MUMBAI: On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Ghazal King Jagjit Singh on 8 February, his wife Chitra Singh has decided to reform the Jagjit Singh foundation, which looks forward in promoting and encouraging young and promising talents. This initiative is to keep the late ghazal legend alive. Chitra Singh also plans to launch his precious and timeless unreleased work.

Speaking with Radioandmusic.com about Jagjitji’s unpublished works, she said, “I have a lot of unreleased material with me and am very keen on launching a album every six-eight months. There were few kind friends who had bought it to my notice and definitely for that I need label companies to help me and take them from me.  I am looking forward in making different deal for the same.”

She added that she is in talks with one of the major and oldest record companies of India to get his work complied into an album. She is looking forward for a deal that rewards the work of the legend. She said, “After all it’s a big business for them. They have to offer something to me. Because Jagjitji’s work whatever is left is precious and timeless. And there wouldn’t be anything more new than these for fans and admirers. I need his works to come out for people to listen to them.”

Moreover, Singh is not able to get a land grant to open a art school where young children could learn to sing and play instrumental music and other art forms like sketching or painting. In keeping with Jagjit Singh’s vision to encourage promising young singers, Chitra Singh offers this prestigious platform of Jagjit Singh foundation to them. The foundation that was spoken about in the past by her is basically to keep the maestro’s musical legacy alive.

She said, “My husband had always ambitioned to make a foundation for children who have no support system but have caliber in any art form. But the foundation would be for just 10-12 young talents as that is what I can cope with. For that I need to build an institution and for that I need a place. Without a grant of the land in Mumbai, I can’t construct a place and without a base how would I go about. I will never be able to fulfill his dreams without a grant for which I have approached the Chief Minister. If possible I will approach government in a bigger way.” Three months back, she wrote to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra pledging for a land grant.