Biography
Jagjit Singh, originally named Jagmohan Singh (8 February 1941 – 10 October 2011), was a celebrated Indian ghazal singer, songwriter, and musician. Known as the "Ghazal King," he rose to fame alongside his wife, fellow acclaimed ghazal singer Chitra Singh, during the 1970s and 1980s. Their joint album featuring music from the films Arth and Saath Saath remains HMV's best-selling combination album ever.[citation needed] Sajda (An Offering, 1991), a landmark double album by Jagjit Singh and Lata Mangeshkar, holds the same distinction in the non-film category.[citation needed] He performed in multiple languages and was honored with the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government in 2003.
Singh is credited with revitalizing and popularizing the ghazal, a classical Indian art form, by selecting poetry that resonated with the general public and composing music that emphasized the meaning of words and their melodic expression. His style of composition and singing, known as Bol-pradhan, prioritizes the lyrics. This approach was evident in his music for films such as Prem Geet (1981), Arth and Saath Saath (1982), as well as TV serials Mirza Ghalib (1988) and Kahkashan (1991). Jagjit Singh is regarded as the most successful ghazal singer and composer in history, both critically and commercially. Over a five-decade career, he produced more than 80 albums,[1] with his work considered genre-defining.
He is uniquely noted for composing and recording songs written by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee—also a respected poet—in two albums, Nayi Disha (1999) and Samvedna (2002). Singh's 1987 album Beyond Time was the first digitally recorded album released in India.[citation needed] He was recognized as one of India's most influential artists. Alongside sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and other prominent figures in Indian classical music and literature, Singh expressed concerns about the politicization of arts and culture in India and the inadequate support for traditional art forms, especially folk artists and musicians. He actively supported various philanthropic causes, including the library at St. Mary's School, Mumbai, Bombay Hospital, CRY, Save the Children, and ALMA.
