From left: Akeharraj, Jyotsaroop, Ishwardev and Gursimer (Photo: Sam Fong/ The Edge)
Imagine being in the misty glens of Scotland, a pipe band in their tartan kilts marching before you, their stirring skirls echoing across the rolling hills. A symbol of national pride and a key instrument in traditional ceremonies, the bagpipes are inherent in a culture far removed from that of the Asian continent.
Yet, in 2019, to the utter surprise of the Scots, an unknown troupe from a little country called Malaysia showed up and conquered the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow. Instead of a wool jacket and Balmoral hat, they came dressed in stark white from head to toe, wearing turbans with a pink plume. They took home the winning title for Grade 4B and swept the awards for best Drum Corp and Parade. It was the first time an Asian band had won the top prize since the event’s founding in 1947.
In a sea of conventional ensembles, the Sri Dasmesh Pipe Band was certainly an exotic spectacle. This dual identity of being Malaysian and Sikh continues to spark intrigue and curiosity in others. The oohs and ahhs followed wherever they went to perform or compete, from Japan and America to Australia.
“Sometimes you feel like a celebrity. Everyone wants to take a picture. They ask us where we are from, how we started,” says Gursimer Kaur, a bagpiper in the band. She sees this as a good opportunity to gain exposure for the team. “This is important because at the end of the day, we’re not only representing ourselves as a band, but also our country,” adds Jyotsaroop Kaur, a tenor drummer and head of the troupe’s mid-section.
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Lofty dreams of conquering championships, however, were never quite the goal in the early days of the Sri Dasmesh Pipe Band. Established by brothers Sukdev and Harvinder Singh in 1986, it was initially formed as a youth development project to prevent youngsters from slipping into gangsterism. Having studied in the UK, the brothers started the band with just drums and eventually brought back the woodwind instrument, together with a couple of books on how to play it.
Named after the 10th prophet of the Sikhs, the Sri Dasmesh Pipe Band conducted their programme every weekend at a gurdwara, starting with practice, then marching and ending the day with prayers. Older band members remember it as a home away from home, where music was not the main aspect, but the camaraderie. The Sri Dasmesh International School was established later in 2001 and band lessons were carried out in its compound, although the two entities remain separate.
Jyotsaroop, Harvinder’s daughter, recalls growing up with her whole family involved in the band. “My siblings would go to practice every Saturday. At five years old, I told my dad that I wanted to go too. I would ride my bicycle while they practised. I joined the snare section when I was 10 because my older brother was there and I wanted to be just like him,” she says fondly. “I didn’t get very far though. I swapped to the tenor section when I was 11 and have been there since. This is my ninth year.”
Leadership has changed hands several times over the years. Now, Jyotsaroop’s brothers Tirath and Tripert Singh are leading the band, making it a family affair again since its inception.
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Over time, the band got better and better. They joined Merdeka Day parades and took part in competitions. They eventually aspired to compete on the international stage. Then, they caught the eye of Australian pipe major Barry Gray, a tutor who saw them perform in Jakarta and offered to coach them. And so began their trajectory towards the World Pipe Band Championships.
However, not everyone was up for it. As more structure was put in place and things got serious, some band members dropped out and the numbers started to dwindle. A recruitment drive was held for a few years to regenerate the band, but it was a steep climb up.
For those who stuck around and were involved in winning the World Championships, the euphoric memory is engraved in their minds. “I was only 16 when we won. I never thought it could happen. But when we did, I felt like we achieved something great,” beams Akeharraj Singh, also a bagpiper. Even simply being able to travel to Scotland at a young age was an eye-opening experience, adds Gursimer.
Accomplishing the exceptional feat during their formative years instilled a great sense of confidence. “All these experiences — travelling, meeting and talking to new people — changed the course of my life. After winning, anything I dreamt of, I thought was possible. Because at 14, I was a world champion,” says Jyotsaroop.
The group has now set their sights on being a Grade 1 band, the highest distinction for ensembles of their kind.
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With some still in university (Heriot-Watt Malaysia offers a scholarship each year to band members) and others just entering the workforce, the current leaders of the Sri Dasmesh Pipe Band are aware of their responsibility to set a good example for new recruits. “While we’re teaching them music, we’re also guiding them through other issues happening in their lives. When I first started out, it was quite difficult to bear that responsibility but I learnt too. The band teaches you so much more than music. It’s also about leadership, communication skills, discipline and time management,” explains Jyotsaroop.
These days, the team is busy rehearsing for their upcoming Fortress of Dreams: A Sri Dasmesh Original concert at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas. “The concert shows Malaysians how the Pre-Worlds concerts are like in Scotland. It involves a lot of bagpipe tunes and external musicians, and that’s what we’re incorporating into our show as well,” says bagpiper Ishwardev Singh. In celebration of their Malaysian identity, “We’re also involving Chinese tanggu drummers, a Malay gamelan group and Indian urumi performers.
“The whole concert will recount the journey of the band. And I think it will be something meaningful to our younger members because they’re not only telling the story, they’re part of it.”
Merchandise will be available for sale at the concert and the proceeds will cover the cost of the hall as well as finance the band’s trip to the World Championships next year.
'Fortress of Dreams' will be performed at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas at 8pm on Aug 31. Tickets are priced at RM130, RM160, RM190 and RM220. Purchase tickets here.
This article first appeared on Aug 25, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
