Jagjit Singh: Piracy is our character

This is very old article but thought still good to read it.

I am music personified. I can visualise music 24 hours a day," says Jagjit Singh, the man often called 'ghazal king'. With a voice cool as ice and stirring enough to break your heart, he more than lives up to the title.

When Senior Correspondent Sukanya Verma met him one rainy Wednesday afternoon, Jagjit Singh's nose was buried in a medium-sized notebook. But no, he wasn't reading poetry. He was actually engaged in calculating some financial matter while at the same time enjoying a plate of hot samosas accompanied with mint chutney.

"Have some. They are really delicious," Singh offered graciously as he sat back to discuss his latest album Parwaaz, poetry, piracy, and more. Excerpts:

'Parwaaz means flight'

"Why Parwaaz? We had to keep some name or the other, right? Jis tarah mera naam Jagjit Singh rakh diya mere baap ne [Why did my father name me Jagjit Singh?]

"The flight we had taken was from Mumbai to Singapore. From Singapore we took a musical flight to one of the world's best auditorium, Esplanade. I took my own musicians, sound engineer, visualiser, and sound recordist. The concert was about two-three hours long, which we recorded on separate tracks. We then shot a video, which we edited after reaching here. It's about 2 hours long and is available in two cassette packs, twin CD and DVD set.

"The album comprises my personal favourites. I have included the audience's choice also. Plus, there are ghazals, nazms, [my favourite ] film songs, and Punjabi numbers interspersed with humour. Overall it is an interesting album."

'There is a big difference between recording a song in a studio and a live concert'

"When you sing a song in a studio, the style remains the same. If you sing it as it is, there is no andaaz [individual style]. On a live show, you get an opportunity to present each song differently. The audience reaction and sound effects make it possible. Sometimes I try and sing the same line six different ways."

'Music is therapeutic'

"Music has therapeutic value. But not stage music. Stage music is effective as long as you are listening to it. Just like a film or a drama, which makes you forget things as long as you are listening to it. But it isn't meant for treatment. You need a different brand of music for treatment. One has to 'create' that sort of music. It is a kind of meditation.

"Music teaches a singer a lot about discipline. Riyaaz [practice] infuses discipline in the musician. When we practise it [regularly], it influences other areas as well. Music also teaches you to be patient."

'These are emotions that bring tears in my listener's eyes'

"Success doesn't go to my head. Nor the fact that my audience is moved to tears sometimes. A couplet spells it out beautifully:

Kaun rota hai kissi aur ke gham ki khatir
Sab ko apni hi kissi baat pe rona aaya

"These are my own emotions, which are stirred though my words and singing, which bring tears in my listener's eyes."

'Poetry has to touch my soul'

"I love the poetry of all the poets that I have sung for. Everyone's got their individual spark. I keep on reading [ poetry]. When I like a composition I set it to music and sing.

"Poetry has to touch my soul first, only then can it move the audience. I also have to take into account the language of the ghazal, which has to be simple."

'I don't like anybody's voice'

"In the current scenario, I don't like anybody's voice. Puraane zamaane mein acche the K L Saigal, C H Atma and Khansaheb Amir Khan [Earlier there were quite a few memorable singers like K L Saigal, C H Atma and Ustad Amir Khan]."

'The human touch is missing'

"The reason why today's generation is not able to appreciate [ghazals] is quite deep. Nowadays, if you ask a school kid to do simple arithmetic without a calculator, he probably won't be able to do it. This calculator has sneaked into the music scene as well.

"Technology in music like rhythm machines, synthesizers, and samplers has taken over. You don't have to compose. The machine does it for you. The human touch is missing. And music bears no soul without this very human touch. Today's generation of musicians doesn't want to put in any effort. They want machines to do the needful."

'After religion, piracy is the next best profession'

"Piracy is a very good profession. You don't pay tax. You don't pay excise. You don't pay royalty. What else do you want? After religion, piracy is the next best profession.

"Piracy is our character. Piracy is everywhere, only difference is its degree. It is another form of corruption. Corruption is in our blood. Corruption is everywhere.

"Piracy can be eliminated only if the buyer refuses to buy the pirated product. But that's not in his character. If he is getting an original album for Rs 40 and a pirated one for Rs 15, he will opt for the latter. The attitude is that if the singer suffers, so be it.

"All I can do is raise my voice against it."

'You cannot really experiment with music'

"How do you know what is public taste? I compose music according to my taste. If the public appreciates it, well and good.

"You cannot really experiment with music after a point. The notes are the same.  [ Hums Sa re ga ma...] You can only change the sound."

'If not a singer, I would be a dhobi'

"Had I not been a singer, I would open a dhobi ki dukaan [laughs]. Seriously though I would probably set up a factory manufacturing mechanical goods."

'I enjoy life'

"When I am not recording songs or attending concerts, I like to watch television or sleep in my free time.

"I also exercise or read books on race. I enjoy everything in life."

"Legends of India" was unveiled by the Ghazal-maestro Jagjit Singh

At an event held in Mumbai today, Nokia Nseries, the premium multimedia sub-brand from Nokia, joined hands with Indian Music Industry (IMI) to announce "Legends of India".

