Gurpreet Singh Sarin advanced to the top 40 of this season’s American Idol competition. The 22-year-old UMUC student, famous for his turbans, was the show’s first Sikh American contestant.
Gurpreet Singh Sarin stepped into American Idol auditions knowing his accessories — his long, flowing beard, purple Sikh turban and gray skinny pants — would be his defining features.
Nicki Minaj swiftly dubbed him “The Turbanator,” which prompted the Twitterverse to light up with the hashtags #Osama and #Turbanator.
But to the eyebrow-raising effect of many, Sarin — the first Sikh contestant in American Idol’s 12-year run — could sing. In fact, the University of Maryland University College student advanced to the top 40, with judges giving props to what they called a “husky tenor” in his voice.
Though his Idol streak ended with what judges deemed a bad take on James Morrison’s “Nothing Ever Hurt Like You,” Sarin said his Idol journey has been everything but hurtful. Along with gaining an audience for his graceful vocal gymnastics, Sarin became “an ambassador for Sikhs.”
The 22-year-old is a Singher in two senses: He identifies as a Singh Sikh and he is a vocal performer, two roles he said worked together to create a colorful, memorable and rewarding American Idol experience.
His father, who often sings Indian classical music, said Gurpreet was able to make an impression from Day One in the competition, despite his abrupt jump from the world of Bollywood music to Hollywood.
“He’s friendly, outgoing, and he’s got a loving personality,” Paramjit Sarin said, recounting moments when his son gave anxious contestants traditional Indian dance lessons in the Idol waiting room, throwing his hands in the air as though he were installing invisible light bulbs.
“After Gurpreet’s appearance on Idol, youth from our community came up to our family and said they felt confident to be proud of their culture and identity in public,” his father said. “Identity is really who you are, and Gurpreet was able to maintain his, even in the spotlight.”
With a heavy emphasis on mysticism, Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded by Guru Nanak of northwest India. It urges all to unite in devotion to one God. Devout men generally use the Sikh turban — the dastar — as an expression of spirituality and piety by tying their long, uncut hair in a peaked turban atop their heads.
“By showcasing my passion for singing and music as a Sikh American, I could show the world that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” Sarin said. “I think I was able to prove that.”
Still, Sarin heard that passersby often stopped Sikh men on buses, airplanes and streets, asking if they were the Sikh on American Idol.
“I see what I wear as an accessory. The real deal is when you’re able to get past those exercises and focus on what really matters: the person,” Sarin said.
His childhood friend, Harleen Singh, a sophomore at Montgomery College, agreed, saying his appearance helped put a face and a name to a religious minority that many people do not understand.
“For the Sikh community and especially little kids, his appearance really proved that anyone is capable of doing anything,” Singh said. “I’ve experienced this personally. The Sikh community needs positive exposure, especially with so much lack of understanding about who we are.”
In line with the Sikh traditional belief of maintaining one’s true identity, Sarin adopted the practice of priests who matched their turbans with their kameezes — their shirts — with a modern twist: He matched every turban with his outfit in all of his Idol appearances, a routine that began as a challenge from a colleague at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where Sarin initially studied.
“I kept up that challenge for 60 days, and ever since then, it’s been my way of fusing my religion with my personality,” Sarin said.
While Sarin had been immersed in Indian classical music as a child, he jumped into Western music about two years ago after creating a YouTube channel of song covers. As he saw each video garner more views, he felt inspired to take the next big step by auditioning for American Idol.
Days spent gathered around the family table cultivated his passion and eagerness to learn music. His father plays the sitar, an acoustic string instrument with multiple frets; his mother sings; his sister sings and plays the dilruba, a string instrument similar to the sitar; and his brother plays the flute and tabla, a pair of wooden drums.
The combination of vocal and musical talents has made for interesting family gatherings, Sarin said.
“When we sit at home and jam, we express ourselves in a way that’s difficult to put into words,” he added.
Though his elimination was disappointing, Sarin said he was blessed to have gone to Las Vegas and claimed a spot in American Idol’s Top 40, even if he may be remembered as “that one Sikh contestant.”
The North Potomac native aims to graduate with a degree in computer and information science from the University of Maryland University College in May. After that, he hopes to continue melding turban with talent by releasing an album soon.
“I’m a colorful person,” Sarin said. “There’s no stopping that.”
