Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Jagjit Singh

Role / Field:

Pioneering Indian composer and singer, credited with reviving the popularity of the ghazal.

Born:

1941-02-08

Died:

2011-10-10

Century / Era:

1941s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Jagjit Singh (Punjabi: [ˈd͡ʒəgd͡ʒiːt sɪŋg]; born Jagmohan Singh Dhiman; 8 February 1941 – 10 October 2011) was an Indian composer, singer and musician. He composed and sang in numerous languages and is credited for the revival and popularity of ghazal, an Indian classical art form, by choosing poetry that was relevant to the masses and composing them in a way that laid more emphasis on the meaning of words and melody evoked by them. In terms of Indian classical music, his style of composing and gayaki (singing) is considered as Bol-pradhan, one that lays emphasis on words. He highlighted this in his music for films such as Prem Geet (1981), Arth (1982), and Saath Saath (1982), and TV serials Mirza Ghalib (1988) and Kahkashan (1991).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Singh is considered to be among the most successful ghazal singers and composers of all time in terms of critical acclaim and commercial success. With a career spanning five decades and many albums, the range and breadth of his work has been regarded as genre-defining. Born in Sri Ganganagar into a Punjabi family, he received his early education at Sri Ganganagar and Jalandhar; and higher education in Haryana. Throughout this time, Singh learned music particularly...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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• 1941 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1941
• February 8 (02-08) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 8
• 2011 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2011
• October 10 (10-10) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 10

Frequently Asked Questions about Jagjit Singh