"Legends of India" was unveiled by the Ghazal-maestro Jagjit Singh in presence of representatives from the IMI, Universal Music Group, Sony Music India, SaReGaMa India, and Tips Music.

Inaugurating "Legends of India", Jagjit Singh, said, "I am glad to be a part of this initiative undertaken by Nokia Nseries and the IMI and wish them the very best in their endeavor towards supporting the music industry."

Nokia said that "Legends of India" is a new music offering that is going to come preloaded into the Nokia Nseries music devices, including Nokia N91, N73, and N70.

Under this new music offering, 100 evergreen songs from the best of the Indian music will be preloaded on to the Nseries devices. Besides, the songs of over ten music luminaries across genres ranging from popular film music, devotional, ghazals to remixes will be Digital Rights Management (DRM) protected and will enhance consumers' mobile music experience.

Talking about the new offering for the Nokia Nseries users, Vineet Taneja, Business Director - Multimedia, Nokia India, said, "The Legends of India offering is a path-breaking initiative that is going to redefine the way consumers enjoy music in this country. It will make our newly-launched Nokia Nseries music edition proposition even stronger since it will enable us to deliver a premium music experience to our consumers."

"Music forms a core part of Nokia Nseries value proposition and consumers can now listen to their favourite artists 'On-the-Go' anytime, anywhere at the click of a button. We are confident that our new initiative will contribute towards promoting the music ecosystem at large and help the IMI to regularize the distribution of legal music content. This is just a small step in the big leap we are trying to take," added Taneja.

Some of the memorable tracks that will be available as a part of this offering include songs by leading music artists like Jagjit Singh, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, A R Rahman, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Ghulam Ali, Mohd. Rafi, Geeta Dutt, S D Burman, R D Burman, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik, amongst others.

Moreover, the songs can be unlocked using a code available on the scratch card that will be pre-bundled with the Nokia Nseries music edition sales boxes.

Speaking on the occasion, Subroto Chatopadhyay, Chairman, IMI, said, "We are pleased to partner with Nokia Nseries and would like to thank them for coming forward with this value proposition for the IMI."

Radio City is back with Musical -E- Azam

Radio City 91.1 FM brings back radio's biggest musical extravaganza and the first ever in the history of radio. So all you music aficionados get equipped to get hook on to your radio sets as you 'just cannot' miss tuning into Radio City 91.1 FM this December! Radio City 91.1 FM, India's Leading FM Radio Network is all set to create magic…yet again…as it presents radio's biggest musical blockbuster…the hugely popular 'Radio City, Musical-E-Azam- Naya Andaz' a month long mega musical festival, which gets bigger, better and incomparable.  

'Radio City, Musical -E- Azam' is a 4-week live musical extravaganza, which would hit the Mumbai airwaves on December 11, 2006 and then mesmerize listeners across Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Jaipur. The first week of Radio City, Musical-E-Azam- Naya Andaz will see the following:

From Monday to Friday, between 8am – 11am, listeners can tune into the morning show Kase Kai Mumbai for the special series of 'Radio City, Musical -E- Azam'. The Live show will be heard in an all-new format wherein one Celebrity RJ every week will co-host the program along with Radio City's very own RJ Manish Paul. What's more! For the first time ever in the history of radio, the celebrity RJ for the week will co-host the show and interview 5 music icons and see them perform 'live' on radio, share anecdotes and incidents from their life. Saturdays will see a roundup of the best of Radio City Musical – E – Azam that week. The celebrity RJ will also perform for Radio City listeners during the week.

Besides taking song requests and chatting with fans that call into Radio City, what sets this program aside is the fact that requests will be sung live by the singers in the studio!  Adding to this Radio City 91.1 FM will dedicate the entire day to the star music personality, playing his/her best songs, and engaging listeners with trivia and anecdotes from their personal lives. There will be host of surprises packed in the show for the star singers as well.

'Radio City, Musical -E- Azam' has a super line up of Celebrity RJ's – Sunidhi Chauhan, Shankar Mahadevan, Roop Kumar Rathod, Javed Akhtar and music superstars - Kunal Ganjawala, Adnan Sami, Daler Meander, Sukhvinder Singh, Gulzar, Zakir Husain, Ghulam Ali, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Eshan & Loy, Kailash Kher, Talat Aziz, Bhupinder, Ranjit Barot, Jagjit Singh, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, AR Rehman, Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, Kavita Krishnamurthy to name a few.

According to Rana Barua, Head Marketing, Radio City, "At Radio City 91.1 FM we have always believed that great music, innovation and creativity in our shows is what sets us apart. Since radio is a 'music entertainment medium', we have consistently directed our efforts towards creating pioneering innovative programs like Musical-E-Azam, Babbar Sher, Shaam-E-Ghazal, which goes to prove our musical expertise and supreme position. With utmost pride we are happy to announce the all-new 'Musical-E-Azam - Naya Andaaz', which is certainly the best property created in the history of Indian FM radio. We are confident that this power packed show will make our listeners groove to great music."

