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On song, as usual
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Ace ghazal singer Jagjit Singh is doing his bit for the lesser privileged
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Of verve Jagjit Singh
Jagjit Singh is a silent philanthropist, always willing to lend his name to a charitable cause. His desire to serve the society once again brought him to Delhi, a city he loves, as he sang to raise funds for the Action for Ability Development and Inclusion (Aadi), formerly known as the Spastics Society of Northern India.
At aadi the motto is to work across disabilities, not just with people with cerebral palsy; to move away from segregation to inclusion, from rehabilitation to empowerment. As the organisation claims, the focus is on building a world in which persons with disability are an integral part of society with equitable access to services and opportunities enabling them to live life to the fullest.
And Jagjit understands the role of artists in working towards the goal of a society where a person with disability can be a contributing member; quite on the lines of what Mahatma Gandhi wanted to believe when he said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
On his association with such ventures, Jagjit is honest, “It is for a deserving cause, for handicapped kids. As artists, we have responsibility towards society and I don’t think I am doing any favour by lending support to aadi. I take this as an opportunity to give something back to the society. And I consider myself to be a blessed one to be in such a wonderful company.”
According to image
“No special effort,” insists Jagjit when asked for his preparation for such events. “Music brings joy to the masses and I don’t think you need to prepare for such good things. They happen. That’s the reason why I like ghazals, bhakti songs, classical music. I like doing things that suit my image and it is one of the reasons why I stay away from films. It goes against my image. There is no future for good music in Bollywood. There is no character, no melody, only digitally improved stuff. But then such singers are exposed when they come on stage.”
Jagjit also spoke his mind on the young generation being driven by the talent search shows. “Everyone wants short cut, no hard work. They also don’t want to learn because the media makes them star overnight. As an artist, I have always believed that the sky is the limit. You can’t sit on your laurels.”
Even today, the much-celebrated Jagjit does riyaaz for two hours. This vocal exercise is what keeps him going in times when SMSs signify the trend of modern singing. “It is all driven by money. There is nothing wrong in making money but not at the cost of quality,” says the veteran who is currently working on a gurbani album, that will feature, among many, maestro Pandit Jasraj. “We need your voice to create awareness,” is a banner at aadi , and Jagjit is doing precisely that.
VIJAY LOKAPALLY
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