My Amazzingg Gearrr: Chintoo Singh
Chintoo Singh with his lineage of musical excellence has emerged into a musical powerhouse with an enviable track record. The eldest son of singer-composer Mohinderjeet Singh and renowned painter Ms. Narinder Kaur, Chintoo took to music like fish to water. The guitar being the soft power he has wielded with élan since his early teens. Playing the Indian Gayaki style along with western melody on the Western instrument Guitar set him apart from the rest of his ilk. Legendary musicians like Jagjit Singh, RD Burman among others recognized his prodigious talent and associated with him on several projects.
Chintoo Singh, since has evolved into a Sufi-Music Composer-Singer and has carved a niche with his Guitar, the Afghan Rabab, the Iranian instrument Saaz and his soft appealing vocals. With an astounding over 50 albums as a singer-composer, composing music for a slew of television shows and being one of the pioneering Sufi singers from India Chintoo Singh has created an aura of musicianship seldom achieved. Celebrated for his wizardry Chintoo Singh has been honored with a plethora of awards like the Artist Aloud Hungama, CMA Clef Music award, Vivan Award,Salaam Mumbai Award, from institutions and contemporaries and looks forward to expanding his role as a multi-faceted musical performer of our times.
Chintoo Singh’s Amazzingg Gearrr includes:
Guitar
His Ovation USA make DOBRO guitar is fully made out of steel. It produces a bright sound output reminiscent of the 1940’s-60’s and a metallic sound reminding listeners of the Gramophone era.
Rabab
The Rabab he uses is over 40 years vintage and made from Akroat wood which is kept in mud for over 3 years during the making. Practical difficulties mean the instrument has now to be sourced from Pakistan. Available in various shapes Chintoo Singh’s Rabab is tuned to the scale C as it facilitates his Sufi compositions and vocals.
Saaz
His other instrument of choice is the Iranian instrument Saaz used mainly by male composer-singers. Made out of 3 pairs of double steel string the Saaz creates a sharp sound-tone close to the Iranian santoor and embellishes Sufi-singing