Jagjit Singh

Jagjit Singh was an Indian classical singer, composer and musician, famously known for his ghazals. Singh did not have an easier start in the industry and sang in advertisements to earn his living in Bombay. He married another prominent ghazal singer, Chitra Dutta, and performed together as a duo. He is known for his songs like Tum Itna jo muskuraa rahe ho, Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar, and more iconic songs.

Name	Jagmohan Singh Dhiman (Jagjit Singh)
Date of Birth	8 February 1941
Place of Birth	Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India
Date of Death	10 October 2011
Place of Death	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Father	Sardar Amar Singh Dhiman
Mother	Bachan Kaur
Spouse	Chitra Dutta
Children	2
Profession	Indian classical singer, composer
Education	Khalsa High School, DAV College, Jalandhar
Awards	Padma Bhushan (2003), Sahitya Akademi Award (1998), Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award

 

Early Life and Education

Jagjit Singh was born on 8 February 1941 in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India. His real name was Jagmohan Singh Dhiman. He belonged to a Namdhari Sikh family and was raised well. His father, Sardar Amar Singh Dhiman, worked as a surveyor. He developed an interest in music, and on recognising his talents, his family supported him in pursuing a career in music by providing him with an opportunity to learn classical music. He trained under Ustad Chhote Ghulam Ali Khan and later under Ustad Jamal Khan.

Jagjit Singh completed his early education from Khalsa High School and later graduated from DAV College, Jalandhar. He further completed his post-graduation from Kurukshetra University. Despite excellence in academics, he focused on his singing career. He initiated his career in 1961 by participating in song-making at All India Radio's (AIR) Jalandhar Station. His father wanted him to become either a bureaucrat or an engineer, but did not dictate what he wanted to do with his life. However, music was encouraged by his family.

His career

Jagjit Singh had a strong base when it came to Indian classical singing. He trained under Ustad Jamal Khan, who was from the Maihar gharana and trained Khayal, Dhrupad, Thumri and others. He is credited with the revival and popularisation of ghazals.

In the 1960s, He made the decision to move to Bombay (Now Mumbai) to pursue a playback singing and music career. He struggled a lot to make both ends meet. In the early stages of his career, he would sing for advertisements and do minor jobs. He did not rise to prominence immediately but became popular with his independent efforts.

In 1967, he met Chitra Dutta, who was a ghazal singer herself and became acquainted. Dutta left her house with her daughter Monica, divorced her husband and married Jagjit Singh in December 1969. The couple welcomed a son, named Vivek. The duo performed together, and in 1977 they released an album called The Unforgettable, which became a success despite the dominance of Pakistani ghazal singers.

His style of singing is called Bol-Pradhan, which pays attention to words and the way they are pronounced. He sang songs like Honthon Se Chhoo Lo Tum (Prem Geet, 1981) Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar (Arth, 1982) Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho (Arth, 1982) Chitthi Na Koi Sandesh (Dushman, 1998) Koi Fariyaad (Tum Bin, 2001).

After his son, Vivek Singh, passed away in a road accident at the age of 20, he became depressed and did not perform publicly for nearly a year. Chitra Singh, his wife announced her retirement and never sang again. His his step-daughter, Monica Chowdhary, aged 50, died by suicide in 2009.

Death

Jagjit Singh faced challenges in his personal life, and also on the health front, he suffered from diabetes and hypertension, and underwent two heart bypass surgeries in 1998 and 2007. He suffered a brain haemorrhage on 23 September 2011 and was in come for two weeks and breath his last on 10 October at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai.