And the ghazal king lives on…

A few of maestro Jagjit Singh’s friends and associates walk down memory lane before his birth anniversary which falls on February 8. S. D. Sharma reports

"Hazaron saal nargis apni benoori pe roti hai, Badi Mushqil se hota hai chaman mein deedaver paida"

God, man and nature seemed to have forged a happy alliance to create and establish the musical genius remembered as Jagjit Singh, the legendary ghazal king who enraptured the world with his incredible contribution to film and ghazal, devotional, Punjabi folk and popular music. Very few blessed souls become a legend in their life span. The music maestro was and will continue to be cherished by the music aficionados in the centuries to come, even after he passed away on October 10 last year.

Connoisseurs and musicologists maintain that while Hazrat Amir Khusro (1253-1325) had pioneered the genre of ghazal, it was the indomitable Jagjit Singh (February 8, 1941- October 10, 2011) who embellished its modern avtar and took the ghazal to spectacular heights for global acceptance. Be it the ghazal, film, folk or devotional music, Jagjit Singh made an incredible lasting contribution to music, which had the stamp of the brilliance of his versatile genius.

Leading music celebrities and close associates of the stalwart shared their views on the persona and philosophy of his life with The Tribune ahead of his 71st birth anniversary, falling on February 8, next. "To be popular as a ghazal singer in Pakistan is a challenge indeed but Jagjit Singh virtually sang straight into the hearts of music aficionados during all his concerts," observed the living legend Ustad Ghulam Ali, on his recent visit to the city for a concert. He added, "Besides being a gifted fankaar, Jagjit was a fine human being, a trustworthy friend and a fraakh dil insaan." He recounted his association with the maestro when he met him and Chitra Singh in 1976 in London where they were on a on a concert tour. "We used to attend each others concerts there and shared Punjabi jokes later. When she failed to understand these jokes, Chitra had no option but to smile.

He was instrumental in decorating the ghazal peshkari with the use of western instrumentation, but never sacrificed the soul of theme and thought of the ghazal. "Such noble souls rarely appear on the earth", said Ghulam Ali.

"I am proud that I was close to my mentor and friend in the music industry," says the Phagwara-born Bhajan Samrat Anup Jalota. "He never sang at private functions but he graced my birthday party on July 29 and sang for two hours", claims Jalota with pride. All ghazal singers and Bollywood music `A0maestros have decided to observe October 10 as the Global Ghazal Day. A formal declaration to this effect will be made on his ensuing birthday on February 8, disclosed Anup Jalota.

"Singers will come and go but none can emulate the visionary, compassionate and sur tal ka jadugar Jagjit Singh", says Chandan Das who feels that Jagjit Singh had given us much more to hold on to and instead bemoaning the loss we must enrich his legacy.

Poet Nida Fazli observed that, "Jagjit’s love and understating for good lyrics was amazing and it is good poetry which lies at the heart of his all ghazals or songs. Be it the romantic ghazal or devotional music he delivered his best always drawing courage from the grim tragedies he faced". Recalling his association with Jagjit Singh, a close confidant and childhood pal, Ashok Bhalla, a Ludhiana-based philanthropist claims that Jagjit’s global eminence was imminent. "His dedicated devotion to music, compassion, reverence for parents and gurus were indicative of the heights he would attain", adds Bhalla.

Many new, talented singers such as Abhijeet Bhattacharya,Talat Aziz, GhanshyamVaswani, Ashok Khosla and Vinod Sehgal were encouraged by Jagjit Singh. The royalty from his major albums goes to charities, says Bhalla, and adds that Vinod Sehgal, who spent 22 years under the Jagjit Singh’s tutelage, and shared the stage with him at concerts in USA, Canada and UK besides and close associate Sanjay Sharda from the region are all set to carry forward the legacy of the maestro.