Ghazal Singer and Padmabhushan Awardee, Jagjit Singh Passed Away in Mumbai

Veteran ghazal singer Jagjit Singh passed away on 10 October 2011 in Mumbai. He was 70. He was admitted in Lilavati Hospital for more than two weeks.  The singer had undergone an emergency surgery for brain hemorrhage at the Hospital on 23 September 2011. The veteran singer, popularly known as the Ghazal King had gained acclaim together with his wife Chitra Singh in 1970s and 1980s. He had sung in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Sindhi and Nepali languages. Moreover, Jagjit Singh is the only singer and composer to have composed and recorded songs written by former Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, in two albums, Samvedna in the year 2002 and Nayi Disha in the year 1999. His music became popular through films such as Prem Geet, Arth and Saath Saath and TV serials Kahkashan and Mirza Galib.

Jagjit Singh was awarded Padmabhushan, India’s third highest civilian honour, in 2003. He was the voice behind Hazaron Khwaishe aisi, Jhuki Jhuki si Nazar and Ye kaghaz ki kashti. Jagjit Singh was born to Sikh parents in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan on 8 February, 1941. He sang the famous song tum jo intna muskura Rahe Ho from Mahesh Bhatt’s film Arth in 1982.

Jagjeet Singh began his musical journey singing Shabads or devotional songs in Gurudwaras. He studied in DAV college Jalandar where his fee was waived off because of his voice. He got a chance as a professional singer in Jalandar’s All India Radio. He came to Mumbai in 1961 to try his hand in play back singing but soon returned to Jalandar. He came again to Mumbai to fulfil his dreams in 1965. His voice infused a new melody into Ghazals and brought Ghazals into the mainstream. He also sang duets with his wife Chitra Singh. He sang in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Sindhi.