I
was sad about losing all sight, but I still have the ‘vision’-
NRI
singer Bajwa
Vancouver, Jan 18. 2009
Satinder Bhalla
NRI Jugpreet Bajwa, 14, was only seven months old when he lost
both his eyes to retinoblastoma cancer. He’s been hooked
to music since he was two. He was only 4 years old when he started
his classical vocal training with Ustad Mohan Singh in Canada.
He had already participated in 350 stage shows. NRI Canadian Jugpreet
Bajwa aka Juggy Jag a top name in Punjabi music in Canada. In
2007, he had his own exclusive sold out concert in Vancouver.
Jugpreet Bajwa said:
- I won’t deny that initially I was sad about losing
all sight, but I still have the ‘vision’...it doesn't
matter anymore, being blind for what matters is that I survived.
- I can sing any type of song like classical, ghazals, bhajans,
folk, bhangra, Hindi Bollywood because I am trained in Indian
classical music. I can also sing latest rock and hip-hop.
- I love music and for that you need to have the vision, the
passion and not eyes
- Life is difficult for everybody. This is nothing new to me,
except that I enjoy it to the fullest." Straight, like
we said.
His father, Jagbir Singh, a real estate businessman said:
- A few months after his birth, he was detected with retinoblastoma
cancer and both his eyes were removed by the doctors for his
treatment.
- He is a fan of Gurdas Mann and Shankar Mahadevan.
- He wants to make a career in the music industry.
- He is going to school in 8th grade. He loves swimming, skating
and traveling
- He reads newspapers on his own with the reading computer software.
On Sep. 28, 2008, he won the Bollywood Ek Tara competition and
also return ticket to Bollywood. The contest was open to all age
groups, people from all over, and he won it. Ek Tara, a Sargam
Entertainment company is to promote and give platform to the unrecognized
talent of the South Asian community in Vancouver and eventually
throughout Canada. Ek Tara's mission: "if you can talk, you
can sing -- if you can walk, you can dance."
Few weeks back, Jugpreet arrived in Mumbai and met Kailash Kher,
Shankar Mahadevan, Pritam, Aadesh Srivasata and Himesh.
Charan Thakur, composer and producer of the album said:
- In Chandigarh, he released his first Punjabi album, "Juggy
De Nakhare. It is a a mixture of Punjabi hip-hop and soothing
classical music. This album include nine songs with one Hindi
song.
- He could be a role model for millions of people on this earth
who are suffering from one or the other disease.
- I am amazed to see the dedication of this boy towards music.
During the recording, everyday he worked for 10 to 12 hours.
In Chandigarh, Meenu Singh, department of paediatrics, PGI said,
we had invited Jugpreet to entertain children in the hospital
and narrate his tale of success. He performed a musical show for
PGI patients to motivate them. Jugpreet said, "Music helped
me regain my confidence when I used to feel low. At an age when
one is able to see life and perceive the beauty around, I was
dependent on other people around me."
