Remembering Jagjit Singh - the king of ghazals

Agencies

Mumbai, 11 October 2011: His soulful voice could mend broken bridges and his singing could do wonders to the depressed hearts. Jagjit Singh, the Baadshah of ghazals, is no more but he will continue to live on in the hearts of millions across the globe whom he has enthralled with his silken voice. Jagjit Singh along with his wife Chitra delivered a number of hits that are matchless in composition and melody.

 

Born on February 8, 1941 in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, Jagjit Singh went on to become a national treasure. Born as Jagmohan and raised as a Sikh by religion, the maestro was rechristened Jagjit by his father on the advice of their family guru.

 

A young man then, Jagjit moved to Mumbai in search of work in 1965. It was neither easy nor difficult for Jagjit to find work in the industry. He started his career in Mumbai by singing for jingles and performing at private events.

 

 

Jagjit’s mesmerizing voice could touch the souls of music lovers and that helped him align his name with stalwarts of Ghazals that included Noor Jehan, Malika Pukhraj, Begum Akhtar, Talat Mahmood and Mehdi Hassan.

 

Jagjit Singh’s life cannot be summarized for he is like an ocean and his works are like those infinite pearls that are seeded in the ocean bed.

 

His songs from Mahesh Bhatt’s `Arth` or his ghazals from `Veera Zaara` are exceptional pieces of music that can never be duplicated. He was a gem and his death is the end of an era.