Gazal Maestro Jagjit Singh

Biography

Early years Er. Jagjit Singh Bhangu(or Jagjeet Singh) was born in Morinda. His father Amar Singh Dhiman, employed by Government of India, was a native of the village of Dalla in what is now Ropar in Punjab and his mother Bachchan Kaur came from a deeply sikh family fromOttalavillage near Samrala. His siblings include four sisters and two brothers and he is known as Jeet by his family. Although his late father wanted him to join the I.A.S. , he was later reported to be happy with his son's achievements in the world of music. Singh went to Khalsa Hiigh School in Sri Ganganagar. He then studied science after matriculation at Government college, Sri Ganganagar and went DAV college , Jalandhar in graduate in arts. He also achieved a post graduate degree in history from Kurukshetra university, Haryana.

Career
Early career
Jagjit Singh's association with music goes back to his childhood. He learnt music Pt. chaganlal sharma for two years in Ganganagar, and later devoted six years to learning khayal, thumri and dhrupad forms of Indian classical music from Ustad Jamaal khan of the sainia gharana school. In 1964 Jagjit Singh and guru ji Ustad Gurmeet singh ji used to practice in Jagraon district, Ludhiana. The Vice-Chancellor of punjab university and Kurukshetra university, Late professor suraj bhan encouraged his interest in music. He arrived Mumbai in 1965 in search of better opportunities as a career musician and singer. His early struggle in the music industry, though not too harsh by his own account, still had its share of trials and tribulations. He lived as a paying guest and his earlier assignments were singing advertisement jingles or performing at weddings and parties.

Rise to fame
During 1970s, the art of ghazal singing was dominated by well-established names like Noor jehan, Mallika pukhraj, Begam Akhtar, Talat Mehmood and Mehadi Hasan. However, Jagjit was still able to make his mark and carve out a niche for himself. In 1976, his album The Unforgettables (On HMV LP Records) hit the music stores. Essentially a ghazal album, it's emphasis on melody and Jagjit's fresh voice was a departure from the prevalent style of ghazal rendition, which was heavily based on classical and semi-classical Indian music. Skeptics had their own reservations, purists scorned it but it was widely successful among listeners and the album set new sales records. In 1967 he met Chitra , also a singer, while doing jingles. After a two year long courtship they got married in 1969. They epitomize the first successful husband-wife singing team. Jagjit Singh, with Chitra, has contributed immensely towards changing the course of this genre of music known as 'Ghazal' making it more ear friendly, melodic and enjoyable by a wider audience. Later successful releases of the duo include Ecstasies, A Sound Affair and Passions. While these albums were breezy, Beyond Time released in the opening years of 1990s was an experimentation with sounds and conveyed a feeling that was beyond space and time. The album is a tour to the soul, ethereal, conscientious and introspective. 'Someone Somewhere' was the last album containing ghazals sung by both. After that, Chitra quit singing, around the time of his first grandson, Armaan Chowdhury's birth. Jagjit Singh's later albums, including Hope, In Search, Insight, Mirage, Visions, Kahkashan (meaning "Galaxy"), Love Is Blind, Chirag (meaning "Lamp"/"Flame") also achieved success. Sajda (an Urdu word meaning "offering"), which has ghazals sung by Jagjit and Lata Mangeshkar was another brilliant release and made its mark as a classic Ghazal album. The combined successes of his many albums made him arguably the number one ghazal singer in India. The audience wanted more and Jagjit Singh obliged with his Punjabi albums. Ebullient, effervescent and bubbly, his Punjabi songs are pleasant as well as joyous. Their enchanting ghazals use the choicest poetry by renowned poets including Mirza Ghalib , Sudarshan faakir and Nida Fazil , and contemporary writers like Nazir Bakri and Rajesh Reddy (as playback singer) for various songs Bolluwood films including Arth, Saath Saath and Premgeet (all from 1980s). The scores remain popular even today. In fact, all the songs of film Premgeet were composed by Jagjit. His compositions for the TV serial Mirza Ghalib (based on the life of the poet Mirza Ghalib ), remain extremely popular among ghazal aficionados. The exclusive element of Ghalib's poetry was sensitively and wonderfully brought out in the soulful compositions of Ghalib's ghazals by Jagjit Singh. The album could veritably be called a Magnum Opus. Compared to his earlier ghazals (sung during 70s and 80s) his later ghazals have acquired a more soulful and poignant demeanour, as in albums such as Marasim, Face To Face, Aaeena, Cry For Cry. But all through this, romance never took a backseat! The journey to the soul is punctuated by romantic pauses like Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin. A testimony to his popularity is his ghazals in recent Bollywood flicks like Dushman, Sarfarosh, Tum Bin and Tarkeeb. Most of the earlier albums of Jagjit Singh had English titles. Later, these had Urdu names like Sahar (meaning "Dawn"/"Morning"), Muntazir (meaning "In waiting"), Marasim (meaning "Relation"/"Relationship"/"Affinity" ) "Soz" (Pathos) etc.. The switchover may not be deliberate but marks a milestone in his singing. These new albums show a far better selection of lyrics and yes, even the singing has scaled new peaks. Besides ghazals, Jagjit Singh has also sung Bhajans and Gurbani (Hindu and Sikh devotional hymns respectively). Albums such as Maa, Hare Krishna, Hey Ram...Hey Ram, Ichhabal and also Man Jeetai Jagjeet Punjabi, put him in the league of Bhajan singers such as Mukesh, Yesudas, Anup Jalota and Purushottam Das Jalota. The soothing effect that Jagjit's voice has on frayed nerves has prompted psychiatrists in metros (as large cities in India are called) to prescribe them as stress relievers.

