In the footsteps of legends

Tauseef Akhtar will pay fulsome tribute to his mentor and teacher, Jagjit Singh this evening

Musical journey: Tauseef Akhtar, who released the album Aamad ( The Arrival ) in November last year, is all geared up for his show this evening

Ghazal singer Tauseef Akhtar says he is lucky to be born in a poetic and musical environment. His father Akhtar Azad is a renowned Urdu authority, qawwal and poet. And his mentor has been none other than the late Jagjit Singh. Akhtar, who released the album Aamad ( The Arrival ) in November last year, is all geared up for his show this evening. “Besides my original compositions, I shall do a special segment focussing on Jagjitji’s favourite tunes. His birth anniversary is on February 8, so this will be an ideal tribute," he says. The concert, Sham-e-Ghazal, will also feature a recital by Sadhana Rahatgaonkar

Containing eight songs, Aamad has been written by London-based poet Roop Sagar, and also features singers Sunil Sajal and Vidhi Sharma. The video of ‘Woh Chilman Se;, sung by Akhtar, was released at the time of the launch. The album is available both in compact disc format and on digital platforms. Akhtar has earlier released the albums Ishq Karo and Ghazalaw . The former is a solo collection featuring songs written by Waali Aasi, Shamim Karbani, Paayam Saeedi, Rahat Indori, Shakila Bano Bhopali and Qateel Shifai, with one ghazal by his father Akhtar Azad.

Ghazalaw , in contrast, is a fresh experiment, where Akhtar has collaborated with Welsh folk singer Gwyneth Glyn to combine the two cultures. “We figured both genres had much in common, and thus used the harmonium, guitar, Celtic harp and violin,” says the singer. The album was nominated for the BBC Radio 2 and Songlines music awards last year.

The conversation then shifts to his association with Singh. Akhtar recalls, “Many musicians like Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan Saab, Parveen Sultanaji and Jagjitji visited our place to meet my father. When I heard Jagjitji on the album

The Unforgettables , I was hooked.”

Akhtar was initially taught by Pandit Govind Prasad Jaipurwale, but after he passed away, needed to find another guru. When Akhtar was 12, Singh visited their home for a private mehfil. Hearing the boy sing, he was impressed. Soon, the lessons began. “Jagjitji taught me a lot in terms of singing technique, recording and stage presence,” says Akhtar. However, the youngster also got involved with film music, and soon took a break from ghazals.

In 2011, he was planning to meet Singh again when he heard his mentor had been hospitalised. The ghazal legend's death on October 10, 2011, came as a huge shock. “Since then, I have decided to focus completely on ghazals. Somehow, I feel this genre is totally meant for me,” he says.

What’s next? Akhtar says, “I plan to render the entire Bhagavad Gita in Urdu. I have already recorded four shloks translated by poet Anwar Jalalpuri.”

Tauseef Akhtar will perform with Sadhana Rahatgaonkar for

Sham-e-Ghazal at Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point at 6.30 p.m this evening; details at bookmyshow.com