As the Sun crests the horizon, Sandeep Singh plucks at his taus or mayuri veena with such finesse that it feels as if the morning breeze has come to life.
The melodic tapestry of Indian classical music has the capacity to whisk you away to another realm and the taus is the perfect instrument for it.
A bowed stringed instrument, it has a long and prestigious history dating back to the 17th century in Punjab. Sikh guru Hargobind Sahib famously used it to perform hymns at the Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple. Indian vocalist Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan from the Patiala Gharana was also spotted playing taus in the 1900s.
Of Persian origin and shaped like a peacock's body with a long neck, it is known in Sanskrit as the mayuri veena, which translates as "peacock lute".
In contrast to Carnatic music from South India, the musical genre to which it belongs is a tapestry of North Indian and Perso-Arabic influences, carefully woven together by musical institutions or gharanas. For centuries, its trance-like meditative raga has been delighting those who take the time to stop and listen.
Sandeep Singh's musical journey began with the dilruba, a modern variant of the taus, but he made a name for himself in 2012 when he took up the taus.
"My father had always dreamt of me playing the taus, so when he handed me the instrument for the first time at 11 years old, I knew I was destined for eminence," he tells The National.
He learnt to play from his father Tarlochan Singh and then trained under Ustad Shaminderpal Singh in Jalandhar for a year in 1997.
"After this, I began my studies with another great music maestro, Pandit Manu Seen from Jalandhar, whom I remained with until 2018. Now, I have the opportunity to learn from the legendary Ustad Dilshad Khan, a renowned Sarangi player from Mumbai."
The taus has four main and sixteen sympathetic strings, allowing one to bring a number of musical styles to life with their skill. As the lifetime of a taus usually depends on the quality of wood, it requires no costly upkeep — only a change of strings every six months or when they break. As an artistic touch, some manufacturers even adorn the instrument with peacock feathers.
Used by Sikh travellers, it posed a problem when travelling great distances on horseback, thus leading to the invention of the smaller-sized dilruba, although what makes taus stand out are its adjustable frets.
Sandeep Singh, who has been playing it for four decades, and is proficient in both the taus and dilruba.
"Taus is the perfect addition to any musical ensemble," he says. "Despite it similarities with the dilruba, they have their own unique charm and sound. The taus produces a fuller sound than its smaller counterpart.
"The lightweight dilruba is a product of the creative mind of the 10th Sikh guru, Gobind Singh Ji, who saw the need to downscale the taus into something more portable."
He says he's doing his utmost to ensure the preservation of the instrument, as only a handful of musicians today can play the taus.
In 2006, when the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee — the body that deals with matters related with issues of Sikh religion and oversees the managements of the gurdwaras — declared that all hymn singers of the Golden Temple should perform kirtan or religious music with traditional instruments, Sandeep Singh was invited to play alongside other hymn singers.
He has performed at events around the world, such as France, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore, and has played on Bollywood soundtracks as well as Punjabi films. A board member of the Sangeet Natak Academy, the Indian academy for performing arts, he also conducts online courses for students around the world.
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
