Jagjit Singh

Jagjit Singh (; born Jagmohan Singh Dhiman; 8 February 1941 – 10 October 2011) was an Indian composer, singer and musician. He composed and sang in numerous languages and is credited for the revival and popularity of ghazal, an Indian classical art form, by choosing poetry that was relevant to the masses and composing them in a way that laid more emphasis on the meaning of words and melody evoked by them. In terms of Indian classical music, his style of composing and gayaki (singing) is considered as Bol-pradhan, one that lays emphasis on words. He highlighted this in his music for films such as Prem Geet, Arth (1982), and Saath Saath (1982), and TV serials Mirza Ghalib (1988) and Kahkashan (1991). Singh is considered to be among the most successful ghazal singers and composers of all time in terms of critical acclaim and commercial success. With a career spanning five decades and many albums, the range and breadth of his work has been regarded as genre-defining.

Born in Sri Ganganagar into a Punjabi family, he received his early education at Sri Ganganagar and Jalandhar; and higher education in Haryana. Throughout this time, Singh learned music particularly the Hindustani classical tradition. He has sung in Hindi-Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Nepali, Gujarati and Sindhi, among many other languages, throughout his 51-year career.

His 1987 album, Beyond Time, was the first digitally recorded release in India. He was regarded as one of India's most influential artists. With sitar player Ravi Shankar and other leading figures of Indian classical music and literature, Singh voiced his concerns over politicisation of arts and culture in India and lack of support experienced by the practitioners of India's traditional art forms, particularly folk artists and musicians. He lent active support to several philanthropic endeavours such as the library at St. Mary's School, Mumbai, Bombay Hospital, CRY, Save the Children and ALMA.

Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the government of India in 2003 and in February 2014, the government released a set of two postal stamps in his honour.

Early life and career

Jagjit Singh Dhiman was born on 8 February 1941 in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India (then Bikaner State) into a Namdhari Sikh Punjabi family. His father, Sardar Amar Singh Dhiman, was a surveyor with the government's Public Works' Department and hailed from village Dalla in Ropar district of Punjab.

Educated initially at Khalsa High School and Government College in Sri Ganganagar, Singh obtained an arts degree from DAV College, Jalandhar. Singh pursued his passion for music relentlessly. Like all parents in Indian middle-class families, his father aspired for him to become a bureaucrat. However, he also encouraged Singh and his siblings to learn music.

In March 1965, and without the knowledge of his family,

Achievement

Singh was still struggling to make a living in 1967 when he met the Bengali-born Chitra Dutta. The Independent described it in 2011 as "ground-breaking ... it became a transformative, before-and-after milestone in the history of Indian popular and ghazals music. It remains that." Using modern arrangements, it consists of ten tracks that include two on which they sang as a duo and the remainder equally split between Jagjit and Chitra singing the lead. The Independent further noted that "This format of solo and duet performances from the first commercially successful husband-and-wife team in Indian popular music proved astonishingly successful."

Among their subsequent duo recordings of the 1970s were Shiv Kumar Batalvi – Birha da Sultan (1978), Live in Concert at Wembley (1979) and Come Alive (1979). Of those released in the 1980s, The Latest by Sudarshan Faakir was the best selling album with his lifetime hit "Woh Kagaz ki Kashti...Woh Baarish ka Paani". It was the first album by the duo with poetry of only one Poet. Ecstasies (1984) has also been described as "one of their finest". encompassed playback singing for productions such as Arth, Saath Saath and Premgeet. He composed all of the songs for the latter, as well as for the TV serial Mirza Ghalib that was based on the life of the eponymous poet, Mirza Ghalib.

