A Concert Ends

Jagjit Singh was part-mentor part-friend to me. We met in 1975 at his concert in Hyderabad,where I used to live. We hit it off and,as part of our family tradition of inviting artistes for mehfils,we had him and his wife Chitra home for lunch. It was a memorable evening as I sang to him while he held the mike. He found me talented and encouraged me to move to Bombay,which I did the following year. What made him a great artiste was that he was deeply dedicated to music. He became known for his contributions and innovations in ghazals. He also looked beyond himself and supported new talent. When I was launching my first album in 1979,I again called upon him. A hugely-recognised artiste,he agreed to lend it his name and Jagjit Singh Presents Talat Aziz is one of my most popular albums to date.

We all know that much changed for him and his wife when they lost their beloved son Vivek to a car accident in the 1990s. Chitraji went into a shell. Despite the immense grief,Jagjitji pushed himself to continue his music. The turn of events only added to the sorrow in his voice. As friends,we continued to stay in touch. We would not meet for weeks or months but then,when we’d meet,we would have long chat sessions and informal mehfils. A couple of months ago,I was recording at a studio when Jagjitji decided to drop by. After the recording,I told him that we should go for dinner where we had an impromptu jam session. Then,I insisted he come over to our house to meet my wife,Bina,whom he was very fond of. But he refused,saying that it will get too late. I regret not having insisted,since that was our last meeting.

I have been in the US for a few weeks now and was at a concert when I was informed of his hospitalisation. I was relieved when,two days ago,Anoop Jalota told me that his state had improved. The news of his demise came to me from my wife. Though I cannot attend his funeral,I will pay a tribute at my upcoming concert at the Indian consulate in the US.

Jalandhar Memories

The years spent at DAV College Jalandhar,from 1963 to 1965 hold a special place for Vijay Vashisht. The former radio presenter’s senior in college was ghazal singer Jagjit Singh,who passed away yesterday at 70. “He used to wear a turban and was a hit with the girls,” says Vashisht. “Jagjit was a rage in the ghazal circuit and people would withdraw their entries from music contests if they came to know that he had entered too. When he moved to Mumbai in 1973,it was a struggling period for him. That was the time I worked for radio and he would bring his LPs and EPs and ask me to play them on radio for promotion,” he adds. Singh was particular about riyaaz. “He would take extra care of his voice quality and never compromise on riyaaz,” says Vashisht.

Jagjit Singh’s nephew,Amandeep Singh,a businessman,is in mourning. “Having him around was fun,he was full of jokes.” he says,adding that his late mother,Jagjit’s sister,too was a singer.