Farewell to the Queen of Melody Lata Mangeshkar – The Voice Which Remains in Our Heart
At the age of 92 years old, Lata Mangeshkar, a legendary singer, passed away on Sunday, the 6th of February, at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital.
On the 8th of January, Lata Mangeshkar was hospitalized in the intensive care unit after being tested positive for COVID-19. Her situation had deteriorated once again on Saturday, the 5th of February, and she had to be placed on ventilator support. Doctors were watching her. Lata Mangeshkar was diagnosed with pneumonia and was tested positive COVID-19 on 22nd January, 2022. According to her relatives, her symptoms were minimal, but she was in ICU due to her age.
Lata Mangeshkar exhibited hints of improvement during the next few weeks. However, on Saturday, many hospital officials said that Lata Mangeshkar had indeed been placed back on the ventilator when her health deteriorated, according to news agency ANI.
Lata Mangeshkar, who got the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Dadasaheb Phalke Awards, was a legend of Indian film, having sung playback for a long list of Hindi movies, as well as in Bengali and Marathi.
Lata Mangeshkar, a member of a well-known musical family, also created music and produced a few films. The ‘Nightingale of India,’ as she was nicknamed, was a prominent figure in India.
WHAT FAMOUS PERSONALITIES SAID ABOUT LATA MANGESHKAR
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first to communicate the heartbreaking news, expressing his “anguish beyond words.”
“Lata Didi, who was delicate and mindful, is no more among us but will remain in our hearts forever. She has left an unfillable vacuum in people’s heart and our country. Her lovely voice had an unequalled ability to mesmerize listeners, and future generations will remember her as a bastion of Indian culture, “He tweeted.
The news was “heartbreaking for me, as it is for millions worldwide,” President Ram Nath Kovind said, adding that “generations found expression of their innermost emotions” in her songs.
Mangeshkar’s death, however, has left a “gap in our nation that cannot be filled,” according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mangeshkar was an enormous cricket enthusiast, and India’s former captain Virat Kohli claimed her songs “affected millions of people worldwide.”
Several Bollywood celebrities have also offered their condolences. Hema Malini, an actress, stated she was “fortunate” to have performed several Mangeshkar songs.
“She was the greatest of all singers; no one else could sing as perfect as her. It’s heartbreaking to learn of her death, “ANI, a news agency, reported on her statement.
LATA MANGESHKAR’S BIOGRAPHY AND EARLY LIFE
Lata Mangeshkar, nicknamed the “Nightingale of India,” was among the most varied singers in Indian cinema. She was the eldest daughter to classical vocalist and theatre artist, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti. She was born in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh, on September 28, 1929. Her father started teaching her the art of music from her childhood. Lata started acting in plays composed by her dad when she was five years of age. Meena Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar, and Hridaynath Mangeshkar, her siblings, are altogether capable vocalists and musicians.
Lata Mangeshkar was the beautiful voice for a slew of Bollywood female stars during the course of her nearly eight-decade career. She showed up in over of 5,000 Hindi and 36 provincial movies, singing more than 5,000 tunes. She had a huge influence on Indian film music. Lata has been pushing the limits of singing with her mind-boggling abilities since 1942. Lata has sung for many female leads over the years, including great actresses like Madhubala and Priyanka Chopra. She was well renowned for her diverse voice quality, and she released a wide range of recordings (ghazals, pop, etc).
LATA MANGESHKAR’SJOURNEY WITH MUSIC
R D Burman’s first and last songs, Chote Nawaab (1961) and Kuch Na Kaho in 1942: A Love Story (1994), were both performed by Lata. Well known and hit tracks from her collaboration with A R Rahman includes Luka Chupi from Rang de Basanti (2006) and O Paalanhaare from Lagaan (2001).
The singer has provided her voice to a variety of timeless songs over the years, from Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya from Mughal-e-Azam (1960) to Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh, from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960) to Rangeela Re from Prem Pujari (1970) or even Jiya Jale in Dil Se.
Lata Mangeshkar founded her own record company, LM Music, in 2012. Her most recent release (March 2019) was the song Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki, which is a homage to the Indian army and India and was composed by Mayuresh Pai.
LATA MANGESHKAR’S AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
During her eight-decade career, Lata Mangeshkar garnered numerous prizes and honours. She was the first Indian citizen to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1974. She has gotten various honors, including three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1989, Lata Mangeshkar got the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. She was given the Bharat Ratna which is India’s highest civilian award in 2001. In 2007, the French government offered the highest civilian honour to her (Officer of the Legion of Honor).
In addition, Lata Mangeshkar held the Guinness World Record for being the most recorded performer in the history of Indian music in 1974. On her 90th birthday in September 2019, the Indian government awarded her with the Daughter of the Nation award.
Thousands of songs were lip-synced by Bollywood’s biggest heroines over the next few decades, thanks to Mangeshkar.
She was elected to India’s upper chamber of parliament in 1999, but later admitted that she was hesitant to accept the position and that her time there was “far from enjoyable.”
In 2001, she received India’s highest civilian honour that is the Bharat Ratna.
Yash Chopra, one of Bollywood’s biggest directors, wrote for the BBC in 2004 when she turned 75 that he sensed “God’s blessings in her voice.”
Mangeshkar, who never married, had a diverse range of interests outside of work, including cricket and automobiles.
“Lata Mangeshkar: A Musical Journey” is a book that tells the story of her life in music, including her struggle life, accomplishments, and reign as the Queen of Indian music industry from the 1940s to the present day.
