SHASHI KUMAR KESWANI
Renowned ghazal singer Jagjit Singh died in Mumbai early on Monday, more than a fortnight after he suffered a brain haemorrhage. He was 79. Singh was in critical condition after an operation at the city’s Lilavati hospital on Sept 23.Credited with popularising the ghazal genre and making it accessible to the masses, Singh cut more than 40 private albums and sang for innumerable Bollywood films, influencing an entire generation of music lovers. Singh was supposed to perform with singer Ghulam Ali in Mumbai when he was rushed to hospital.
Stirring millions of hearts with his soulful numbers, ghazal king Jagit Singh infused a new life in the dying genre of music in the seventies and carved a niche for himself in Bollywood.
The pain and melancholy in his voice gave vent to the feelings of many a lonely heart.
One of the most successful and loved artistes of his time, he has left behind a huge body of work in a career spanning five decades, including 80 albums.
Often called the ‘Ghazal King’ by his fans and peers, Jagjit was born on February 8, 1941 in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan, to Amar Singh Dhiman, a government employee, and Bachan Kaur. He had four sisters and two brothers and was called Jeet by his family.
He was raised as a Sikh by religion. His birth name was ‘JAGMOHAN’ but his Sikh father rechristened him as Jagjit following the advice of his guru.
It was his father, who first recognised his son’s talent. He sent young Jagjit to learn the nuances of music under a blind teacher, Pandit Chhaganlal Sharma. He later trained under Ustad Jamal Khan of Sainia gharana for six-years and gained knowledge in Khayal, Thumri and Dhrupad forms.
Singh was of the view that music was for inspiration and not for competition. “The moment one brings competition into music, the soul is lost.”
He had regretted the fact that devotion and practice were disappearing from music at a time when everyone was running after instant fame.
According to him, Music is a vast subject. There is mathematics and grammar in music. Unless one knows all of it, he cannot become good singer. One should learn music for 15 years before actually trying their hands at singing ghazals.
Among his most memorable numbers were Tum itna jo muskara rahe ho, Apni Marzi Se Kahan Apne Safar Ke Hum Hain and Pehle Har Cheez Thi Apni Magar Ab Lagta Hai Apne Hi Ghar Mein Kisi Doosre Ghar Ke Hum Hain.
His last concert was planned with Ghulam Ali on September 23 at Shanmukhananda Hall, Matunga, in Mumbai but was cancelled after he was taken ill the same day. The duo had given a stirring performance days ago in Delhi.
Singh began his musical journey singing ‘shabads’ or devotional songs in gurudwaras. He studied in DAV College, Jalandhar where his fee was waived because of his voice. He got a chance as professional singer in Jalandhar’s All India Radio station, which offered him six live music segments a year for small payments. But success was a faraway dream for the singer, who came to Mumbai in 1961 to try his luck in playback singing but after some failed attempts, a dispirited Singh returned to Jalandhar.
Not one to give up, the ghazal maestro decided to give himself another chance and returned to the city of dreams in 1965. Singh managed to get two of his ghazals recorded with HMV. This was also the time when he decided to do away with his turban and hair. However, playback singing continued to elude him and he earned by composing jingle, ad films and documentaries. He met his wife Chitra during one such recording and after two years, they decided to marry in 1970, which was also a turning point in his career.
Bollywood’s loss was ghazal’s gain, as Jagjit’s fresh voice infused a new life into the dying genre, which was confined to select admirers. In 1975, HMV asked Jagjit to compose his first ever LP album ‘The Unforgettables’. The album featured Jagjit-Chitra ghazals, which were completely different.
