Taus, an Ancient Instrument

August 5, 2013 — 4 Comments

My friend Nirvair Kaur Khalsa has had a long career as director of the Montessori schools she founded in Tucson. I met her yesterday at Khalsa Montessori ,where the Sikh community meets for gurdwara.  Nirvair plays and sings the ancient ragas for the congregation on an instrument that has been revived by her teacher, the taus.  This beautiful stringed instrument was played by the guru’s traveling teaching band during a time when peace flourished between Sufis, Sikhs, HIndus and Moslems.   She explains some history of her religion here:

Her interest in religion made her curious about the origins of the teachings she follows. She has studied with Bhai Baldeep Singh, who is bringing back the instrument his ancestors made and played.  These religious poems were sung by the Sikh gurus who used them for worship and teaching.  The musical tradition was passed from person to person, so today Nirvair is one of a few people practicing and preserving the lovely peacock shaped stringed taus.  She gave me a sample in her office:

I plan to return when she is singing during the ceremony. The instrument is a work of art in itself; it produces the sound of ancient India.  Her vocation to learn and play these poems of traditional significance in the original way is impressive.  I believe the gentle readers would like to see this peacock cello in full glory.