Tributes

A tribute to Jagjitji... Memories Forever
- The Madan Mohan Family

4 November 2011

DEKHTE HI DEKHTE DUNIYA SE MAIN UTH JAOONGA
DEKHTI KI DEKHTI RAH JAAYEGI DUNIYA MUJHE

JAGJITJI's sudden demise has stunned the world... we are still in a state of disbelief.

But the echoes of his magical voice will ring in our ears forever... the impact of his charismatic persona will haunt us forever.

We can only seek solace in the fact that he went in full glory... not many artistes achieve immortality when at the peak of their art, the pinnacle of their careers... Jagjitji will always rule from the top!

Unbelievable outpouring of grief and anguish from a legion of fans all over the world has been overwhelming... prayers when there was still hope, shocked despair when the inevitable happened... the media, celebrities, colleagues and more so, the common man, has expressed so much love and reverence for the genius... in person, on the internet, on social networking sites... just amplifies how many lives Jagjitji touched... his voice had become a part of our lives.

And he achieved this only by the magic of his indisputable talent... in a time when film music held full sway, when there was very little media and promotion... without the support of the visual medium and the reach of films, he became the crusader for a new era of non film music... with just his harmonium, his resonant voice and Chitraji with him, he created a revolution... the Ghazal wave swept the nation like a tsunami, and created a whole new generation of artistes, a lifestyle of concerts and mehfils... a whole new non film music industry! And this he sustained for four decades with a lot of initial struggle and strife, but without ever compromising his principles and high standard and quality of music!

It has been our good fortune that we were able to share some memorable moments with him on his iconic journey, and those indelible moments have become an integral part of our lives.

Madanji and Jagjitji

When the young Jagjitji came to Bombay to explore a singing career, he was initially interested in film music. Madanji was a composer he greatly admired and often visited for possible opportunities.

Sanjeev Kohli, eldest son of Madan Mohanji, recalls:

"The incident, when I met Jagjitji the first time, is vivid in my memory. It was 1966 or 67, and I was 10/11 years old.

One rain drenched evening, my dad (Madanji) told me that he was expecting a visitor and I should make him comfortable, while my parents were getting ready to attend a big social party. Madanji had asked the young aspiring singer to accompany them and sing at the party, where many music connoisseurs were expected and would appreciate his talent.

I opened the door to a young, handsome but fully drenched gentleman, who nervously said to me "Beta, meri sandal baarish mein kharab ho gayi hai... kuch kar sakte ho?" I quickly went to my Dad's footwear cabinet, which coincidentally was in my room, and found a pair of his favourite sandals, for the young Jagjitji to wear. And later that evening, the relieved young man, with Madanji's harmonium as his only accompanying instrument, was widely appreciated by the aficionados for his mellifluous renditions...

Years later, Jagjitji would joke with me..."Yaar, mere liye woh joote aur harmonium lucky rahe!" And wasn't it a sign of times to come? Madanji was acknowledged for his contribution to ghazals in films and often called 'the ghazal king'. Years later, Jagjitji indeed 'stepped into Madanji's shoes', and was hailed as the Ghazal King!!!".

Madanji's first death anniversary

For Madanji's first death anniversary in July 1976, our family and friends suggested we commemorate the event with a musical get-together in his memory. Lataji recommended, "Madan bhaiya, hamesha ek naye artiste, Jagjit Singh, ki bahut tareef karte the, to kyon na unhi se kaha jaaye ki woh gaayen?"

And the young Jagjit Singh regaled the guests with choicest ghazals, including many from Madanji's repertoire, for almost 4 to 5 hours, and won the hearts of one and all that evening.

And just a few days later the first LP of Jagjitji and Chitraji was released... they became The Unforgettables and we all became their ardent fans!

          

Jagjitji, the pioneer of the Ghazal wave

Between 1976 and 1979, Jagjitji had risen like a colossus... and even film music enthusiasts became ghazal fans and came alive with the milestones created by the Jagjit-Chitra duo.

Sanjeev Kohli adds:

"When I joined the music business in 1979, it was my good fortune that I had the privilege of working with Jagjitji on many projects from the very beginning... In the span of 15 years, I had the opportunity to produce some of the most successful and loved albums of Jagjitji and Chitraji... each one was a memorable experience. Among them were Beyond Time, the first digital recording of Indian music... and then his dream project, Sajda, with Lataji.

There are many wonderful memories and cherished moments associated with these experiences... and I received much affection and support from him, even in difficult moments at work!

He always made our family feel special... and this was because of his respect and reverence for Madanji".

Jagjitji sang a Madanji composition for the Veer-Zaara album in 2004

Jagjitji, despite being a Madanji admirer and having been in close contact with him in the early years, never had the opportunity of actually recording an original Madanji composition.

Many years later, in 2004, when Madanji's unused tunes were being recorded for Veer-Zaara, there were many that could not be used in the film since tunes for the required song situations had already been selected.

However, just for the CD, it was decided to record an additional tune as a duet in the voices of Lataji and Jagjitji... as this would indeed be a rare treasure for all their fans, as well as Madanji fans.

Jagjitji was very excited about this and expressed his keenness to use Madanji's original harmonium while recording the song.

The song, Tum Paas Aa Rahe Ho, became the only composition of Madanji sung by Jagjit Singh and will now be the last duet sung by Lataji and Jagjitji.

Jagjitji will never be forgotten

Indeed the world will always remember Jagjit Singh through the musical gems he has left behind, while our family will never forget him for the wonderful moments he gave us... and the treasure trove of memories he has left behind for us.

  • Hear the full song, TUM PAAS AA RAHE HO, a Madanji composition, from the VEER-ZAARA CD,
    sung by Lataji and Jagjitji.

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