Dear Jagjit Singh Sir,
It was sad to know about your being hospitalised. We pray for your good health and early recovery. We have grown up listening to you. You have been a part of our growing-up years as much as our best friends and the crushes we have had. You have guided us to unadulterated music, retained in us the liking and excitement for Indian music given the distractions that we had during that time. Thank you for being there for us whenever we were in a beautiful mood, on evenings when it rained and when we chose to be romantic. Your songs have been lullabys for us at really thoughtful or restless nights. So, you were the flavour that brought us to a romantic mood or an emotional and nostalgic mood. "Arre Jagjit Singh play kar de", was a line we frequently heard.
I wouldn't say I was always enchanted by your songs, but your voice was the first who introduced us to Ghazals. With time we also learnt and explored about the legends Mehendi Hasan, Ghulam Ali and Farida Khanum. I always think you could have brought about an element of wit in the Mirza Ghalib songs (which we must have heard a thousand times). The songs purposely sounded a little too tragic which the shayar doesn't mean to be. I believe he is more concerned about irony there. Were you a little nervous to experiment and put a flavor of creativity for it was a big project for you back then? Well, I always wanted to talk to you over this.
There was always an inner craving to see the Punjabi flamboyancy of Jagjeet Singh, to see him in his full colours and his grand avatar. It was beautiful to see you smile while you sang, clap your hands above your head, share a joke, talk to us, imitate a little and reveal us a little more about your self. The songs I shall mention below are the best of Jagjeet Singh for me.
It is a concern, that you have been doing an awfully lot number of concerts in the past 2-3 years. I guess it has been stressful. We want you to get well very soon. It would bring us peace when we sit down with friends and family listening to you. And when you have recuperated perfectly and you shall be offered to contribute to Coke Studio in future, please contemplate a lot. I wouldn't like to see you there. I wouldn't want any compromise with years of preserved and cherished Jagjit Singh's music.
Please get well soon and take care of yourself. You have been with us all the time and you shall forever be in our prayers.
With a lot of admiration and affection,
Yours Sincerely,
Udit
Kothe te aa Mahiya
Lara Lappa.. Lara Lappa...
Tera Chehra / Mashook ka Budhapa
Jind Mahi Je Chaleyan...
Jhuki Jhuki si Nazar
Tumko Dekha to ye khayal aya
Haske bola karo
Koi dost hai na raqueeb hai
Yaad nahi kya kya dekha tha..
(the last two songs are dedicated to Amardeep Rana, Aditya Dohroo, Yograj, Kehar Singh for all the nights we have spent hearing them. Yess... deepu mainu list yaad haigi hai... saara samon lai aunga... tussi dal-bhaat tayyar karo)