That mesmerising voice

The packed Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall was restive as the programme started 30 minutes behind schedule. But on hearing the ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh sing ‘Thukrao Ab Ke Pyaar Karo, Mein Seventy Mein Hoon,’ the audience burst into laughter and applauded at once. The singer had cleverly changed the second line of the lyric of his popular ghazal, ‘Mein Nashein Mein Hoon,’ to mark his 70th birthday.

Jagjit Singh is 70? No way. His voice belies his age and still carries the same magnetic charm. Celebrating 50 years of ghazal, Jagjit Singh regaled Chennai-ites with his popular numbers.

A ghazal carries poignancy with poetry. It may be romance, philosophy, childhood memories or solitude. Its magic lies in its aesthetic insight, beautiful shayari and delicate delivery.

Jagjit Singh provided an enjoyable evening of memorable ghazals, and improvised a lot with the amazing support of his accompanying artists.

‘Tere Aane Ki Jab Khabar Mehke’ was as aromatic as the lyric. ‘Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar,’ the popular number from the film ‘Arth’ led to his most touching ghazal ‘Yeh Daulat Bhi Le Lo’ with a refrain on the line ‘Woh Kaagaz Ki Kashti, Woh Baarish Ka Paani.’ This ghazal was imbued with nostalgia of childhood in a village.

The mood then switched to the lighter ‘Aap Ko Dekkar Kya Kahoon’ and another favourite, ‘Tera Chehra Itna Suhaana Lagta Hai, Tera Aage Chaand Purana Lagta Hai.’

The poised Singh was brimming with zest and humour. His funny anecdotes in between sent the audience into splits. He provided ample space for the sitar and flute artists to explore the melodies. His support group consisted of Sushant Sharma, Sunil Das, Paras Nath, Azhar Hussein, Lalit Shankar and Abhinav Upadyaya on sitar, flute, guitar, dholak and tabla, respectively.