Saying goodbye to Jagjit Singh
Renowned Indian musician and composer Jagjit Singh, who won the hearts of thousands by reviving the genre of ghazals, passed away on Monday in Mumbai at the age of 70, after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
Singh, the ‘King of Ghazals’, whose career boasted a repertoire comprising 50 albums, has sung in several languages, including Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati and Nepali, reports IANS.
Although in 1970s, the art of ghazal singing was dominated by well-established names like Noor Jehan, Malika Pukhraj, Begum Akhtar, Talat Mahmood and Mehdi Hassan, Singh was still able to make his mark and carve out a niche for himself, according www.jagjitsingh.in.
In 1976, he came out with his first album The Unforgettables, a collection of semi-classical Indian music. The album, which broke many records, was a departure from the prevalent style of ghazal rendition.
Following that the singing duo comprising of Jagjit and his wife Chitra Singh, released successful albums including Ecstasies, A Sound Affair and Passions. Jagjit also gave voice to classic numbers like “Kal Chaudhavin Ki Raat”, “Honthon Se Chhoo Lo Tum”, “Woh Kaaghaz Ki Kashti”, “Chitthi Na Koi Sandesh”, “Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho”, “Yeh Daulat Bhi Le Lo, Yeh Shohrat Bhi Le Lo”, “Tumko Dekha Toh Ye Khayal Aaya”, “Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar”, “Hoshwaalon Ko Khabar Kya” and “Kiska Chehra”.
This loss is felt by fans all around the globe, with the Bollywood fraternity and local musicians in Pakistan describing his death as the loss of a “true legend”.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2011.
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Love is the Greatest Passion. It is stronger than Hate... we all share the loss of the Maestro. The art of Ghazal is grateful for his contribution, the family stands Orphaned. We shall miss you JS. You made our lives richer and hearts ever so sensitive...
Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho, kya gham he jise chupa rahe ho!
I'm sure he would have sung this to help his fans mourn their loss!
Urdu is a great language,it is very sweet,and there is great beauty in it when some one like late Jagjeet Singh,understood,"LAFZ" and said it right,it is fitting and ironical that the other book end of modern Gazal singing ,they sang togather,in his last concert in mumbai,how fortunate are those who listened to him for last time?.Now as I miss this kind singer,and a very humble one,(i'm fortunate,I have listened to him live many times)I can say I saw Mohamud Ali,Roger Federer,Jimmy Carter,Mahatha Gandhi and listened to both Lata and Jagjeet live,I count myself blessed.I also lived in the times of Steve Jobs.We are all fortunate to live in this age,I remember,looking for right change to use NYC street public telephone,we have now forgotten that they even exist.Dime and nickle?,What Dime?Are you kidding?A sad smile come to me,slowly,very slowly.A sad smile all the same.Can we all get along?
I love 'Wo kaghaz ki kashti' and can never forget this gazal because it is linked with my childhood memories. Thanks to JS. Will remember JS gazals, thank you for dozens of treats.
Its not onyl a loss of India, its a loss of Indo-Pak continent.
I remember my uncle having brought me an LP record of his first album The Unforgettables. One knew immediately that the album would be just that: Unforgettable! JS was a master craftsman of his trade and to carve a niche for himself in an era when we had Mehdi Hassan is commendable to say the least. And to all my Indian friends, especially Deb, let me say that there is no need to thank us for appreciating genius. After all the too have always been very kind towards Mehdi Hassan Sahab and others.
Dear friends,
When we loose a great heart like JS we grow about the boundry/Religion/Language and salute them., so this shows that Oneness among us. By birth we are not divided but by boundary we are divided this boundary is caused by politics & religion, but still we think has human when great hearts like JS departs. People bullet/hateness doesn't create love among people... but love vanishes all the boundaries created by above said cause.
RIP our hearts bleeds for you.
