Kanwar Grewal as a Moral Voice: Sufi-Folk Pedagogy and Ethical Resistance in Contemporary Punjabi Music

The current study explores the ethical and moral dimensions of Kanwar Grewal’s Sufi-folk music in contemporary Punjabi culture. Beyond entertainment, Grewal’s performances articulate a vision of moral awakening rooted in humility, purity, and cultural ethics. Rejecting vulgarity and romantic materialism, he positions music as an instrument of reform and self-purification. Through qualitative content analysis and ethnomusicological interpretation, this study examines Grewal’s lyrics, interviews, and performances to understand how his art functions as moral pedagogy. The findings reveal that Grewal embodies Sufi values of sincerity, humility, and ascetic restraint, transforming Punjabi folk traditions into a spiritual discourse against moral decline. His songs, accessible yet profound, inspire audiences toward self-discipline, respect for women, and resistance to cultural vulgarity. The study situates Grewal’s work within the framework of Sufi aesthetics, ethical humanism, and contemporary resistance art, demonstrating how devotional performance can renew moral consciousness in an age of commodified culture.