On 10 May 2007, in the presence of numerous political and diplomatic luminaries at an event held in the Central Hall of the Parliament of India, Jagjit Singh rendered Bahadur Shah Zafar's famous ghazal "Lagta Nahin Hai Dil Mera" to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Albums Shayad Main Zindagi Ki Sahar Zindagi Tujh Ko Jiya Hai Us Mod Se Shuroo Karen Jis Mod Par Kiye The Badi Haseen Raat Thi Teri Ankhon Mein Hamne Kya Dekha Meri Zindagi Kisi Aur Ki Ab Ke Barsat Ki Rut Fasila To Hai Aadmi Aadmi Ko Kya Dega Mere Dukh Ki Koi Dawa Na Karo Koi Samjhega Kya Raz-E-Gulshan Dekha To Mera Saya Bhi Dil Hi To Hai1 February 1996 Mirage Apni marzi se Dushman ko bhi seene se lagana Ek barahman ne kaha hai Koi chaudavi raat ka chaand Main rahe meena rahe Mujhe jeene do Rishta kya hai tera mera Mere Dil Ne Kaha Jaate Jaate Woh Mujhe Dard Apnata Hain Mujhko Yaqeen Hain Sach Yeh Hain Bekaar Dard Ke Phool Bhi Mujhse Bicchad Ke Khush Rehti Ho Tumne Dil Ki Baat Keh Di Mujhe Hosh Nahin Yeh Jo Zindagi Ki Kitaab Hai Yaad Nahin Kya Kya Dekha Tha Charage Ishq Jalaane Ki Raat Aaye Hai Jhulkeko Gham Sari Eakaichhina Ko Sanyog Tyo Din Tyo Raat Kasto Maya Dekhe Katha Mero Afnai Dil Chorera Badanam Kun Maya Sadar Bhyo

Personal life In 1990, Vivek Singh (Jagjit Singh and Chitra's son) died in a road accident at the age of 20. This came as a profound shock to Jagjit and Chitra Singh. They gave up music for a full year after the death. At the end of that period, Jagjit returned slowly to music, but Chitra announced her retirement and declared that she would not sing or record any more songs. In 2009, his step-daughter, Monica Chowdhary, aged 50, died by suicide.

Singh had suffered from numerous ailments like diabetes and hypertension during his later life, and had undergone two heart bypass surgeries in 1998 and 2007. A chain smoker for decades, he had stopped smoking after his first heart attack.

Death Singh turned 70 in February 2011. To celebrate his 70th birthday he committed 70 concerts in different parts of the world. He toured the UK, Singapore, Mauritius, inter alias, in 2011 and was due to perform with Ghulam Ali in Mumbai

A number of tributes have been paid to Singh after his death, and some tried to cash in on his popularity, which was criticised by his wife.

Legacy

A biography of Singh, entitled Beyond Time based on about 40 hours of interviews with him, was released in 2012. It was transcribed and edited by Ashrani Mathur. A biopic documentary by the name of Kaagaz Ki Kashti has been made on the life journey of Jagjit Singh, who broke through the norms and revolutionised the Ghazal scenario. The film traces the struggle and stardom in his musical career, the love & loss in his personal life and the scope and limitations in the music scenario of the times. The film directed by Brahmanand S Singh is currently available on Amazon Prime Video in India and worldwide.

Recognition Civilian honour In 2003, Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, by the Government of India

Other Awards In 2002 and 2005, Singh was awarded the Indian Telly Award for the best title singer for a TV show. In 1998, Jagjit Singh was awarded Sahitya Academy Award, a literary honour in India. He was awarded for popularising the work of Mirza Ghalib. Sahitya Kala Academy Award by Rajasthan government in 1998 Ghalib Academy by Delhi Government in 2005 Dayawati Modi Award in 1999. Lata Mangeshkar Samman in 1998 by Madhya Pradesh government. Google honoured Jagjit Singh with a doodle on his 72nd birthday on 8 February 2013.

