A sajda to Jagjit Singh

It is nearly impossible for the fans of ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh to forget him or his soulful renditions. One after another music concerts as a tribute to him bear witness to this.

The magic of the late legendary ghazal singer was recreated once more through a tribute. The audience at Epicentre, Gurgaon was treated to a concert Wo Kagaz Ki Kashti by musician Shashank Shekhar.Shashank, who has shared the stage with luminaries like L. Subramaniam, Kavita Krishnamurti, Shubha Mudgal and Pandit Birju Maharaj, paid a splendid tribute to the ghazal maestro and struck a chord with the audience in a packed auditorium.

With his popular ghazals like Hoshwalon ko khabar kya, Yaad nahi kya kya dekhe the, Mein nashe me hoon, Pyaar ka pehla khat and Hazaron khwahishen aisi, Shashank reached out to an audience spanning all age groups.

Emotions ran high and the memories of Jagjit Singh were brought alive as he sang, Woh
daulat bhi le lo, ye shoharat bhii le lo. “Jagjitji  was an inspiration and a mentor. I dedicate my performance to him and I salute this God of ghazals. He will live forever in our hearts through the magic of his music. I am deeply appreciative of the legacy Jagjitji has left behind and I want to keep it alive in my own way,” said Shashank, during the
concert.

The performance came to a remarkable end with Shashank’s own composition, Sehra sehra gulshan gulshan geet hamare suniega, followed by a medley comprising slow and fast ghazals, which left the audience enthralled. After the concert, members of the audience turned to the singer giving their feedback to him.

The concert was organised by Spandan Communications and Profile Consulting. Jagjit Singh is known for popularising the ghazals among masses and the concert aimed at taking forward that tradition.

“Ghazal singing was popular among the elitist class. Jagjitji maintained a balance between classes and masses. He took singing to common man without compromising on its quality. This trend should never fade away. This was the main reason behind organising the concert,” he told Metrolife.

Shashank had selected around 15 ghazals of Jagjit Singh of various genres, taals, tempo and raags targetting people of all age groups and to avoid monotony. He remembers his meetings with Jagjit Singh very fondly. “I met him some four times including  once in Delhi.
Once I had a very long talk with him on music. I have been listening to him since childhood and always aspired to sing like him. I often asked him, ‘how can I sing like you’. He took the time to patiently explain the nuances to me over a long period of time,” he
recalls.

“The tradition which Jagjitji started should not halt,” Shashank sums up.