The Voice From Beyond - Jagjit Singh

The name of the new album of JS. Released by Universal Music India Ltd, this album is available now for pre-order online almost on all retail websites. It will be released on 10th of October 2013 in "The Legend Lives On" a tribute concert at Nehru Center Mumbai, by Chitra Singh.

The striking feature of the album is that 4 out of the 7 tracks are of the same beher, khafiif musaddas makhbuun mahzuuf maqtuu. This is a 10 syllable beher with the pattern 2122-1212-22. I have already remarked at times, that Jagjit Singh is a master composer of small beher, and this album is a testimonial to that. The tracks on this beher are: "Ek tere qareeb", "Rasm-e-ulfat", "Aashiyane ki baat" and "Dard halka hai".

First listen, and I am immediately drawn to the following tracks: "Rasm-e-ulfat sikha gayaa koyi (Daag Dehlvi)", "Ek tere qareeb aane se", "Zindagi jaise tavaqqu thi nahin, kuch kam hai (Shahrayar)" and "Aashiyane ki baat karte ho (Javed Qureshi)". I am not sure of all the poets as I have to check the inlay card for details. Jagjit Singh foundation lists the following poets additionally: Nida Fazli, Saeed Rahi, Nasir Kasmi and Gulzar. It says one by "unknown" so I guess it is the one by Javed Qureshi. The other tracks are "Dhadkan dhadkan dhadak raha hai (Nida Fazli?)" and "Khuda ke waaste apnaa hisaab".

Also, "Aashiyane ki baat karte ho" is a very popular Noor Jahan ghazal. Jagjit Singh has done full justice to its rendition. "Rasm-e-ulfat" too is a very popular Begum Akhtar ghazal and Jagjit's rendition is typical of his style and "dard".

Detailed analysis from the books of the poets will definitely follow, but first glance, Jagjit seems to have reversed "misra-e-oola" and"misra-e-sani" in "Ashiyane ki baat karte ho". In  "Zindagi jaise tavaqqu thi", Jagjit uses "tamanna" instead of "tavaqqu" which is understandable due to its ease of use. Jagjit takes a lot of liberty in "Rasm-e-ulfat". "basaa" instead of "mein chaa" and "udaas" instead of "ujaad". As always, the meter of the ghazal is maintained in perfect.

Needless to say, this album is a collection of very very good ghazal rendition from the master. His mastery in composing short meter ghazals is the true gem of this album. Wonder why these were never released by him.

Dil Mein Ab Dard-e-Muhabbat Ke Siwa

ए खुदा मुझसे  न ले मेरे गुनाहों का हिसाब,

मेरे पास अश्क़ - ए - नदामत के  सिवा  कुछ भी नहीं।

O God, do not make me account for my sins,

I have nothing else but tears of regret (to pay for them).

This Sahir Bhopali "ghazal" has been on my mind all through the day. This is originally sung by Lata Ji, in the epic album "Sajda". And now we have a version of this by JS, in "The Master And His Magic". 

This ghazal is composed at a very high scale (by JS standards) and I never expected JS to match the scale (as in "Sajda") in the one rendered in "TMAHM". But what a rendition it is! Absolutely precious! JS could spring so many surprises in his concerts. At some places where he drags the "radeef" together with the "qafiyaa" (as in "केसिवाकुछभीनहीं"), it sounds so beautiful. The violin played by Deepak Pandit is mesmerizing too.

To end, a few more from the ghazal:

दिल में अब दर्द-ए -मुहब्बत  के सिवा कुछ भी नहीं,

ज़िन्दगी मेरी इबादत के सिवा कुछ भी नहीं।

मैं तेरी बार गह-ए -नाज़ में क्या  पेश करूं,

मेरी झोली में मुहब्बत के सिवा कुछ भी नहीं।

A 15 syllable "ghazal", in the "beher": "ramal musamman makhbuun mahzuuf" [Pattern: 2122-1122-1122-(11)22].