Born into the fifth generation of musicians given to singing the messages of Sufi saints, the Wadali brothers dabbled in the most unexpected of professions before they became Sufi singers. While Puranchand Wadali, the elder brother, was a regular in an akhara (wrestling ring) for 25 years, Pyarelal (died in 2018) contributed to the meager family income by playing the role of Krishna in the village Raasleela (classical Indian dance).
Their father, Thakur Das Wadali, compelled Puranchand to learn music. Puranchand studied music from celebrated masters like Pandit Durga Das and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of the Patiala Gharana. Pyarelal was trained by his elder brother, who he considered his guru and mentor up till his death.
Their first musical performance outside their village was in Harballabh Temple in Jalandhar. In 1975, the duo went to Jalandhar to perform at the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan but was not allowed to sing because their appearance did not pass muster. Disappointed, they decided to make a musical offering at the Harballabh temple, where an executive of All India Radio, Jalandhar, spotted them and recorded their first song.
The Wadali Brothers sing in the gurbani, kafi, ghazal and bhajan genres of music. They live in their ancestral house in Guru Ki Wadali, and teach music to those who promise to preserve it. They do not charge their disciples, and lead a very simple life devoted to the divine one.
They believe in the Sufi tradition deeply. They consider themselves as a medium through which the preaching of great saints is passed on to others. They have never indulged commercially, and they have only a handful of recordings to their name (mostly from live concerts). They believe in singing freely as homage to the divine one. They do not feel very comfortable in using electronic gadgets in their music, and stress on Alap and Taans. They believe that spiritual heights can only be attained if you sing unreservedly, in a free atmosphere.
In 2003, they entered Bollywood, rendering music director and writer Gulzar’s soulful lyrics in their unique style in the film Pinjar. They also sang one song in Dhoop. On the cards is a documentary which the Discovery Channel is planning to make on them.
Pyarelal died on 9 March, 2018 after a cardiac arrest.
Discography
Aa Mil Yaar
Paigham-E-Ishq,
Ishq Musafir
Folk Music of Punjab
Yaad Piya Ki
Filmography
Pinjar (2003)
Dhoop (2003)
Chikku Bukku (2010, Tamil) Song: "Thooral Nindralum" Sung by: Hariharan, Wadali Brothers
Tanu Weds Manu (2011)
Mausam (2011)
Awards
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 1992.
Tulsi Award, 1998.
Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 2003.
Puranchand Wadali was awarded the Padma Shri award by the Government of India, 2005.
Life Time Achievement Award 2015 in PTC awards in jalandhar
Dilri Looti Sonea Yar Sajan
Wadali Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ek chatur nar kar ke singar,
Mere mann ke dvar yeh ghusat jat
Ham marat jat are he he he
Ek chatur nar kar ke singar,
Mere mann ke dvar yeh ghusat jat
Pa re sa, sa sa sa ni dh sa
Sa re ga dha pa
Yak chatur narkar ke singar
Umm dham ayyo
Are dham o dham
O dham dham dham ruk, um bru um bru
O a a i i u u e ai o au an a
Um nam nam nam nam nam nam,
Nam nam lama lama lama lama la
Um bal bal bal bal re,
Bal bal bal bal re,
Bal bal bal bal re om
Ek chatur nar badee hoshiyar
Ek chatur nar badee hoshiyar,
Apne hee jal me phasat jat
Ham hasat jat are ho ho ho ho ho,
Ek chatur narbadi hoshiyar
Too kyon, chhi re
Kare lakh lakh duneeya chaturai,
Chhutti kar dunga mai usakee
Abake jo avaj lagai,
Chhutti kar dunga aa aa aa...
Ta jum, taka jum, taka num,
Yaka jum tak tankidia...
Padh ke botan chir bee chakkar
Padh ke botan chir bee chakkar
Har bud khudi budi khud kar
Har bud khudi budi khud kar
Chhitake toh rere mon makhan
Chhitake toh rere mon makhan
Sab chale gaye, sab chale gaye
Chidamudh chiting chitubud
Chitubud gay, chitubud gay,
Chitubud hay hay hay
Ja re, ja re kare kaga,
Kaa kaa kaa kyon shor machaye
Uss nari kaa das naa ban jo,
Rah chalat ko rah bulaye
Kala re ja re ja re,
Are nale me jake too munh dhoke aa
Kala re ga re ga re
Yeh gadabad jee, ki: o ga re ga re
Yeh sur badala, o ga re ga re
Yeh hamako mataka bola, o ga re ga re
Yeh sur kidhar hai jee, yeh sur, yeh, ennaya idhu
Yek chatur nar... am chhodega nahee jee
Yek chatur nar... am pakadake rakhega je
Yeh ghusat jat ham marat jat are aa aa aa
Nach naa jane angan tedha
Too kya jane kya hai nari
Jis tan lage more naina,
Usape saree duneeya vari
Nach naa jane angan tedha
Tedha, tedha tedha tedha tedha...
Nach naa jane aangan tedha
Tedha, tedha tedha tedha tedha...
