Behind That Voice!

Those who use pen often would know what it means when words fail you. Writing this story has left me in no different state. Maybe because I myself am a victim of the voice that sings “thukrao ab keh pyaar karo, main nashay main hoon!� Some may object to use of the word ‘victim’, but how exactly would you refer to a voice that has blindfolded millions with its melodies leaving them dwelling in a world of fantasies. Why is it when you are sick of everything around you, the only companion you seek is the resonance of this voice? Why is it when no medicine can heal certain pain, it is this voice that acts as the perfect drug? Jagjit Singh’s voice is an addiction and if you are not the victim of this drug, you are an exception. This voice is like a bottle of fine vintage wine which gets soothing with every passing decade.

Born on 8th of February 1941 in a middle class Sikh family, the infant was named ‘Jagmohan’ which was later changed to ‘Jagjit’ on advice of a priest. Spotting a budding singer in their child, Jagjit’s parents arranged lessons for him. Although he listened to many great masters of music, he took inspiration from Ustad Aamir Khan. He attended Khalsa school and later a college in Sriganganagar. By now, music is all what Jagjit could think of. He moved to DAV college in Jallandher. Here he performed at All India Radio where he met some of the music gurus of the time. He later enrolled at Kurukshetra university where the list of his admirers grew much longer. “I was a focussed student in school but in college, music certainly over-whelmed my academics.�

Things didn’t come easy to him. In the year 1961, Jagjit went to Bombay to try his luck in playback singing. He met music director Jaikishen who appreciated Jagjit’s potential but was unable to offer him any breakthrough. Jagjit was running out of funds for survival to a point where he did not even have enough money to buy himself a return ticket for home. To give fate yet another chance, Jagjit came back to Bombay in 1965. This time, it did not take much time for companies like HMV to spot the spark in a man who would revolutionize ghazal in coming years. Jagjit managed to record two ghazals. This was obviously not enough. It wasn’t easy to make his space in Bombay. The industry was very competitive and newcomers were perceived as run of the mill lot. “In those days, my room rent was thirty-five rupees. Total bill for the month including food was hundred and fifty rupees.�

Jagjit sang in private mehfils and film parties in dire hope of being noticed by a music director. He soon realized his own potential and decided that playback singing may not be the perfect match. Jagjit concentrated on ghazal. Luck was to side with him too. In those times, ghazal was becoming a rarity while for Jagjit, it was to be his trademark. Despite the mad rat race of bollywood singers, Jagjit decided to follow his own path. His style was unique and with time, he became a different league altogether. “In our times, there was no television. There was no place for exposure. Films were the only source. I never really intended to become a Ghazal maestro although I was beginning to develop a great taste for it at that stage. All I wanted to do was to be a music director or a playback singer. It was later that I decided that Ghazal was my destination.�

Since ghazal was a luxury confined to tasteful bits of the elite, marketing it was not an easy task. Jagjit would compose radio jingles to earn some money. He had no idea that soon he would record one such jingle with the love of his life. Chitra Singh, then Chitra Datta was considered as a ‘jingle queen’ of the time. She was already in a bad marriage which was close to mark its end. Year 1970, as Jagjit says, “main say hum ho gaye.� The two were married to become not just life but professional companions. In 1971, the couple had their only son Vivek.

Things began changing for Jagjit. Success started becoming synonymous to his performances. He recorded his first album “The Unforgettables� featuring the couple’s ghazals. “Baat Niklegi�, “Aahista Aahista�, “Dard Badhkar�, “Bohot Pehle Se� were pieces that were becoming an absolute addiction. It was time for the world to finally know that Jagjit and Chitra Singh had arrived! The album met great success and with the income, the couple got their first abode, their own ‘modest’ flat in Bombay. “My success was very slow and steady. I never was an instant hit. When you become successful overnight, you tend to lose your mind. There were many times I was unsuccessful but I never lost hope and kept trying. Success did not come easy to me. I have had a significant share of struggle before I got recognition.�

Bollywood that at one time was too busy for Jagjit was now craving for his voice to be associated to the industry. Films like ‘PremGeet’, ‘Arth’ and ‘Saath Saath’ brought Jagjit into even more limelight. After much struggle in life, he was only beginning to enjoy every day of success when his world shook again. In 1990, Vivek, Jagjit and Chitra’s only son passed away in a tragic road accident. Jagjit Singh’s voice healed the pain of millions but this time, it was his own heart that was filled with it. “It was a very tough time for me. I was shaken. I used to meditate for hours. I felt better and gradually recovered. I came out as a stronger person than before. Some people thought I was finished and that I would probably be eliminated from the singing scene.�

Though it took a while, Jagjit reconciled with life which was never the same but returned to his best friend, music. Chitra Singh could not recover from the shock. That day onwards, she stopped singing.

Jagjit’s dream of singing with Lata Mangeshkar came true in later years. He released an album with her called “Sajda�. Other prominent albums followed including “face to face�, “Silsilay� and “koi baat chalay�. He also released an album with the former Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee. The album was named “Nai Dishayen�. It is difficult to name just a few famous ghazals of this legend since the list is never-ending. Jagjit’s success is not just his voice. It is also the poetry he uses that leaves his audience spellbound. “When I sing, I imagine the situations in poetry. I feel the depth of words before delivering them.�
Despite sweeping success in latter years of Jagjit’s professional life, he is so humble that you often forget that this man is an icon for millions of people. “Success never gets to my head so my feet stay on ground. My father was a very simple man and this simplicity and modesty is what I get in inheritance. For an artist, every morning is a new start for a new struggle and for more efforts. I don’t want to live in my past glory.�

Jagjit Singh is a man with many attributes – a great singer, a passionate artist, a social worker and most of all, a humble, down-to-earth man. “My struggle in life has been to get love and adulation from my people. I see this as my most cherishable achievement of my life.� When asked when he would be visiting Pakistan, Jagjit smiled “whenever you want! It is my second home.