It was a chance interaction with Kavita Krishnamurthy that first led Sajid Khan to consider creating an album to promote the genre of Ghazals. “I requested her to sing a song, and was moved by her rendition. I realised that we have so many legends around us who nobody was working with. They are some of the biggest names in the [Indian music industry], and it’s amazing that they still sing. I also realised that Wajid’s birth anniversary was coming up, and he loved Ghazals. I knew that creating this album would be the best thing to do,” he says of Jashn-E-Ghazal, which features works of renowned artistes, including Ustad Ahmed Hussain, Krishnamurthy, Shaan, Muskan, Papon, Hariharan, and Anup Jalota, among others. 

It was while accompanying Ghazal singers in the respective capacities of percussionist and guitarist that Sajid and Wajid first began to earn money as musicians. “The genre was part of the mainstream, appearing in songs like Chitthi aayi hai, and Umrao jaan. Just because no one from this generation is making it [Ghazal music], it doesn’t imply that the genre has disappeared. Sure, with the new generation, electronic music gained attention. But the beauty of poetry [remains unmatched].”