Islamabad: Pakistanis on Monday reacted with an
outpouring of grief at the death of ghazal king Jagjit Singh
with the news dominating TV channels and websites even as
thousands of his fans here expressed their sorrow in social
networking sites.
70-year-old Singh had numerous fans across the border, who
had been closely following news of his illness.
Such was his popularity that TV channels led their news
bulletins with reports on his death while some aired special
programmes on his music.
Tina Sani, one of Pakistan`s best known ghazal singers who
had performed with Singh in India earlier this year, was among
musicians and artists who expressed shock at the passing of
the maestro.
"It`s a sad day and it`s been more of a shock for me as I
performed with Jagjit sahab in India in February and March
during a series of concerts organised to mark the centenary
celebration of (Urdu poet) Faiz Ahmed Faiz," Sani said on
phone from Karachi.
State-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP)
said Singh`s "silky" voice ruled during early 80`s in films
like `Prem Geet`, `Saath Saath` and `Arth`.
"However, his major work is spread over more than 60 filmy
and non filmy albums," it said.
Incidentally, Singh was admitted just hours before he was
to perform with Pakistani ghazal maestro, Ghulam Ali, in
Mumbai on September 23.
"It`s a huge loss because Jagjit Singh was instrumental in
bringing ghazals to my generation. When we were younger, we
heard the ghazals of Mehdi Hassan and Begum Akhtar but that
wasn`t really our music. It was in the 1970s that Jagjit Singh
took everybody by storm and swept us off our feet," Sani said.
PTI
