold them to other artists. Some of these include Main Digie Tilak Ke (Surinder Shinda), Gabroo Nu Marda (Jagmohan Kaur) and Deor Naal Nach Bhabiye (KS Kooner). Chamkila continued to work with Charanjit Ahuja but also experimented by working with SN Gulati & KS Narula.
Starting in 1985, Chamkila and Amarjot released three devotional LPs: Baba Tera Nankana, Talwar Main Kalgidhar Di Haan and Naam Jap Le. While the LPs were highly successful, none of the songs featured on them were written by Chamkila himself. The profits made from these LPs were reportedly donated to charities.
Chamkila's song Pehle Lalkare Naal was featured in the soundtrack of the 1987 Punjabi film Patola. He also recorded the song Mera Jee Karda for the Punjabi film 'Dupatta'. Both films fared well at the box office and had a positive impact on Chamkila's popularity. He also reportedly recorded a music video for one of his songs for the state-owned Doordarshan channel, but after his death his video was taken off the air.
Chamkila recorded in excess of ninety songs before he got killed in Mehsopur, Punjab in 1988. At the time of his death, he reportedly had 200 songs that had not been sung or recorded. Of these some were sung at stage shows including Dhee Mar Jai Badkar Loko, Jatt Di Dushmani and Akhiyan Di Maar Buri. Chamkila also wrote and sang another serious song on the folk hero Jeona Morh called Kaadha Soorma, which was remixed by Panjabi MC in 2007.
He also had many solo songs which have been sung in recent times by artists such as Nirmal Sidhu, Amar Arshi, and even his teacher Surinder Shinda
Surinder Shinda
Surinder Shinda is an Indian singer of bhangra music with traditional Punjabi roots, who is considered a "grandfather of modern Punjabi music", and has been described as "legendary". He has had numerous hit songs including Putt Jattan De, Truck Billiya, Balbiro Bhabhi, Kaher Singh Di Mout and...
. Some singers have used some of Chamkila's lyrics in their songs as part of their chorus. These include Nasha, Mere Yaar Ne (Gippy Grewal) and Shad De Vairne Yaari (Jazzy B
Jazzy B
Jaswinder Singh Bains, more popularly known as Jazzy B, is a Punjabi language bhangra singer-songwriter. He was born on April 1, 1975 in Durgapur, Nawanshahr, Punjab, India. When he was 5 years old, his family moved to Vancouver, Canada. He has released 12 studio albums, including two religious ones...
).
Death
Having arrived to perform in the village of Mehsampur, Punjab, both Chamkila and Amarjot were gunned down by AK47'S alongside Harjeet Gill singer & writer village CHELLA and other group members as they exited their vehicle on March 8, 1988 at approximately 2 o'clock. A gang of unknown youths shot several rounds fatally wounding the couple and other members of the entourage. The driver got away and ran for his life and saw the police coming towards him in a jeep, Chamkila's driver told the police commissioner what had happened as they got near the community well in Mehsopur where Chamkila was supposed to perform the disguised youths fled and the people of the village who had come to attend the Akhara bravely chased them, but they got away, the gun fire could be heard in the neighboring village of Darapur. Chamkila was lying in the hay stack near the well with shots fire on his chest.Music
The appeal of Chamkila's music prominently lay in both the content of his lyrics and the delivery of those lyrics.Discography
Chamkila's recordings on the HMVHMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
music label have been recompiled for release on CD by Saregama.
- Hikk Utte So Ja VeHikk Utte So Ja VeHik Utte So Ja Ve is a Punjabi music album. The album features Umed Singh and Amarjot as the lead singers....
- Lak Mera Kach WargaLak Mera Kach WargaLak Mera Kach Varga is a Punjabi music album. The album features Amar Singh Chamkila and Amarjot as the lead singers....
- Mitra Main Khand Ban Gai
- Sharbut Vangoo Ghut Bhar Laan
- Bhul Gai Main Ghund Kadna
- Yaad Aave War War
- Baba Tera Nankana
- Naam Jap Le
- Talwar Main Kalgidhar Di Haan
- Jija Lak MinleJija Lak MinleJija Lak Minle is a Punjabi music album. The album features Amar Singh Chamkila and Amarjot as the lead singers....