Saw the Jagjit Singh's concert in Pune Festival this time. This was a mesmerising experience. I almost decided on the fly to go to the concert. I was a bit late, and there was a hell lot of crowd waiting to go inside the auditorium. My friend who had the passes was already in, but I could not enter the place since the place was running over capacity and they were neither not letting anyone out nor letting anyone in. Somehow I sneaked inside the main gate, but was still outside the hall. Huge crowd and the place was chaotic.. Police were trying their best to control. I decided to go back, blaming myself for being late. Then saw a big screen infront of main gate and the show already started. There were a hundred people sitting infront of the screen.. and that place too was also overfull. So I thought lets stand here, see a couple of gazals and then go. The first gazal I heard was - Main Nasheme hoon. First time I heard this gazal, and now am a big fan of it. There troop contained a tabalji, a violin player, a guitarist (having black electric guitar probably Ibanez type, could not see the brand though), a synth player, a dholki player and the GREAT Jagjit Singh.

Then for the next 3 hours or so I was infront of the screen. I was alone, no friend with me, but never realised so as the whole place was taken to a different level thanks to the music.
The form of the gazals was very simple.. introduction and solos were by guitar/violin/occcasional synth, and the gazals. The guitar was mainly for lead pieces. And there was some great jugalbandi between tabla and violin. The guitarist and violin player were exceptional. They came up with amazing solos, it was impromptu so almost never heard those pieces in the original tracks, but it sounded very good.
Since I got to see it on big screen, I could notice the little things going on. How Jigjit would intimate the musicians to be prepared for the interludes and solos, its like he would invite them to perform and then let them do their own thing, and then take the control again. It was wonderfully orchestrated.
Infact the whole group was so talented, that the gazal show delivered more value than gazals. And then it was Jagjit Singh, you cannot ask for more.

The gazals that were played were: Mai nasheme hoon, Tu habeeb hai hajib hai, Kal chaudhahvi ki raat thi, Tera chehra, Kiska Chehra, Hoshwalon ko, Kagaz ki kashti, Yad nahin kya kya, Baat niklegi to, Tere bare jab shocha nahi tha, Tumko Dekha to, Hotonse choolo tum. I don't remember all of them, and I heard some I dont know. But what was played was good.