Tagore Theatre would not have had this much crowd had the singer been a not-so-well-known Indian but here the artist, Hussain Baksh, was from Lahore.

Though he does not enjoy the fame of a Ghulam Ali or even a Parvez Mehdi, Baksh is a singer of calibre and he did provide some moments of memorable Urdu poetry. That was something he achieved as the charm of the verses flowed in its exactness from his vocal chords.

When he sang, his voice had plenty of expressions. Baksh, who traces his lineage to the Patiala gharana, took the audience back to the days of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Barqat Ali Khan as he took out their specialties in the opening line of a Sagar Siddiqui ghazal.

And throughout, his play of pitch, striking humming and ``sargam'' had the perfect companion in Parvez Manna's tabla taal.

But after the initial ``jhalak'', the interest began to wane as Baksh turned repetitive.

Chandigarh audience should, in fact, give up their demand for Punjabi numbers from artists of every hue as they lose their rhythm and the listeners do not get the best from the artists.

The evening was yet another offering from the Department of Cultural Affairs, Haryana government.