On the 10th death anniversary of renowned ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, those who knew him from close quarters recall what made him a cut above the rest

SD Sharma

Undeniably the most popular singer of his time, Jagjit Singh struck a chord with music-lovers, be it with ghazals, filmy songs, devotional or folk music. His ageless music and velvety voice lives on in people’s hearts, as endorsed by these music maestros.

Institution unto himself

Ustad Mohd Hussain, musician

He was an institution unto himself. I dedicate this couplet to him — Lafzon ke ye nagine toh nikley kamaal ke, Ghazlon ne pehan liye zevar khyal ke.

True master

Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt, musician

Yes, I do listen and find solace in singing his ghazals like Baat niklegi toh duur talak jayegi. I personally admired his versatility as an artiste and performer. He used to establish instant rapport with any type of audience. Be it classical, devotional, Punjabi folk and, of course, ghazals, he was a true master.

Sonorous voice

Anup Jalota, singer

His velvety, sonorous voice was amazing. His ghazals are equally relished by music connoisseurs and a rickshaw-puller! His ghazals will bounce back with new talents like Jezim Sharma of Mumbai, Surinder Khan of Chandigarh and Maqbool Bali of Ludhiana.

Real art

Atul Sharma, music director

The popularity of Jagjit Singh will increase manifold in the future. There are so many ghazal singers, but only a few do justice to the form. Only the mind which can appreciate literature and has the right taaleem for ghazals can appreciate his art.

True blessing

Vinod Sehgal, singer

Out of the so many of his disciples, he had special affection for me as he took me along on concert tours to USA, Canada and UK. I was blessed that I shared the stage with him.