INFORMATION
| Artist Birthday : | 11/10/1941 (Age 70) |
| Born In : | Sri Ganganagar |
| Occupation(s) : | Composer, singer, music director |
| Genres : | Gazal |
Jagjit Singh’s name needs no introduction. He had a beautiful, soulful and silken voice that instantly transports you to a different world. He was born as Jagmohan Singh Dhiman on February 8,1941 in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, and became one of the most iconic ghazal singers in the country. He, along with his Chitra Singh, were the two most sought after ghazal singers in India during the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, Saath and Arth became the largest selling combination album for HMV. In the non-film category, his album Sajda with Lata Mangeshkar broke records.
Singh studied at the DAV College in Jalandhar and started his professional career in 1961 with singing assignments in All India Radio (AIR). He learnt music from Pandit Chaganlal Sharma and Ustad Jamaal Khan of the Senia Gharana. He was trained in Khayal, Dhrupad, Thumri and several other vocal traditions. He is considered to have Bol-pradhan gayaki (singing) according to Indian Classical music. He is credited for reviving ghazal singing in the country.
He moved to Mumbai in 1965 and began working for advertising jingles to begin his career on a fresh note. While still struggling to make a mark, he met Chitra Dutta in 1967 who married him in 1969. They performed as a Duo following the birth of their son but they met real success only in 1976 when their album The Unforgettable was released. Their song “Baat Niklegi” was an instant success and made them overnight superstars as well.
They recorded Birha da Sultan, Live in Concert at Wembley and Come Alive in the subsequent years. Their best-selling album and most popular song was for the album The Latest called “Who Kagaz ki Kashti.” Their joint projects could not continue post 1990 when their son Vivek was killed in an accident.
His best works in films include Arth, Saath Saath and Premgeet. He also did a great job with the TV serial Mirza Ghalib. Two of his most famous film songs are “Honthon Se Chulo Tum” and “Hoshwalo ko Khabar Kya”.
His career spans a glorious five decades and includes over 90 albums and successful songs in many Indian movies. He is the only composer to have recorded songs written by former Indian PM and poet Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Jagjit Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the fourth highest civilian honor in India in 2003. He died on October 10, 2011 but his legacy still lives on in the hearts of his fans. The government of India also released two postal stamps in his honor in February 2014.
