Lata Mangeshkar, who was born on September 29, 1929, passed away leaving everyone in a state of shock. She was regarded as one of the greatest and most recognized playback singers in the industry. She performed in around thirty-six Indian languages and recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films.
Early Years:
Lata Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to classical vocalist and theatre artist Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti. Meena, Asha, Usha, and Hridaynath, her siblings, are also talented singers and musicians. From a very young age, Lata showed an inclination for music and she took formal training in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Amanat Ali Khan of Kirana Gharana when she was just seven years old. Lata began performing at the age of five with Deenanath’s theatrical group, which performed musical plays.
Lata Mangeshkar’s father died of heart illness when she was just 13 years old, leaving her as the family’s main earner. In the 1940s, she battled to make a name for herself as a singer, recording her debut song for the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942). The song was eventually cut from the film. She relocated to Mumbai in 1945, but it wasn’t until the song “Aayega aanewala” from the movie Mahal (1949) that she became one of Hindi cinema’s most sought-after voices. Master Vinayak, a family friend of the Mangeshkars who was caring for them following their father’s death, offered her a small part in his first Hindi film Badi maa in 1945
Who is Lata Mangeshkar?
Lata Mangeshkar was a legend in the music industry. She has sung over 5000 songs in 36 Indian languages.
Lata Mangeshkar is one of the most well-known singers of all time. She has sing over 5000 songs in 36 Indian languages and has been awarded with India’s highest civilian honor, Bharat Ratna. From being a child prodigy to being the voice of India for decades, Lata Mangeshkar’s life is an inspiration to many.
Her big break came in 1949 with the film “Mahal,” for which she performed the infamous “Aayega Aanewala” song. In 1958, she received her first filmfare award for the song “Aaja Re Pardesi” from the film “Madhumati,” and in 1973, she received her first national film award for the song “Beeti Na Bitai” from the film “Parichay.” She also performed “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon,” a song written to motivate the country’s citizens during the Indo-China conflict in 1963. It became an anthem, with Mangeshkar being begged to perform it at every performance.
Madan Mohan, R.D. Burman, Gulzar, and A.R. Rahman were among the outstanding composers and lyricists of the time, and she gave voice to their music and poetry. Composers created music with her voice in mind, while music directors paused their work to meet her tight schedule.
She was given the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 2001. In 1999, she was also given the Padma Vibushan, India’s second highest civilian honour. Mangeshkar has performed in over five languages for various Indian film industries.
The start of her career – singing for Radio Ceylon
Lata Mangeshkar was a singer and actress. She known and one of the most successful singers in Indian cinema.
She was born in a Marathi speaking family and spent her career singing in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films. Lata Mangeshkar has sing songs for over a thousand Bollywood movies and has recorded songs in over thirty-six regional Indian languages and foreign languages which include Arabic, English, Persian and Spanish.
Mangeshkar has contributed her voice to many films and recorded over a thousand songs in over 36 Indian languages over her seven-decade career. Mangeshkar, the voice behind soulful tunes like “Lag Jaa Gale” and “Aajkal Paaon Zameen Par,” is one of the country’s most beloved vocalists. She has had a huge influence on Indian cinema music. Lata has been pushing the frontiers of music with her mind-boggling abilities since 1942. Lata has sung for a variety of actresses throughout the years, including Madhubala and Priyanka Chopra. She is most recognised for her diverse vocal quality, and she has released a wide range of CDs (ghazals, pop, etc).
Madan Mohan, R. D. Burman, the pair Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and A. R. Rahman are just a few of the great music directors with whom Lata has collaborated. In the 1960s, she collaborated with Madan Mohan on films such as Anpadh’s Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha, Lag Jaa Gale, and Woh Kaun Thi’s Naina Barse Rim Jhim. Lata has performed almost 700 songs for Laxmikant-Pyarelal, including Naseeb’s Mere Naseeb Mein and Asha’s Sheesha Ho Ya Dil Ho. S. D. Burman recorded songs like Gata Rahe Mera Dil and Piya Tose in Guide (1965).
Lata Mangeshkar’s last song
Lata recorded her last song in the year 2019. She landed her voice on a song based on PM Narendra Modi’s slogan, “Saugandh Mujhe is Mitti Ki.” In the music video, Lata is heard saying, “I was listening to PM Modi’s speech a few days ago. He said some lines in it which I felt represented the feelings of every Indian. They touched me too. I recorded them. And today I offer it as my tribute to the Indian soldiers and every Indian. Jai Hind. “
Popularity in the Western World and Legacy Towards Generations to Come
The popularity of Hindi films in the Western world has been on the rise. The first Hindi film to be released in the West was “Aan” (1952).
In recent years, there has been a surge of interest for Bollywood films. This is due to the increase in number of Indian immigrants and globalization.
Bollywood films are popular among Western audiences because they are more relatable than Hollywood films due to their vernacular.
Political Career
Her political career began when she was also nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1999. Her term ended in 2006, though she was criticised for not attending the sessions. She had previously stated that her absence from Parliament was due to illness. Lata Didi did not take a single penny, a salary, or a house in Delhi for her services as an MP.
Awards: Lata Mangeshkar’s Awards:
Lata Mangeshkar, widely known as the Nightingale of India, has received several awards, including National Film Awards, BFJA Awards, Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer, Filmfare Special Awards, and Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1989, the Maharashtra Bhushan in 1997, the Padma Vibhushan in 1999, the Bharat Ratna in 2001, and the Legion of Honour in 2002. (2007). From November 22, 1999, to November 21, 2005, she was a member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha).
Lata Mangeshkar: An Inspiration for Every Woman
Lata Mangeshkar, dubbed the “Nightingale of Bollywood,” is without a doubt one of India’s most well-known and revered female voices. Most desire to be singers and will be forgotten by the end of the decade. Mangeshkar is a formidable force in the Hindi and Indian regional film industries, with a singing career spanning seven decades. She has not only made an indelible mark on Hindi filmdom by singing in over a thousand Hindi films, but she has also donated her voice to songs in over 36 regional Indian and other languages.
She left her mark not only in the music industry but also as a strong and independent woman who didn’t shy away from the face of tragedy or rejection, but rose from the ashes like a phoenix and let the world know what she was made of.
Death: On 6 February 2022, the nightingale of music, Lata Mangeshkar breathed her last at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.
