Ghazal singer Rajesh Jaiswal (left) performs at the Patna Museum auditorium to pay tribute to Jagjit Singh and Mehdi Hassan on Sunday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Music lovers of Patna were treated to popular numbers of Jagjit Singh and Mehdi Hassan by ghazal singer Rajesh Jaiswal on Sunday.

Organised by charitable trust Renuka Arts at Patna Museum auditorium, the event was named “Yeh shaam kuch ajeeb hai” paid tribute to the ghazal maestros, both of whom died recently.

Jaiswal sang classics like Chithhi na koi sandesh, jane woh kaun sa desh and Hosh walon ko khabar kya (from the 1999-blockbuster Sarfarosh) with which Singh had carved a niche in the hearts of his fans. He also presented Hassan’s popular songs like Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhaane ke liye and Mohabbat karne waale kam na hoge teri mehfil mein lekin hum na hoge.

“I can never sing like them, nor can I be like them,” said Jaiswal in the course of the performance. “This is my tribute to two singers whom I have admired a lot. They have been my inspiration and I am proud to have this opportunity to pay tribute to them.”

He added: “I miss them a lot.”

While Singh passed away on October 10, 2011, Hassan died on June 13, 2012.

Performing to a packed auditorium, Jaiswal also said: “We should not forget the contribution of such great singers who treated us with such melody and music. They also made us appreciate the beauty of Urdu.”

Among the audience who enjoyed his performance was Super 30 founder and mathematician Anand Kumar, who came for the show accompanied by his wife and son.

Anand, who was an honoured guest, said: “It is great honour to be part of such an event. Though I am not related to the field of music but the singers whom we are remembering this evening (Sunday) had some extraordinary talent that always attracted me.”

He added: “I have loved their music since childhood. They will always have a special place in my heart.”

Medical practitioner Dr Diwakar Tejaswi also performed. He sang Singh famous ghazal Woh kaghaz ki kashti woh barish ka paani.

The doctor said: “Both the singers were amazing. Such a programme allows us to show our gratitude to them. In our contemporary world, there are few singers like them.”

He added: “Such event provide a platform for aspiring singers, who want to follow in the footsteps of the masters.”

Renuka Arts president Vijay Shankar Mishra said: “Music is of great importance. It is essential to preserve the tradition. We have been involved for past 18 years in helping more people to get associated with music. This is not only a tribute to Mehdi Hassan and Jagjit Singh but also an opportunity for those people who are interested in listening to good music.”

The audience appreciated the efforts of the organisers.

Boring Canal Road resident Kishore Singh said: “I enjoyed the performances. A ghazal evening has been organised in our city after a long time. Programmes of Bollywood songs are more common. But I do not like those.”

Kishore would be pleased to learn that Renuka Arts plans to organise more events like the one on Sunday night. The secretary of the organisation, Ranjan Kumar, said: “We plan to organise more such events for music lover in the city.”