Tribute To Ishmeet - All articles here!! - Page 12

These are the words which still remain with us when we last spoke to the talented singer Ishmeet Singh before he got caught up for his endless 'riyaaz' before Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar, a Star Plus showcase. Riding high post his success in Star Voice of India, yet, modest, Ishmeet Singh lived his life for his music.

So much so, that he jocularly said, "Take away music and I'm just an empty soul."

The journey...

I come from a simple middle class background. Everyone is a singer in my family. My dad is a great singer, so are my chachaji and his children. So I have been singing from very young. But it was in my ninth class that I really got into singing Hindi songs. Voice of India was a chance happening. I saw the auditions happening on television. My interest was piqued. But my family was against it.

They wanted me to complete my studies. I couldn't do both, as my studies take up all my time. So I had to reason with my mother to let me at least go for the audition. She told me that even if I was selected, I couldn't continue because my studies were very important. I auditioned in Delhi and was selected. From thousands of hopefuls, only 39 were selected. Then it was down to 33 and finally 12. I could still her my mother's voice asking me to quit all of that to return back to my books. I requested her to just let me try, dekhte hain kaha tak pahuch sakhta hoon (see how far I could go). In the end, my relatives had to intervene and convince my parents.

If not a singer, I would be a number cruncher. My mother aspired for me to get into Chartered Accounting. My world was divided between numbers and the dancing figures of music. Finally, it was music, which conquered everything. My father gave up his dream to pursue a regular career. And I could see the pain mirrored in his soul, though, he never once told me about it. I could feel the pain because I was in the crossroads myself.
Like every singer, I'm nervous before I step on to the dias. But no matter what, before every performance, I chant Wahe Guru on my Simone Mala; it's the beaded mala that I always wear on my wrist

Reality show winners are erased from memories after the show is over

"I cannot believe it. Barely 19 years old and such a bright future lay ahead of him. How can God be so cruel?" says an emotionally disturbed Gajendra aka Gajji Singh when we caught up with him after the shocking demise of Ishmeet Singh, a prodigy from his own coterie.

I am not a mentor, but a friend to all those who come on the show. Yes, I nurture their talent, because I appreciate talent. There are some who shine without a push and nudge and Ishmeet was one of those. Music was his very soul. So, when all this debates of SMS voting pattern came into play, I didn't react because I knew the boy had talent and finally, that is what comes into play. Ishmit was like our own child. He had been with us since the day we started off with the shoot for VOI and stayed with us till the end.

All the singers who come to us come with a single minded determination - to make it big in the world of music. With Ishmeet, it was that, but there was a extra zeal in him. His determination was none like I have seen before. There was no stopping the 'Punjab-da-puttar' when it came to the endless hours of riyaaz. A simple boy who knew nothing other than music, I would catch him in the middle of a busy shoot humming a few strings together. He would be jolly and comical, yet, there was nothing jocular when it came to his music. It was a single minded determination. He knew he was up against the titans, but that never deterred him. Every spare moment would be spent in the midst of legends taking handy hints and tips from them. A shy boy, waiting to break out of his cocoon, Ishmeet's future lay ahead on a rosy mattress.

When I heard the news, I was shocked. These are children who have been a part of our show and a part of our lives. A sense of emptiness engulfs me on hearing Ishmeet's demise.

It's cruel and fate has indeed been unkind. The music industry has lost a bright spark. My entire team takes this opportunity to assure his family that we are all there to support them and pray that his soul rest in peace.