Name: Jagjit Singh
Born: Feb 8th, 1941
Place: SriGanganagar, Rajasthan.
Father: AmarSingh Dhiman
Mother: Bachchan Kaur
Family : Chitra Singh

Jagjit Singh is the name of a soul touching voice. 'Jag' means World and 'Jit' means Winning. Like his name, he has won millions of hearts all over the world. His talent of singing Ghazals in a unique style, with his own mix of classical and western music has changed the typical way of singing ghazals. He has given Ghazal singing a new dimension. Jagjit Singh was born in a very religious Sikh family; his father inspired him to sing the religious chants in ragas. But Jagjit Singh was more drawn towards modern music and his talents in ragas gave him a chance to master the art of ghazal singing. After receiving a B.A. Degree from D.A.V. College at the City of Jalandhar he came to Mumbai for a playback singing career and then the struggle began. He sang at different marriage parties and functions during this struggle to survive in the city. Here he met Chitra Singh; fell in love; and married her.

He got his first LP out in 1976 which became a big hit and his first song in “The Unforgettable" album was " Baat Niklegi to Phir door talak jayegi”

This provided a fillip to his career and he has been singing in Hindi, Punjabi films along with a number of albums released which were liked by almost anybody who understood Hindi or Punjabi.

Jagjit Singh went through a painful time when he lost his only son, Vivek to a car accident. In one interview on a Canadian T.V. he mentioned that he could not have survived this pain if there was no music." 'Jag' ne cheena mujhse mujhe jo bhi laga payara....sab 'Jit' gaye mujhse main hardam hi hara", clearly shows the pain Jagjit Singh has encountered in his life.

"I'm a trained musician, and know the language; I first choose the ghazal and then set the tune. After that I select the instruments, the sound, which is suitable for that particular poetry. A selection of raga is also kept in mind, in the studio I sit for mixing the song also and I try to use new sounds, new technology in my ghazals. Why not? The thought in the poetry is the only muse"-Jagjit Singh.

Jagjit Singh, one of the most talented artistes of India, has with him a beautiful and an equally talented wife Chitra Singh, made history in the world of music. Born on 8th February, 1941 in Shriganganagar in Rajasthan, he trained under Ustad Jamal Khan of the Senia Gharana. After graduation he came to Mumbai to try his fortunes in the music business. The first full fledged Ghazal album by the husband-wife team was "The Unforgettables" in 1976, after which there was no looking back.

        "Gham Mujhe, Hasrat Mujhe, Vehshat Mujhe, Sauda Mujhe,
           Ek Dil De Kar, Khuda Ne Dediya Kya Kya Mujhe".

As the pioneers of non film music wave Jagjit & Chitra have been greatly instrumental in popularizing Ghazals. They have also created the music and songs for various films and TV serials. Jagjit & Chitra have their fans spread out not only in India but all over the world. The response to their performances in concerts has been tremendous. Their ability to establish a rapport with their audience makes the evening a memorable experience.

Looking for new talents and promoting them has been Jagjit Singh's constant endeavor. Artistes such as Talat Aziz, Ghanshyam Vaswani, Vinod Sehgal, Ashok Khosla and Siza Roy, are his contribution to the field of music.
Awards have been conferred upon him from several state governments and music associations. Their enchanting ghazals use the choicest poetry by renowned lyricists like Mirza Ghalib, Ameer Meenai, Kafeel Aazer, Sudarshan Faakir and Nida Fazli. The lyrics stir an emotive appeal and are given mood and life by Jagjit and Chitra Singh.

Songs like "Sarakti Jaye Hai Rukh se Naqab Aahista Aahista", "Aah Ko Chahiye", "Baat Niglegi To Door Talak Jayegi"and "Woh Kagaz Ki Kashti" are some of his most

During the 1970s, in India, the art of ghazal singing was dominated by well-established names like Noor Jehan, Malika Pukhraj, Begum Akhtar, Kundan Lal Saigal, Talat Mahmood and Mehdi Hassan.

However, Jagjit Singh 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 epitomise 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 to a wider audience.

Later successful releases of the duo include “Ecstasies”, “A Sound Affair” and “Passions”.

More>>

• Prestigious Ghalib Awards conferred
• A Special Gahlib Award was conferred to ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh for popularising Ghalib's poetry through his Ghazals.  
• Jagjit Singh won the Best Album in devotional category at THE Mtv Immies Award
• The Sahitya Academy Award in 1998 for popularizing Ghalib.
• The Madhya Pradesh government honored him with the Lata Mangeshkar Samman in 1998.
• In the year 2003 the maestro has been honored with the title Padmabhushan by the Govt. of India.
• Gaurav Puraskar for the year 2004-05 from  Smt. Chandibai Himathmal Mansukhani College, Ulhasnagar will be given to him.
  

*   Hothon Se Chu Lo Tum
*   Khumaar
*   Main Bhool Jaoon
*   Pyar Na Toote
*   Rishton Mein Daraar Aayi
*   Soft Instrumentals - Jagjit Singh
*   Tere Khushboo Mein Basey Khat
*   The Best Of Kahkashan
*   Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho
*   Tum To Nahi Ho
*   Woh Kaagaz Ki Kashti

More Songs and Albums >>

More Pictures>>

Over the years, Jagjit has promoted young Ghazal singers by lending his name or his music to budding talents. "Nobody helped me like this when I had just arrived in Bombay ... if you help others, it doesn't demean you." Jagjit believes he has imbibed his father's generosity and large-heartedness. "These are samskaras [good deeds] which I saw from childhood and learned from them."
 His acts of kindness, which are showered on accompanying artistes, friends in need and associates, also extend to people he does not know. "He gives you everything before you have to ask for it" said Kuldip Desai, Jagjit's personal assistant. In the 1990s, Jagjit has done albums whose vast royalties have gone to charitable organizations like Child Relief and You, the Aurobindo Ashram and the National Association for the Blind. "One does these things hoping for relief or peace or to see someone happy."

Jagjit came at a time when the stricken Ghazal was about to kick the bucket, but his arrival breathed oxygen into it. For this service, says poet Sudarshan Faakir, Ghazal lovers are forever indebted to him. "He developed a new industry, “the Ghazal industry," with its ancillary artistes, sound engineers, studios and poets. Urdu poets owe him a special place in their hearts, for it was Jagjit who made it a practice to pay these lyricists a part of his earnings. His latest commitment is to popularize Hindi all over multi-lingual India as a connecting language that the whole country should share.
The first step was an album with the Hindi poetry of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, "Samvedna" last year. Such is Jagjit's market value and phenomenal presence that like Urdu was resuscitated after "Mirza Ghalib", the more Hindi Geet albums he releases, it will be the turn of shrinking Hindi litterateurs to thank him as their savior too. In recognition of his yeoman contributions to music and literature, Jagjit was awarded the Padma Bhushan title by the government of India last month.

Today, Jagjit the perfectionist motivates himself to ever-newer musical achievement. For someone who has attained Himalayan heights, "every morning is a new beginning, every album is a new album, every concert is a new test ... to live in your past is a dangerous thing ... whatever you've done, you can do something better, let's try for that".

" Uthke mehfil se mat chale jaana,
tum se roshan ye kona kona hain "