The origin of the Rubabi clan of musicians is linked to Bhai Mardana, the rubab-playing lifelong companion of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikh religion. The descendents of Bhai Mardana, now known as the Rubabis, have contributed much to the refinement of South Asian melodic culture, especially film music. A peep into history will lead to tracing the life and works of Bhai Mardana.
Talwandi Raipur, now called Nankana Sahib, was a small rural habitation in central plains of the Punjab (between the Ravi and the Chenab rivers) where the founder of Sikh faith Guru Nanak Dev was born on April 15, 1469. It was from this small village that his message of Tauheed and universal brotherhood of mankind was carried forward to every nook and cranny of the Punjab in particular, and the sub-continent in general.
Guru Nanak Dev was assisted in his proselytisation efforts by his lifelong companion, Mardana, ten-year senior to him from the same village, whose extraordinary musical gift served as a sheet anchor of the new spiritual movement, which was spearheaded by Baba Nanak. While Nanak composed his shabds, Mardana provided melodic raiment to the holy verses.
The two friends had the same meditative bent of mind and facilitated each other's work. Nanak's mystic thoughts and Mardana's lilting melodies made an ideal combination, creating congenial ethos and facilitated the communication of the new reformist movement.
The name of Mardana has been mentioned in a number of Janam Saakhis (biographies) of Guru Nank. Historian Harbans Singh in his biography of the great Guru has stated that Mardana, a "lowly" Muslim musician from a clan of percussionists, was one of the chums of Nanak, who assisted the great Guru in the melodic rendition of his songs in praise of God.
Another biographer of the Guru, Rattan Singh Bhangoo, states that Mardana travelled with the Guru on his numerous trips both within the sub-continent and abroad. He also claims that the Guru gave Mardana a wooden musical instrument, which he used as an accompanying device, when the Guru composed and sang his shabds.
Regrettably not much information, apart from a few myths and fables, is available about the life and musical talent of Mardana, who spent all his life composing melodies for Nanak's verses and playing the rubab (a wooden string instrument) in the venerated company of Guru Nanak.
Born in a poor family, but in a congenial environment in 1459, Mardana (now known as Bhai Mardana among the Sikhs) showed much passion for music at an early age. His creative spark was spawned by the sufferings in his childhood and the sense of deprivation resulting from the low social status of his parents.
Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana spent a long part of their lives together (some 55 years) in meditation and travelling, including 31 years, which were consumed in visiting different countries in the Middle East, Asia Minor and the Far East. It was during that period that the Guru and his lifelong companion Mardana performed Haj.
So enduring was their friendship and such strong bonds existed between them that Bhai Mardana's three ashlokas were allowed to be included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, by the founder of Sikh faith. The other Muslim Sufi, whose verses have also been included in the holy book, was Baba Farid.
Musician Mardana was also given the title of a Bhai by the Guru himself. Mardana was thus the first non-Sikh to receive such honour and status in the social and religious hierarchy of the Sikhs.
All the Ashlokas or Gurbanis in Guru Granth Sahib are believed to have been set to music by Bhai Mardana in 31 ragas, which were selected jointly by the Guru and Bhai Mardana keeping in view the tone, tenor and import of the message of each Ashloka or Gurbani. The popularity of the Gurbanis, in addition to their spiritual content, is the result of the musical raiment provided to them by Bhai Mardana.
Great composers of the calibre of Master Ghulam Haider and Rashid Attrey, and popular singers like Munir Husain and Saeen Akhter Husain belonged to the Rubabi clan of musicians. Among classical vocalists hailing from this clan were (and are) Bhai Roora, Bhai Boora, Bhai Mehar, Ustad Bhai Lal Muhammad and his son Ustad Ghulam Hasan Shaggan. Even now, the Rubabi musicians are contributing much to Pakistani melodic culture by working for stage, radio, television and films as vocalists, instrumentalists and composers.
Until the time of Partition, a majority of the Rubabis used to render Gurbanis in Sikh Gurdawaras with the same devotion and verve and in the same strain, which was displayed by Bhai Mardaana during his association with Guru Nanak. This could be substantiated by the fact that many Rubabis had committed the entire text of Guru Granth Sahib to their memory and could recite any portion from it as could an Hafiz in the case of holy Quran.
During the annual commemorative celebrations at Nankana Sahib, the name of Bhai Mardana is fondly and with much reverence mentioned along with the name of the great Guru and founder of the Sikh religion Nanak Devji.