Jagjit Singh made ghazal popular: Pankaj Udhas

The entertainment industry mourns the death of ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh as he breathed his last on Monday morning
His voice Stired Emotions
Jagjit Singh gave an emotional syntax to my generation. In the 80s, when I conceived “Arth”, he had already mesmerised the audience by giving a complete new dimension to singing ghazals to the accompaniment of the guitar.While making “Arth”, I knew my inner melody was something which was residing in a different body. That body belonged to Jagjit Singh. What made him so special was that he was the one of the end products of the sheer heritage of India. He combined a mixed tehzeeb of a Hindu Islamic culture. His music had resonances of the diversity that India talks about. No one could sing ghazals that way without having a understanding of the ethos of Indian culture.
I still remember the enchanting evenings Jagjit and I had at Janki kutir with Kaifi Azmi. Both Jagjit and I would carry his harmonium to the lawns of Kaifi saab’s house. While Kaifi saab would recite the lyrics, we would listen to him with rapt attention. Once Kaifi saab was done, Jagjit would inhale it all, and soon enough, he would exhale a tune. That’s how the three songs, “Jhuki Jhuki”, “Tum Itna Jo” and “Koi Yeh Kaise Bataye” were composed. An artiste should create his works effortlessly and Jagjit seemed so much at ease when he created the songs. He never tried to force his songs on anyone. While rhythm is the be all and end all for music today, he knew how to stir the emotions of the listeners with his soothing numbers.
HE was fond of racing
This is just too devastating a news. I was numb. I must have been 17/18 when I was first introduced by Badal Dhar Chowdhury to Jagjitji. Chitra didi (his wife) is from Kolkata. He was very fond of racing. He loved horses and would so often encourage me to get a taste of it. I feel a strange sense of void today.
He made ghazal popular
I had to immediately cancel my show at Pune and am now rushing back to Mumbai. It is very tragic and shocking. Jagjitbhai was an artiste who revolutionized this genre of music. I remember in 1975 we came out with an album – “Unforgettable”. He always showcased his versatility and promoted his form of music not only amongst our generation but also among the youth. His music left a mark on everyone’s life. He made the world aware of what ghazal is. I remember post his 70th birthday he spoke to me and told me that he was planning to do a 70-concert show across the world. Unfortunately Anup Jalota and Talat Aziz are both out of India and have their shows in USA. They will be also very shocked when they come to know about the news. I hope I’ll be able to do a show with Anupji and Talat as a tribute to Jagjitbhai.
He Transcended Pain
I missed out on the programme in September that had the city witnessing the maestro for the last time. I remember meeting him at a programme in 2009. This was right after Chitra Singh’s daughter, Monica Chaudhry, had ended her life. Though Jagjit Singh was extremely cordial, his musicians later told me how he was sinking into depression. An extremely soft-spoken man, it would be difficult keeping pace with him when he spoke. But on stage, he was a transformed soul. He transcended beyond pain and pleasure and spoke the universal language called music.
Pt Tejendra Narayan Majumdar
He Wanted To Teach Me Ghazals
I came to know Jagjit Singh in the early 90s through my father, Salil Chowdhury. He was scoring music for the serial, “Darar”, and had given me the responsibility of making Jagjit Singh learn the lines. The song, “Rishton mein darar ayi” was recorded in Mumbai and went on to become a rage. Jagjit Singh not just rehearsed the lines at our place, but also spent an hour at the studio doing just the same. He was touched by the song. At that time, it was thought that Bengalis can’t compose ghazals. My father had, in fact, told me, “Let me show the world that Bengalis too can make some lively ghazals.” Later, when I had gone out to eat with Jagjit Singh in Mumbai, he had said: “Beti, tum kyon nahin aa jati mere paas?” He wanted to teach me ghazals, but because of my commitments in Kolkata, I could never do that.
ANTARA CHOWDHURY, Singer
He Could Not Keep His Promise
Jagjit would regularly visit Kolkata in the mid-70s and essentially put up at Mirza Ghalib
Street. He was of the opinion that the city was keen on keeping Mirza Ghalib’s works
alive. During that time, my father’s friend, C h u n i N a s h k a r, would accompany him on tabla as he sang thumris. He hadn’t got into ghazals in a big way till then. He was associated with my father, Jahnabi Ranjan Mishra, and Shanti Bardhan, both disciples of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and would even be a regular at our Chanditala residence. My father and Chuni Nashkar would also learn tabla under the tutelage of Kanai Dutta. At that time, there would be mujras at the Bengal Film Laboratory and baijis would come down from Lucknow to perform. My father would often play tabla there and Jagjit used to be present as well. Another connection with I shared with him is through Salil Chowdhury. Jagjit sang the title track of the serial “Darar”, which was composed by Salil Chowdhury. The last time I spoke to him was a few months back when I was working on the Urdu transcreations of Tagore’s songs. I remember sending him two songs and that mail is still there in my sent items. He asked me like a child whether he would be able to sing those songs as he was not keeping too well. “But I would do the narration in the album,” he had promised. Sadly, he couldn’t keep this promise.
Debajyoti Mishra, composer
I Received My First Remuneration From Him
Jagjit Singh gave me my first break. He’s the one to have made me Kumar Sanu. I was recording Kishore Kumar’s songs when he heard me first. The very next day, he called me to another studio for recording. I got my first remuneration, 1,500, from him! He later introduced me to Kalyanji (of Kalyan-Anand) and that set the ball rolling for me in Bollywood. I last met him eight months back at my audio release in Mumbai. Throughout my career, I was in touch with him. He was my greatest source of inspiration.
Kumar Sanu, Singer
As told to Priyanka Dasgupta, Zinia Sen and Piyali Dasgupta
Listen to Jagjit's Ghazals on Gaana