Influence
Jagjit Singh is accredited with bringing the ghazal genre, which was previously restricted to the elite classes, to the masses. His music direction can be seen to be pioneering in changing the sound layout by adding more Western instruments while mostly retaining the traditional orchestra (which includes a tablaa, dholak, bongos, aitar, sarod, santoor, flute, and harmonium, and a couple of string instrumentsJagjit Singh is also nicknamed Gazaljit Singh. Jagjit Singh is accredited with finding one of the foremost playback singers in Bollywood in modern times,Kumar Sanu. As he played a big part in Sanu's initial career, in an interview Sanu said that Singh took him to meet the legendary music Kalyanji Aanandji after hearing his voice, from there on Sanu has become a legend in Bollywood for his range and singing as he went to win five male Filmfare Awards in a row. A record that still stands. Jagjit Singh voiced his opinion against artists Pakistan being allowed to sing in India , when Pakistan refuses to reciprocate the gesture. In addition to cultivating his own successful career, Jagjit Singh has been involved in guiding many new, talented singers such as , Ghanshyam Vaswani, , Siza Roy and Vinod Sehgal. He also lends active support to several philanthropic endeavors such as the Library at St. Mary's, Bombay Hospital, CRY , and ALMA (an organization that adopts under-privileged students for further education and development).

Personal life
Jagjit Singh married the popular Chitra Singh in 1969. They live Cumballa Hills , Mumbai. They had a son, Vivek, who died in a road accident. In October 2007, Jagjit Singh was hospitalized following low blood circulation to the brain. Now he is doing fine.




