Ashutosh
Kabhi khamosh baithoge
Kabhi kuch gungunaoge
Mein utna yaad aaunga
Mujhe jitna bhulaoge………
It was 73 years ago on Feb 8, 1941 the nation was blessed to have one legendary artist Gagan Jeet Singh or well-known Jagjit Singh. Since then, this musical messiah has worked tirelessly to take the great music of his country to every corner of the earth.
Belonging to the typical hard working middle class modest family, Jagjit had a very rich childhood mostly spent in villages and small towns of Punjab and Rajasthan. He studied in a village school sitting on the floor and wrote on slates called takhtis even studying at nights with lamps, because there was no electricity. He didn’t even have a transistor in the house and would listen to songs and news of the Second World War while going past shops or homes of other people.
During childhood Jagjit used to sleep on the roof during hot summer months. One night at the age of 5-6, he was singing a song of Lata Manageskar in his sleep. His father heard his singing and felt Jagjit had musical talent and nurtured it. He started his music training around the age of 10-11 with a blind musician Pandit Chaganlal Sharma the local village teacher who taught him the basics.
His first public success came when maestro was in 9th standard. Jagjit was invited to sing as a local artist. He sang a geet for which he composed music. This performance made him realize that he must pursue music seriously.
Success did not come fast, it came after more than 10 years of struggle – from 1965 to 1976.Jagjit’s early struggle in Bombay ended up being a party singer as he was invited by well known film personalities Balraj Sahni, Raj kapoor, Rajinder Kumar, the Rawals and was a big hit but most of the songs went to the clique of four male singers – Manna Dey, (Mohammed) Rafi, Mukesh and Talat Mehmood until the early 1970s.
His first LP “The Unforgettables” in 1976 was rather a novel experiment even then and ahead of its time. He had broken away from traditional ghazal singing which went on for a minimum of 30 minutes in classical style replacing with time of rendition to 6-7 minutes simplifying the ghazal, both in rendition and melody without taking away from it its beauty and richness. He even used modern instruments, using double bass, guitar, piano, as well as sarangi and sitar.
The seed that was sown in childhood and adolescence bore fruits in the later years.The success and popularity of album made Ghazal Maestro realize that the vast majority prefers simpler ghazals and the ones that can be sung on stage.
As a global ambassador of Indian music, Jagjit always insisted on sticking to the harmon-ium and performing live music, because he was firm believer that there is something very special about the human touch, even the human mistakes. This made godfather of Ghazal immortal in the hearts of listeners all over the world through his music.
In a career spanning five decades, including 80 albums, the voice behind the timeless ghazals was inspired by singers like K L Sehgal, Talat Mahmood, Abdul Karim Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Amir Khan.
He always believed that “Ghazal is not singing, it is all about poetry and it varies.”, In Ghazals the music had to kept simple as too many times musicians fall into the trap of showcasing their own virtuosity and suffocating the lyrics.
Jagjit was truly a musician par excellence. His music is a reflection of world around him full of emotional soulfulness through which he exuded love ~.love for life, love for others and love for god. There was sweetness to his music, not a sugary sweetness but a sweetness that goes with kindness and the desire to make a difference. Expanding the limits of techniques, he was highly innovative, always creative and different every time he performed in his live concerts.
One of his concerts the date of which clashed straight with an India-Pakistan cricket final match had given us a universal message where he instead of cancelling the concert suggested that 2 wide video screens be put on “either side of the stage”, all muted …. no sound of the match. He sang through the night, but with every wicket that fell he would burst into a “Balle – Balle .. Hoye Balle”… and go back into the Ghazal he was singing. After India won the match his message was “‘My audience is my King …They (Team India) were doing their job …and he did his …”
The legendary singer was very particular about sound and can tell within 30 seconds what flaws a particular sound system has? He hated to play in auditoriums that don’t have a good system,.
Having the soul of a poet, Jagjit sung numerous romantic ghazals to redefined romance. Romantic lyrics like Der lagi aane mein tum ko, shukar hai phir bhi aaye to (You took your time in coming to me. but at least you have come), have given way to a different sentiment.
He recalled once that being a small town boy, romance in their times was just a perception of a glance. In his words “I once romanced a girl. I used to take my bicycle in front of her house, and would sometimes pretend the bicycle chain was broken or that the air had leaked out. I would then pretend to fix the broken bike in front of her house just hoping to get that one glance from her & I miss the beauty of that kind of romance these days”.
Countless music lovers sought his Ghazals to serve as balm on the pain they experienced in their lives. The lyrics he mostly choose for his compositions, always showcase life’s experiences indefinable pains of human life, its unavoidable sorrows, worship of feminine beauty, love, separations, yearnings, philosophy of life, the little pleasures of life like wine, mind that seeks happiness even in the midst of pain.
In spite so much success & glory in life, Jagjit too had seen his share of tragedies in his life but nothing prepare him for the loss of a child. He was devastated, and a broken man. In his own words “People who lose loved ones must remember that there is nothing permanent in life other than death. We all have to die some day, and we cannot cling to those who have passed away and forget about living. The pain never goes away, but you have to learn to live with it.”
“Benaam sa yeh Dard tahar kyu nahi jata ..yo beet gaya hai who guzar kyu nahi jata “is an intrinsically poetic and expressive work about pain, sufferings and trauma of the desolated brings out the vocal finesse of Ghazal Maestro in fine package of sentimental wordings.
“My pain has given my music better focus and richness. It has increased my creativity and concentration “recalled the legend during an interview.
Very few knows that When Deepak Pandit his extremely talented violinist lost both his parents in a short span of time the maestro and his wife who had lost their only son Vivek, barely a month short of his 19th birthday, in a tragic car accident around the same time, put their sorrows aside to nurture Deepak instead.
Chitra Singh wife of the Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh’s is fighting a lone battle to get her husband the recognition he deserves “I think he deserves the Bharat Ratna, no less…” The country must give him his dues. She feels Jagjit’s fans should begin an online campaign for his Bharat Ratna.
Chitra Singh in memory of her late husband has also founded “The Jagjit Singh Foundation” Its focus on encouraging young talent in the field of fine arts and saving lives through various health awareness initiatives. The Foundation aims to build upon Jagjit Ji’s legacy for the betterment of society and future generations.
I being a true diehard fan of Jagjit feel that a true tribute to the King of Ghazal is that His birthday should be celebrated every year as “Ghazal Day “atleast in India.
He sang from his heart and wove his way into our souls. The soft haunting voice is no more. Down the memory lane, you are inseparable from the hearts of your fans, ever present. in all those hearts reverberating with your nostalgic memories. We are enjoying his fruits. There was – and is – only one Jagjit Singh. Now, every day seems like a birthday…………..
Your mesmerizing presence lives on eternally in the blue of sky humming meaningful lines of an old couplet sung by you……..
” Faasila to hai magar
” Faasila to hai magar
Mujh se tum juda sahi
Dil se to juda nahin !!!
(The author is associated with Jagjit Fan Club Jammu)
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