So…tune into Radio City 91.1 FM for unheard facts, gossip, experiences, emotional moments and the most awaited of all… live performances, only on ' Radio City, Musical-E-Azam'

I am: Jagjit Singh

Spirituality is a way of life. It is about dealing with oneself. It helps you look into yourself and analyze things. I believe the answer to all your problems is within you.

I have faith in Higher Power, but I don't seek it from external sources. I think the power is within you and runs through your body.

Bringing out that power will give you strength to deal with all odds. It will remain with you through thick and thin.

You wake up everyday with that power and go off to sleep with it. Talking to that power gives me immense satisfaction.

I don't follow any rituals though I used to visit gurudwara as a child. My parents were true believers of Sikhism, who performed every ritual religiously.

However, they never thrust their beliefs on me. So, I am not religious or ritualistic. My philosophy in life is one should be honest to yourself, your friends, family and the society.

Honesty can create wonders, not only in your professional life but in every walk of your life. A life lived dishonestly is not a life worth living.

I don't pray, but meditate at times. I derive my happiness and mental peace from singing. It helps me go deep within myself.

I feel an eternal peace while singing. Music can take you to a different world where you can experience tranquillity.

Singing can make the mind stable and can give peace to the nomadic mind — the mind that is always thinking or worrying about something or the other. Singing for me is joy, romance, adventure, peace and excitement.

Ghazals of Jagjit Singh, PhD topic for an avid fan

Ahmedabad, Dec 01: Here's what an avid fan of Ghazal mastero Jagjit Singh is doing. Taking up Ghazal of this mesmerizing singer as a research topic for his doctorate degree.

A resident of Vadodara and a doctorate student at the faculty of performing arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), dollar Mehta is working on an interesting thesis titled 'the growth of Ghazal gayaki in post-independence india and the contribution of Jagjit Singh in it'.

Mehta, who did his masters in Indian classical music (vocal) from MSU, said "It is Jagjit Singh who took Ghazal from its elitist confines and served it to the man on the street in a manner which suited his taste."

"In the past, Ghazal was meant for a select audience and restricted to courts of kings and nobles," he said.

"But when Jagjit Singh made his debut in the Ghazal circuit in the 1970s, he simplified the entire concept and took this form closer to the masses, Mehta remarked.

Mehta, 33-year-old, who has a large collection of Ghazals, is also a professional Ghazal singer and runs a troupe 'the dollar show' in Vadodara.

Facing a different sort of music altogether

What does a person really mean when he says, " This is my kind of music?"

I've heard of different genres — pop, rock folk, jazz, classical and many more; but I don't think that there's something called "my kind of music" that is listed there.

Is it just because a song has made it to the top of the recent chart and the whole nation — including your group of best buddies — like it, that a song becomes a favourite? Or does a certain kind of music have to meet your taste to become a music that one likes?

A little while ago, the annual fest of our school, Cognizance '06, was on. I was sitting at the Request Corner with some of my friends when someone played a fast (read pacy) remix. I noticed that one of my companions hooted loudly in the microphone and started to tap his feet and shake his head rather...err...vigorously! He seemed to be enjoying himself quite immensely. I asked him if he liked the song and he replied with a "Yo!"

"So, you like this singer ?" I enquired.

"Naaah!"

"The music and the beats then?" (my second attempt to grasp the situation.

"Not really"...hmmm...tricky, this.

Surprised as I was, I went on: "Then you like the actor in the song, ha?"

"No," he answered with a frown!

"So what do you like in this song?" I gave up. And all he said was:"Oh, it's such a big hit!" Surprised?

And this reminds me of something else that had happened with the same boy a few days after the incident of the vigorous dancing-cum-shaking. We were all in the computer lab at our school and I played a Jagjit Singh's song to tease the fellow. "Hey, isn't this one of your 'favourites'?"

I had expected a mocking or a sarcastic reply in turn. But much to my (pleasant) surprise, he said: "Yes, it is one of my favourites," and he started singing the song! And then he told me how he "actually" liked the slow melodious ghazals and how "one has to like the faster 'numbers' nowadays." But why? Only because others like it?

I posed this question to my schoolmates. They all seemed to have varied tastes in music — personally. Some of them even liked the "old" Rafi songs and the "melodious and moving" Kishore Kumar wonders. But once out of their personal lives, they all willingly bent their preferences at the cost of others' choices! So, why not have the courage to like one's favourite songs once in public, too? I am not trying to say that one has to declare one's choice screaming in public and want the others to like it, too.

But what if they already like it? Why put on the "I-hate-Elton John-act" when one simply doesn't?

That day at the Request Corner, most of the songs that we played may not have been the actual preferences of the people, for whom we had requested them. In fact I also noticed that there were this whole group that only preferred English songs. I know that some of them are not really fond of Western music. So does that mean they wanted those songs to be played only because that would project an image of them (as hip or cool). I, too, love Western music but I don't expect everyone to like them.

Granted there are people, who love (adore and die over) GeneratioNext remixes and those who prefer English tracks. But then why does everyone have to declare their love for the two? Does that mean that earning brownie points from the peer group is more important than being true to what one really prefers? For a change can't we redefine "my kind of music"!