Jitesh Sundaram remembers that night of 1993 vividly. The night when Jagjit Singh enchanted Kozhikode with his ghazals.
“I think that was Jagjit Singh's only show in Kozhikode,” Jitesh, ghazal singer and composer, told The Hindu on Monday, shortly after news came that Jagjit Singh had passed away in Mumbai.
“The programme was staged at Mananchira, as part of the Malabar Maholsavam.”
It was an unforgettable experience, says Jitesh. “He sang his hits such as Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho… (‘Arth'), Tum ko dekha to yeh khayal aaya… (‘Saath Saath'), Woh kagaz ki kashti… (‘Aaj') and Hoton se choo lo tum… (‘Prem Geet'),” he recalls.
“I have seen hundreds of live music shows, but it remains undoubtedly one of the best.”
The Thalassery-born singer remembers the crowd going wild when Jagjit Singh sang some Punjabi numbers. “It was one of the biggest crowds of the Malabar Maholsavam and everyone was looking forward to the show; Jagjit Singh had only recently begun to sing again after the tragic death of his son,” he says.
“I was told that Jagjit Singh came to Kozhikode because he was close to the then Collector Amitabh Kant.”
Jitesh was also present when Jagjit Singh sang in one of his last performances. “Two months ago, he entertained an audience of several top singers at my guru Anup Jalota's birthday in Mumbai,” he says. “And he sang after all the other singers had performed; he showed why he was the most popular ghazal singer in the world.”
Jitesh says he has always been an admirer of Jagjit Singh. “There never was and never will be another singer like him; his voice and singing style were unique,” he says. “When people tell me that my singing reminds them of Jagjit Singh, I take it as a great compliment; and singing in front of him was an honour.”
