Democracy Now! Audio Sikh American Trumpet Player & Singer Sonny Singh Performs & Talks About Music and Resistance
Jun 27, 2025
Sonny Singh, a Brooklyn-based Sikh American musician and trumpet player, shares his journey from immigrant struggles in North Carolina to musical activism. He discusses his album 'Sage Warrior' and its roots in Sikh resilience and community solidarity. Singh highlights music's power as a form of resistance, intertwining traditional songs with spiritual teachings. He reflects on his transformative music tour that brought revolutionary love to marginalized spaces and explains his evolution from corporate labor rights advocate to a passionate artist advocating for social change.
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Music as a Refuge from Racism
- Sonny Singh grew up facing racist harassment in Charlotte, North Carolina, especially for wearing a turban as a Sikh.
- Music became his way to channel anger and pain into something productive as a child and young adult.
Chardikala: Radical Optimism
- Sikh concept of Chardikala means radical optimism and ever-rising spirits amid hardship.
- Music helps Sonny embody Chardikala and share hope in dark times through his art.
Guru Nanak's Revolutionary Teachings
- Guru Nanak, Sikh founder, rejected caste and social hierarchies as unjust and untrue.
- Sikh faith teaches oneness and seeing light within all as a call to action against oppression.
