Turning Point ( An Interview )

JAGJIT Singh's composition got a new depth after his sons tragic death.

THE POETRY OF MUSIC

A

S A MUSICIAN MY STYLE HAS BEEN CHANGING OVER THE YEARS. THESE DAYS I USE A LOT OF MODERN EQUIPMENT IN MY COMPOSITION TO SUIT THE EARS OF MORE VARIED AND BROAD AUDIENCE.

SIMILARLY, MY LIFE HAS BEEN THROUGH A SERIES OF CHANGES. THESE INCIDENTS AT TIMES INFLUENCE YOUR LIFE TO A GREAT EXTEND. IN THAT SENSE GETTING MARRIED CAN BE SAID TO HAVE TRANSFORMED ME RADICALLY.

I SAY THIS BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET MARRIED, YOUR ENTIRE LIFESTYLE CHANGES. YOU NEED TO ACT MORE RESPONSIBLY, BEHAVE WELL (GENERALLY), AND EXPECT TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SPOUSE, YOUR HOUSE AND SO ON. IN SHORT, YOU BECOME A MORE DISCIPLINED PERSON. THE SERIES OF CHANGES BROUGHT FORTH IN MY LIFE MADE ME EVEN MORE SERIOUS IN MY WORK AND THIS WAS REFLECTED IN MY COMPOSITIONS.

ON THE PERSONAL FRONT, AGAIN, THE UNTIMELY DEMISE OF MY 19 - YEAR OLD SON IN A CAR ACCIDENT, AND THAT TOO IN FRONT OF MY EYES, LEFT ME TOTALLY SCARRED. I WITHDREW COMPLETELY INTO MYSELF AFTER THE TRAGEDY. IRONICALLY, MY COMPOSITIONS IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY AFTER THE INCIDENT . THIS IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE AN ARTIST ESSENTIALLY GROWS MORE IN SAD TIMES. HAPPINESS TENDS TO MAKE YOU CARELESS. ADD TO THIS THE AUDIENCES' SYMPATHY AND YOUR NUMBERS SHOOT RIGHT UP THE CHART.

ON A MORE PROFESSIONAL NOTE, MY FIRST ALBUM, UNFORGETTABLE, CUT IN 1978, DID LITTLE IN TERMS OF SUCCESS. IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS TO BE AN ALBUM VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART. BUT IN THE MEDIA, IF YOU REMEMBER, WAS NOT PRESENT IN SUCH A STRONG WAY AS IT IS NOW. IN THE ABSENCE OF WHICH THE ALBUM SOMEHOW FIZZLED OUT. BUT FOUR YEARS LATER, WHEN I RELEASED SAJDA WITH LATA MANGESHKAR, IT WAS A DIFFERENT STORY ALTOGETHER. THERE WAS TREMENDOUS MEDIA HYPE AND SOME OF LATA'S STARDOM BRUSHED ON TO ME. IN THE WORDS OF THE PRESS , I 'ARRIVED" WITH THIS PARTICULAR ALBUM. AND, OF COURSE WORKING WITH A PERSONALITY LIKE LATA WAS VERY EXCITING. IN THE SAME VEIN, LENDING MUSIC TO PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE'S MERI EKYAVAN KAVITAYEIN, SHOULD ALSO AUGUR WELL FOR MY CAREER. THE ALBUM WITH EIGHT SONGS IS TO BE RELEASED IN FEBRUARY.

BUT MY FAVORITE GHAZAL IS YET TO COME. I ESSENTIALLY DRAW INSPIRATION FROM GOOD POETRY, FROM GOOD FRIENDS AS WELL AS FROM WITHIN MY OWN SELF. MAY BE, SOME DAY I SHALL COMPOSE MY DREAM GHAZAL THAT WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR YEARS TO COME.