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Jagjit Singh remains unsurpassed as the most popular Indian ghazal singer of our times. Born in 1941 in Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, Jagjit Singh learnt music from Ustad Jamal Khan of Seniya Gharana. He came to Bombay in 1965, to try his luck in the music industry. His highly expressive style of singing led him to specialise in singing ghazals. Ghazals, according to Singh, are the most evocative form of verse; as it embraces the entire spectrum of human emotions, feelings and sentiments.
Jagjit Singh came out with his first album The Unforgettables in 1976. Since then, he has released more than 35 albums. He has also won several awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1998 for popularising Ghalib. The Madhya Pradesh government honoured him with the Lata Mangeshkar Samman in 1998.
The deep timbre of his silken voice along with the stirring and crystal clear renditions are the hallmark of Jagjit Singh’s 'gayaki' music. It has a sound classical base, and he beautifully orchestrates his composition by blending traditional ragas with modern music styles. Jagjit Singh is passionately involved in the making of each of his albums - right from selecting the ghazals to composing the music including orchestration, recording and sound mixing.
In fact, Jagjit Singh is the first ghazal singer to have made the innovative use of western instruments to enhance the sound effect of his compositions without disturbing the lyrical beauty of the ghazal. His repertoire includes the writings of Ghalib, Qateel Shifai, Sudarshan Fakeer and Nida Fazli. Jagjit Singh’s work has created a renewed interest in the art of ghazal poetry.
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