With ever-popular rhymes like ‘Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar’, ‘Hontho se chhoo lo tum’ and numerous other timeless compositions, Jagjit Singh truly, in every sense of the way, did win the world. His compositions are food for one’s soul, and the magic of Jagjit Singh is incomparable.
Though we have lost the maestro but his soulful renditions still live with us, after all, he did win ‘us’ and the world.
From belonging to a small village in Punjab to chasing his dream and fulfilling it, the remarkable singer marked his existence in every music lover’s life. Jagjit Singh lived a troubled life and poured it out in his songs.
Other than his exceptionally moving songs, here are some of the lesser-known facts about the legend you should know about.
- Jagjit Singh was born as Jagmohan Singh Dhiman, he obtained an arts degree from DAV College in Jalandhar.
- Sardar Amar Singh Dhiman, his father was a government employee, had hoped that Jagjit would become an engineer.
- As a child, Jagjit Singh used to study by the light of lanterns since they did not have the required facilities. In an interview, he had stated that they even lacked the facility of running water.
- Jagjit Singh began his professional career in with All India Radio’s (AIR) Jalandhar station.
- He married Bengali born Chitra Dutta in December 1969, thereafter they went on to release The Unforgettable in 1976.
- During his struggling days in Mumbai, Jagjit Singh used to make a living by performing at weddings.
- In 1987, Jagjit Singh became the first Indian musician to record a purely digital CD album, titled ‘Beyond Time’.
- The couple stopped singing, when their 20-year-old son, Vivek was killed in a road accident. Monica, Chitra’s daughter from her first marriage, committed suicide in 2009.
- Former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee poetry was composed and sung by Jagjit in two albums, Nayi Disha (1999) and Samvedna (2002).
- In February 2014, Government of India released a postal stamp in Jagjit Singh’s honour.