The Voice of Devotion
Among the artists who have dedicated their voice and art to Dera Baba Murad Shah Ji, Master Saleem holds a special place. A celebrated Punjabi singer known across India and the diaspora, his devotional performances at Nakodar are not contracted appearances but genuine expressions of personal faith.
A Career Shaped by Devotion
Master Saleem's career spans decades of Punjabi music — from folk songs and film soundtracks to deeply personal devotional compositions. Throughout this career, his connection with Dera Baba Murad Shah Ji has remained constant. He has returned to Nakodar year after year, offering his music as a form of seva, as the highest form of gratitude for what the darbaar has given him.
"Music that is offered to the divine has a different quality from music performed for applause. Both come from the throat, but only one comes from the soul." — Master Saleem
His Compositions for the Darbaar
Over the years, Master Saleem has recorded and performed multiple compositions specifically in honour of Hazrat Baba Murad Shah Ji. These songs — a blend of traditional Sufi kafi style with contemporary Punjabi folk arrangements — have been heard at the mela, played in homes across Punjab, and shared across YouTube and social media platforms by devotees.
The Mela Performances
Master Saleem has performed at various Uras and mela events at Nakodar, each time drawing large and emotionally charged audiences. The recordings of these performances — several of which are available on the video gallery of this website — capture the unique energy of devotional music performed in the presence of a saint's darbaar.
Music as a Path to Grace
The Sufi tradition has always understood music as a legitimate path to the divine — not as entertainment but as sama, the sacred listening that can dissolve the ego and open the heart. Master Saleem's devotional performances at Nakodar are fully in this tradition: music offered not to an audience but to the divine, and received by the audience as a shared spiritual experience.
Finding His Music
Recordings of Master Saleem's Nakodar performances are available on our Video Gallery. We recommend watching the 62nd Uras recording — considered among the finest devotional performances captured at the darbaar in recent years.
Continue Reading