Music career
There are many more gazals which are famous like....
Apne hothon par sajaana chaahta hoon
Kaise kaise haadse sehte rahe
Patta-patta boota-boota haal hamaara jaane hai
Apne haathon kee lakiron meiN basa le mujhko
Sadma to hai mujhe bhi ke tujhse juda hoon main
Apani aankho ke samundar mein utar jaane de
Meri zindagi kisi aur ki,
mere naam ka koi aur hai
Aadmi aadmi ko kya degaa
Apni marzi se kahan apni safar ke hum hain
Ik baramhahn ne kaha hai ke ye saal achhaa hai
Main na hindoo na musalmaan mujhe jeene do
Garaj baras pyaasi dharthi par phir paani de maula
Chak jigar ke see lete hain Main bhool jaaoon tumhe,
ab yahi munaasib hai
Jaate jaate wo mujhe achchhi nishaani de gaya
Shaam se aankh mein namin si hai
Tere baare mein jab socha nahin thaa
Tere aane ki jab khabar mehke
Tamanna fir machal jaaye agar tum milne aa jaao
Ab main ration ki kataron mein nazar aata hoon
Tujhse milne ki saza denge tere shehar ke log
Patthar ke khuda, patthar ke sanam
Huzoor aapka bhi ahtraam karta chaloon
Din aa gaye sabaab ke aanchal sambhaaliye
Gulshan ki faqat phoolon se nahin kaaton se bhi zeenat hoti hai
Baat saaqi ki na taali jaayegi
Chupke chupke raat din aansoon bahana yaad hai
Roshan jamal-e-yaar se hai anjuman tamaam
Tera chehra kitna suhaana lagta hai
Tum nahin, gham nahin sharaab nahin
Sarakti jaaye hain rukh se naqaab aahistaa-aahista
Ae khuda ret ke sehra ko samandar kar de
Yeh daulat bhi le lo, yeh shohrat bhi le lo
Hoshwalo ko khabar
Honthon se chhoo lo tum
Koi yeh kaise bataye
Tere khat
Bahut khoobsurat hai
Kiska Chehera
Kal chodvi ki raat thi
Baat niklegi to
Der laagi ane mein tumko
Main nashe mein hoon
Pyar mujhse jo kiya tumne
Tera chehera hai aaeene jaisa
Chitthi na koi sandesh
Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho
Jab se kareeb ho kay chale zindagi se hum
Koi fariyaad
Kahin duur jab din
Kehta hai baabul
Jhuki jhuki si nazar
Tumko dekha to yeh khayal
Sehma sehma

Awards
In 2003, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan , one of India's highest civilian honours, from the Govt. of India.
In 2006, Teacher's Achievement Awards

Music composed for films
Leela (2002)
Sarfarosh (1999)
Khudai (1994)
Billoo Badshah (1989)
Kaanoon Ki Awaaz (1989)
Mirza Ghalib (1988)
Rahi (1987)
Long Da Lishkara (1986)
Ravan (1984)
Arth (1982)
Sitam (1982) (as Jagjit-Chitra)
Prem Geet (1981)

Ghazal albums
The Unforgettables (1976)
Birha Da Sultan(Shiv Kumar Batalvi) Jagjit & Chitra (1978
Live in Pakistan (1979)
A Milestone (1980)
Main aur Meri Tanhaayee (1981)
The Latest (1982)
Ae mere Dil (1983)
Live at Royal Albert Hall ª(1983)
Ecstasies (1984)
A Sound Affair (1985)
Echoes (1985–86)
Beyond Time (1987)
Mirza Ghalib (Two Volumes) (1988),
TV Serial Directed by Gulzar Passion / Black Magic (1988)
Ghazals from Films (1989)
Emotions Man Jite Jagjit (1990)
Memorable Ghazals of Jagjit and Chitra (1990)
Someone Somewhere (1990)
H O P E (1991)
Sajda (Two Volumes with Lata Ji) (1991)
Kahkashan (Two Volumes) (1991–92),
TV Serial Directed by Jalal Agaa Visions (Two Volumes) (1992)
In Search (1992)
Rare Gems (1992)
Face to face (1993)
Your Choice (1993)
Chiraag (1993)
Desires (1994)
Insight (1994)
Cry for Cry (1995)
Mirage (1995)
Unique (1996)
Come Alive in a Concert (1998 (CD))
Live at the Wembley Love is Blind (1998)
Silsilay (1998)
Marasim (1999)
Saher (2000)
Samvedna 2002
Soz (2002)
Forget Me Not (2002)
Jaam Utha Muntazir (2004)
Jeevan Kya Hai (2005)
Tum To Nahin Ho (Lyrics by Bashir Badr) (2005)
Life Story (2006)
Best of Jagjit & Chitra Singh (includes Mere Darwaaze Se Ab Chand Ko Ruksat Kar do by Ali Sardar Jaffrey)
Koi Baat Jazbaat(2008)

The world salute this great gazal singer who has created his own place on the earth.