On the 80th birth anniversary of Jagjit Singh on Monday, singer Papon has paid a musical tribute to the ghazal legend by releasing his rendition of the ghazal, Dost ban ban ke. Papon's version is penned by poet Saeed Rahi. Sharing the link of the song on Twitter Papon wrote, "Lived with this song for long but I connect to it more & more now as life takes me to the unknown. A humble tribute to #JagjitSingh ji on his birthday with this song penned by Saeed Rahi ji. It is out now on @suficore's YouTube channel."
"Jagjit Singh ji has been a very big influence on me since I got introduced to his music at ten years of age. His songs are soulful and his style of singing gave a distinct identity to ghazals," Papon said.
"His ghazals are gems of Indian music and I am happy to celebrate the late legend by rendering ‘Dost ban ban ke. I dedicate this song to him and his fans and most importantly I want to thank him for leaving us with his musical legacy," he added.
With a contemporary music arrangement, Papon's rendition of the ghazal is an expression of the pain of betrayal by a close one. The video of the ghazal features Papon walking from home towards the sea.
A recipient of Padma Bhushan in 2003, Jagjit Singh passed away on October 10, 2011. Apart from a minehouse of ghazals that redefined the genre in the modern Indian music scene, Singh left behind memorable hits in Bollywood that include Hothon se chhoo lo tum (Prem Geet), Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho (Arth), Chitthi na koi sandes (Dushman), and Koi fariyaad (Tum Bin).
