It is part of the Gurmat Sangeet musical tradition, which includes ragas used by Sikh Gurus for Gurbani.
The Gurbani hymns under raga Asa appear in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
This raga gives the listener the determination and ambition to put aside any excuses and to proceed with necessary actions to achieve the aim.
It was introduced in the classical singing styles of Gurmat Sangeet by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism.
Its variants, as given in the Guru Granth Sahib, are Kafi and Asavari, both of which have many features in common with Asa.