Film scores

Discography

Arth (1982) Saath Saath (1982) Aaeena (2000) Aarogya Mantra (2008) Adaa (1992) Ae Mere Dil (1983) A Journey (2000) Akhand Ram Naam (2009) A Milestone (1980) Amritanjali (2009) An Evening With Jagjit & Chitra Singh (Live) A Sound Affair (1985) Awaaz (2007) Baba Sheikh Farid (Shabads & Shlokas- 2006) Beyond Time (1987) Best of Jagjit & Chitra Singh (2005) Bhajans (Lata-Jagjit −2004) Bhajan Uphar (2008) Biraha Da Sultan (1978) Chahat (2004) Chirag (Also known as Live in Trinidad – Islamic Devotional- 1993) Classics Forever (2000) Close to My Heart (2003) Come Alive in a Concert (1979) Cry For CRY (1995) Dard-E-Jigar (2011) Desires (1994) Different Strokes (2001) Dil- Jagjit, Asha & Lata (2002) Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin (1999) Do Dil Do Rahein (A Tribute To Mehdi Hasan- 2007) Echoes (1986) Ecstasies (1984) Emotions (1989) Encore Essential Chants of Shiva (2006) Eternity (1978) Face To Face (1994) Forever (2002) Forget Me Not (2002) Gayatri Mantra (2008) Ghalib Live in Concert (2014) Ghazal Greats Jagjit Singh And Ghulam Ali Ghazals from Films (1989) Golden Moments (1999) Govardhan Girdhari (2011) Guru Govind Singh (1998) Hare Krishna (Live) Hari Om Tatsat (2003) Harmony Hey Govind Hey Gopal (1991) Hey Ram (Ram Dhun) Hare Ram Hare Krishna (1999) Hope (1991) Kahkashan,Doordarshan TV Serial (1991–92) In Search (1992) In Sight (1994) In Sync- Jagjit Singh & Asha Bhonsle Inteha (2009) Jaam Utha(1999) Jai Raghunandan Jai Siyaram (2002) Jai Siya Ram (2000) Jazbaat (2008) Jeevan Kya Hai (2005) Jeevan Maran Chhe Ek (Gujrati) Kabir (2007) Karuna (2007) Keertan (Gurbani- 2000) Khamoshi (2002) Khumar Khwahish (2002) Krishna (1983) Krishna Bhajans (1998) Koi Baat Chale (2006) Krishna Bhajans And Music For Divine Meditation (2009) Krishna Dhun Live in Concert (1988)

Live in Concert at the Wembley (1980) Live in Pakistan (1979) Live in Royal Albert Hall (1983) Live in Sydney (2006) Life Story (Live- 2001) Live With Jagjit & Chitra Singh Live With Jagjit Singh (1993) Love Love Is Blind (1998) Maa (1993) Madho Hum Aise Tu Aisa (2003) Madhusudana- Shree Krishna Dhun (2011) Magic Moments Main Aur Meri Tanhai (1981) Man Jeetey Jagjit (1990) Man Mein Ram Basa Le Marasim (1999) Mara Ghatma Shrinathji (2007) Mehfil (1990) Melodious Pair Memorable Concert (Live) Memorable Ghazals of Jagjit and Chitra (1990) Mirage (1995) Mirza Ghalib (T.V. Serial- 1988) Mitr Pyaare Nu (2005) Moksha (2005) Morning Prayers And Music For Divine Meditation (2009) Muntzir (2004) Nayi Disha (1999) Nivedan (2011) Om- The Divine Mantra (2007) Parwaaz (live at the Esplanade, Singapore- 2004) Passions (1987) Phaldata Ganesh: God Who Fulfills Wishes (2006) Playback Years Pray For India Punjabi Hits- Jagjit & Chitra Singh Radhey Krishna Radhey Shyam (2000) Radhey Krishna Dhun Rare Gems (1992) Rare Moments Ravayat Rishton Mein Darar Aayi Romance Masha alla Royal Salute Saanwara (2003) Saher (2000) Sai Dhun (2005) Sajda (1991) Samvedna (2002) Samyog (Nepali) Shabads Live in the UK (2014) Shiva (Dhuns and Bhajans- 2005) Shri Ganesha (2010) Shukrana (2011) Silsilay (1998) Solid Gold (2001) Someone Somewhere (1990) Soz (2001) Stolen Moments Tera Bayaan Ghalib (2012) The Inimitable Ghazals Composed by Jagjit Singh (1996) The Latest (1982) The Life And Times of Jagjit Singh (2011) The Master and His Magic (2012) The Unforgettables (1977) The Voice From Beyond (2013) Together Trishna (Bengali-2001) Tum Toh Nahin Ho (2005) Unique (1996) Vakratunda Mahakaya (2006) Visions (1992) Your Choice (1993) Black & White (2008) - "Yeh Hindustan Hai" (Part 1)