HMV-Saregama has released a new album ’’Different Strokes’’ by Jagjit Singh in Oct-2001. This album features classical renditions by Jagjit Singh, his first such album ever since he made his debut way back in 70s. All Jagjit fans have been aware of the fact that Jagjit does have classical music background as well as training. He first showcased his classical potential in 1996 album ’’Encore’’ by rendering ’’nazare karam farmao’’ a bandish in raga ’’Darbari’’ which came as a surprise and was well appreciated by his fans. Jagjit took another 5 years to release a full album of classical numbers. It’s a disappointment.
The album well establishes the facts that:
Jagjit does know Hindustani classical music.
As a Ghazal singer for over 30 years, Jagjit has lost the art of classical vocal rendering. He cannot avoid his style of ghazal singing contaminate the classical format. It’s just not acceptable! Hence it is better that Jagjit stays away from classical singing. It’s too late anyway.
Jagjit has aged. Despite his ’’taiyyari’’ and the ’’riyaaz’’, the strain of age shows.
Gimmicks and vocal pyrotechniques to flaunt the classical music knowledge when employed in ghazal albums/concerts by Ghulam Ali, Hariharan and Jagjit are acceptable….but similar pranks when used in a classical album/concert are ’’out-of-place’’ and are disconcerting, if not downright repulsive!
A vocalist, however a good singer he might be, cannot be good at everything…..UNLESS he is Mohd Rafi!
I like ghazals as well as classical music, and being a great fan of Jagjit, had great hopes from this album. I am disheartened. I would rather stick to Bhimsen Joshi and other established classical vocalists, let Jagjit stick to Ghazals! Now the album: Apni gharaj in raga Rageshri is ok. Nazare karam repeated again, original version was better. Krat raar is a good number. Employing Ek taal as well as Teen taal in same song is a novelty. Baiju band khul khul jaye in raga Bhairavi is the only saving grace in this album. Mainda ishq bhi tu , a folk song in Punjabi(?), in a North-West type of a tune is the best song of the album. It’s beautifully composed and well sung. Babul Mora: Jagjit first recorded this famous Saigal song in the movie ’’Anubhav’’ as a background song which was much better than this version. Taranaa: The last number of this album is atrocious! Remmber the brilliance of Rafi singing tarana towards the end of ’’madhuban mein radhika’’ and Manndey’s tarana in ’’laga chunri mein daag’’…Jagjit comes nowhere near! It’s a disaster.
I would still recommend the readers to buy or listen to this album for understanding ’’ How not to be a classical vocalist’’