Humans of Warwick - Harjinder Lallie

Dr Harjinder Lallie

Associate Professor – Reader, WMG

“As part of the Warwick Community, we have our day jobs but bring a lot more of ourselves to the University.”

“My parents arrived in the UK from India in 1968 as factory workers. They worked incredibly hard and encouraged me to pursue both Indian classical music and academia.

That journey began when I was six, learning Kirtan. Which is devotional singing of Sikh scripture, traditionally accompanied by instruments. I started on the harmonium, and music has been a constant in my life ever since. But everything changed when I discovered the sarangi.

The sarangi is one of the most emotionally rich instruments in Indian classical music. Its name means ‘100 colours’, reflecting the vast spectrum of emotion it can convey. Thought to be around 2,000 years old, its deeply expressive sound closely mirrors the human voice. I first heard it through records I borrowed from the local library, and I was instantly captivated.

At the time, instruments like the sarangi had fallen out of favour, many musicians had switched to the harmonium because it was easier to play. And, as I explored further, I learned that the harmonium, though widely used, was not a traditional Sikh instrument. That realisation set me on a personal mission to revive and popularise authentic Sikh instruments like the sarangi, taus, and dilruba. That mission has taken 26 years.

I began playing the sarangi when I was 17. It took me ten years to feel confident enough to perform publicly. Now, I regularly perform across the UK, including at the Warwick Arts Centre and with the Sikh Society on campus. Our performances usually feature six traditional instruments. If you haven’t heard it live, it’s an experience full of beauty and emotion.

I teach around 130 students at my musical academy, and I’m delighted that my daughter also plays. I hope that will continue as a family tradition. While I wouldn’t claim sole credit, I’m proud to have played a role in the sarangi’s revival and renewed popularity, especially within Sikh music traditions.

Perhaps my proudest contribution to music is leading the development of the first-ever globally recognised Sikh Music exam, now part of the UK’s national curriculum framework. This achievement has received international acclaim and marks a historic moment for Sikh musical heritage. What makes me especially proud is that the curriculum development workshops for this took place right here at Warwick, making it a truly historic milestone for the university as well. Building on that success, I’m now leading the development of the first-ever tabla exam, also officially recognised.

I’m proud to promote Sikh culture at Warwick’s diverse campus. For students from Sikh or Indian backgrounds, it sends a clear message, your heritage is valued here.

In my day job, I work in cyber security, a world apart from music. But both fields, in their own ways, require depth, precision, and passion.”