Us sang lage more naina abake jo avaj lagai
O tedhe oy o kede o ya
Are sidhe ho ja re, sidhe ho ja re, sidhe ho ja
Vah ri chandaniya vah re chakore,
Ram banai yeh kaisee jodee
Kare nachaya ta ta thaiyya,
Tal pe nache langadee ghodee
Are dekhee, are dekhee teree chaturai
Yeh phir gadabad, are dekhee teree chaturai
Phir bhatakaya, tujhe suron kee samajh nahee aai
Tune kori ghas hee khai are ghode
Yeh ghoda bola
O nigode, yeh galee diya
Are dekhee teree chaturai,
Mahyek chatur nar
Ghode dekhee teree chaturai,
Yek chatur nar
Ek chatur nar
Ek chatur nar
Ghode teree chaturai, yek chatur nar
Ayyo ghode teree, yek chatur nar
Are ghode teree, are ghode teree, yek chatur nar
Kya re yeh ghoda chatur, ghoda chatur bola
Yek pe rahana ya ghoda bolo ya chatur bolo, gao
Ek chatur nar kar ke singar,
Ek chatur nar badee hoshiyar,
Mere mann ke dvar yeh ghusat jat
Apne hee jal me phasat jat,
Ham marat jat, marat jat
Ek chatur nar badee hoshiyar
Ek chatur nar kar ke singar,
Mere mann ke dvar yeh ghusat jat
Yeh ghusat jat ham marat jat, marat jat
Hammarat jat, marat jat
Yeh atak gaya
Sa re ga ma pa he aa aa... he
Aeyo atka.
The lyrics of Dilri Looti Sonea Yar Sajan by Wadali Brothers are a mixture of Punjabi and Hindi, and are well-known for their playful and humorous nature. The song starts with the phrase "Ek chatur nar kar ke singar," which loosely translates to "There was a smart gentleman." The song involves this gentleman, who is very clever and witty and uses his intelligence to trick others. The lyrics of the song talk about how he outsmarts everyone around him, including his beloved.
The lyrics of the song are in the form of a conversation between two people, who are trying to outsmart each other. There is a lot of wordplay and clever use of language in the lyrics, which make the song fun to listen to. The song also has some funny sound effects, such as "are he he he," which add to its playful nature.
Overall, the song is a fun and lighthearted take on relationships and the cleverness that is needed to navigate them.
Line by Line Meaning
Ek chatur nar kar ke singar
One clever man tries to disguise himself as a musician.
Mere mann ke dvar yeh ghusat jat
He tries to enter the gate of my mind.
Ham marat jat are he he he
But he fails and I laugh at his attempts.
Pa re sa, sa sa sa ni dh sa
Sa re sa dha dha pa, pa dha sa re sa
Sa re ga dha pa
Yak chatur narkar ke singar
Umm dham ayyo
Are dham o dham
O dham dham dham ruk, um bru um bru
O a a i i u u e ai o au an a
Um nam nam nam nam nam nam,
Nam nam lama lama lama lama la
Um bal bal bal bal re,
Bal bal bal bal re,
Bal bal bal bal re om
Ek chatur nar badee hoshiyar
One clever man is very smart.
Apne hee jal me phasat jat
But he gets trapped in his own trickery.
Ham hasat jat are ho ho ho ho ho,
And I laugh at his misfortune.
Ek chatur narbadi hoshiyar
One clever man is very wise.
Too kyon, chhi re
Kare lakh lakh duneeya chaturai,
Chhutti kar dunga mai usakee
I will expose his tricks.
Abake jo avaj lagai,
Chhutti kar dunga aa aa aa...
Ta jum, taka jum, taka num,
Yaka jum tak tankidia...
Padh ke botan chir bee chakkar
Har bud khudi budi khud kar
Chhitake toh rere mon makhan
Sab chale gaye, sab chale gaye
Chidamudh chiting chitubud
Chitubud gay, chitubud gay,
Chitubud hay hay hay
Ja re, ja re kare kaga,
Kaa kaa kaa kyon shor machaye
Uss nari kaa das naa ban jo,
Rah chalat ko rah bulaye
Kala re ja re ja re,
Are nale me jake too munh dhoke aa
Kala re ga re ga re
Yeh gadabad jee, ki: o ga re ga re
Yeh sur badala, o ga re ga re
Yeh hamako mataka bola, o ga re ga re
Yeh sur kidhar hai jee, yeh sur, yeh, ennaya idhu
Yek chatur nar... am chhodega nahee jee
Yek chatur nar... am pakadake rakhega je
Yeh ghusat jat ham marat jat are aa aa aa
Nach naa jane angan tedha
Too kya jane kya hai nari
Jis tan lage more naina,
Usape saree duneeya vari
Tedha, tedha tedha tedha tedha...
Nach naa jane aangan tedha
Us sang lage more naina abake jo avaj lagai
O tedhe oy o kede o ya
Are sidhe ho ja re, sidhe ho ja re, sidhe ho ja
Vah ri chandaniya vah re chakore,
Ram banai yeh kaisee jodee
Kare nachaya ta ta thaiyya,
Tal pe nache langadee ghodee
Are dekhee, are dekhee teree chaturai
Yeh phir gadabad, are dekhee teree chaturai
Phir bhatakaya, tujhe suron kee samajh nahee aai
Tune kori ghas hee khai are ghode
Yeh ghoda bola
O nigode, yeh galee diya
Mahyek chatur nar
Ghode dekhee teree chaturai,
Yek chatur nar
Ek chatur nar
Ghode teree chaturai, yek chatur nar
Ayyo ghode teree, yek chatur nar
Are ghode teree, are ghode teree, yek chatur nar
Kya re yeh ghoda chatur, ghoda chatur bola
Yek pe rahana ya ghoda bolo ya chatur bolo, gao
Apne hee jal me phasat jat,
Ham marat jat, marat jat
Yeh ghusat jat ham marat jat, marat jat
Hammarat jat, marat jat
Yeh atak gaya
Sa re ga ma pa he aa aa... he
Aeyo atka.
Writer(s): Ustad Bismillah Wadali
Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.