Vish
@Deb: The art is a gift from God and it cannot be made property of or limited to a certain group of people. JS was responsible for the resurrection of Urdu Ghazals and has given so much pleasure and memories to millions of people all over the world. In the era of communication, J. Singh would be alive for ever. Good music, poetry and art are bigger than the walls that separate our countries. No need to thank anybody, it is the greatness of JS, that has captured us all irrespective of cast, color, nationality and religion. Thanks and regards, Mirza
he is the greatest of all in his genre, RIP
Ambassador of URDU POETRY AND GHAZAL GAYEKI has left us alone. His loss is the loss of Udru Literature , Ghazal Singing and Urdu Poetry . He was truly an ambassador of Urdu language all over the world. Today URDU Language is silent and gloomy on his silence. Urdu has lost a great ambassador today. We are sad, and his fans all over the world are sad today. We Know what we have lost today is not going to be compensated ever again. All I can say is this in his Memory. May God keep him in Heaven and Bless him for his purity of heart.
gaye dino.n kaa suraaG lekar kidhar se aayaa kidhar gayaa vo ajiib maanuus ajanabii thaa mujhe to hairaan kar gayaa vo
vo hijr ki raat kaa sitaara vo hamnafas hamsuKhan hamaaraa sadaa rahe us kaa naam pyaaraa sunaa hai kal raat mar gayaa vo
I am short of words to thank my Pakistani brothers for the sentiments they expressed on Jagjit Singh's demise. It shows when it comes to our innermost feelings like joys and sorrows,we are all same. At a personal level I was not very fond of ghazals to begin with. It was listening to Mehdi Hassan and Ghulam Ali made me a connoisseur of this form of singing.
He will be sorely missed by ghazal aficionados around the world. Rest in peace.
Rest in peace, sir.
Al the salutations to you for your toilsome and life you lived. A legend has gone far away from the world to the hereafter. May your soul rest in peace.
I will say only one thing Savan da mahina ey savan da mahina ey, ambrah che ball koi, gory chardy he, ik ik boond koi, moti te nagina hai.... great jagjite singh
My salute to the king of Ghazals of modern era. Singh was bigger than the boundries of one country not matter how big the country is. He is loved by many millions of people around the globe. May our Rub bless him and his family. All I can say that he would be missed by us all. Thanks for the most wonderful and lasting memories. Chitthi Na Koi Sandesh, Jane tum khan
Music has no borders and singers like Jagjit Singh is born once in centuries.
Right from my childhood, I was a fan of Jagjit Singh and have never missed any opportunity to listen Gazal’s of Ustad Jagjit Singh.
I don’t know why, Jagjit Singh’s voice has influenced me so much that at times when I listen to one of his famous Ghazal’s “Izzat Bhi Lay Lo, Showrat Bhi Lay Lo, Mujh Say Wapas Ley Lo Meri Jawani, Mujah Lotaa Do Mera Bachpan, Wo Kagaz Ki Khasti, Wo Barashi Ka Pani”, my tears rolled down from my cheeks.
Jagjit Singh was one of my famous Gazal singers, who inspired me up to the extent that once I was seriously thinking to start signing Jagjit Singh’s Gazals.
I have no word to pay tribute to Ustad Jagjit Singh, whose voice has always gave me strength to touch the heights of the sky, while listening to his Gazals.
May God give your eternal peace and rest your soul in peace and give strength to his bereaved family members and to all of his fans, who will be living in the world with the beautiful memories of his voice.
Jagjit Singh gave a new meaning to Ghazals. Ghazal world will never be the same without him. Truly the 'Ghazal King'. He brought ghazals to the common man without compromising on the dignity or soul of it. Many generations have learned the nuances of love, life, sacrifice through his ghazals. Poetry of Mirza Ghalib reached new heights after he sang it in the TV serial Mirza Ghalib. shaam se aankh mein nammi si hai aaj phir aap ki kami si hai
RIPJagjitSinghTum Chaley Jaa-o gay to So(n)chay(n) gay……… Ham nay kiya khoya, Ham nay kiya paaya…………..
Saying goodbye to Jagjit Singh
Its is such a sad day. I am afraid how will Indians preserve the beauty of gazals in the ever shrinking space for classical music in India. He's a legend. It is such sad day.