Indian playback vocalist Lata Mangeshkar is regarded as one of the Indian subcontinent’s best and most significant vocalists. One of the things that brought the people of Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and Pakistan together was her voice.Her contributions to Indian music throughout the course of an eight-decade career won her honorific titles such as “Queen of Melody,” “Nightingale of India,” and “Voice of the Millennium.”
Mangeshkar mostly recorded songs in Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi, but he also recorded music in around thirty-six Indian languages and a few other languages. Throughout her career, she was recognized with numerous awards and distinctions.
Before she declined more prizes, she was given three National Film Awards, fifteen Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, and other accolades. She made history in 1974 when she performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall as the first Indian playback vocalist. Before her sister Asha Bhosle became the most recorded artist in history, she was listed in the Guinness World Records.
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Early Life of Lata Mangeshkar
On September 28, 1929, in Indore, a part of the Central India Agency in British India, Mangeshkar was born into a Brahmin family. Her father, Deenanath Mangeshkar, was a classical singer and actor in Marathi and Konkani. The father of Deenanath was Ganesh Bhatt Bhikoba, a priest at the well-known Mangeshi Temple in Goa. Deenanath’s mother, Yesubai, was a well-known musician and a member of the Devadasi community in Goa. Hardikar was the last name of Deenanath’s father.
Shevanti’s mother was Deenanath’s second wife; Shevanti’s elder sister, Narmada, had passed away before Deenanath and Shevanti were married. Her mother taught her certain Gujarati folk songs, including the garbas of Pavagadh.
Lata was given the name “Hema” at birth. She was the family’s eldest kid. Her father gave her her first instruction in music. She began performing in her father’s musical plays at the age of five. Mangeshkar departed due to her sister Asha’s prohibition from accompanying her.
Profile of Lata Mangeshkar
- Name: Lata Mangeshkar
- Famous names: Queen of Melody, Voice of the Nation, Voice of the Millennium, Nightingale of India
- Father’s Name: Deenanath Mangeshkar
- Mother’s Name: Shevanti Mangeshkar
- Birth Date: 28th September 1929
- Place of Birth: Indore, India
- Relatives: Asha Bhosle (sister), Usha Mangeshkar (sister), Meena Mangeshkar (sister), Hridaynath Mangeshkar (brother)
- Awards: National Film Awards, BFJA Awards, Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer, Filmfare Special Awards, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
- Honors: Padma Bhushan (1969), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1989), Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhawana Award (1999), Padma Vibhushan (1999), Bharat Ratna (2001), Legion of Honour (2007)
- Nationality: Indian
- Occupation: Playback singer, music director, producer
- Marital Status: Unmarried
- Died: 6 February 2022 (aged 92)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India - Cause of death: Multiple organ failure caused by COVID-19
- Place of Death: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Years active: 1942–2021
Lata Mangeshkar’s Career
Mangeshkar’s father passed away from heart disease in 1942, when she was thirteen. They were looked after by Master Vinayak, the proprietor of the Navyug Chitrapat film studio and a close friend of the Mangeshkar family. He assisted her in launching her acting and singing careers. She performed the Sadashivrao Nevrekar song “Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari” for the Marathi film directed by Vasant Joglekar.
Her rendition of Dada Chandekar’s “Natali Chaitraachi Navalaai” was performed.”Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu” was her debut Hindi song, released in 1943.Since the Bollywood industry was just getting started, Mangeshkar had to focus on acting first, which she disliked because it was uncomfortable to be directed by people and the lighting.
When Master Vinayak’s company relocated its headquarters to Mumbai in 1945, she moved there as well. Ustad Aman Ali Khan of began teaching her Hindustani classical music.She performed the song “Paa Lagoon Kar Jori” for the 1946 Hindi film Aap Ki Seva Mein, directed by Vasant Joglekar.Badi Maa, Vinayak’s debut Hindi film, included small roles for Lata and her sister Asha (1945). Moreover, Lata performed the bhajan “Maata Tere Charnon Mein.”
Ghulam Haider, the music director, trained her as a singer after Vinayak passed away in 1948.With lyrics by Nazim Panipati, Haider’s first significant break came from the song “Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahin Ka Na Chhora” from the 1948 film Majboor, which went on to become her first major breakout hit. She said, “Ghulam Haider is truly my Godfather,” in 2013.
She is supposed to have started off imitating popular singer Noor Jehan before forming her own vocal style.Moving away from mehfil-type performances, she introduced a new unique style of singing to Indian film music that suited both’modern’ and ‘traditional’ female characters.
“Aayega Aanewaala,” a song from the 1949 film Mahal that was composed by music director Khemchand Prakash, was one of her first big hits.Due to the success of this song, Radio Goa exposed her name and rose to fame on her own.
Non-singing career
Production
Lata Mangeshkar has produced four films:
- 1953 – Vaadal (Marathi)
- 1953 – Jhaanjhar (Hindi), co-produced with C. Ramchandra
- 1955 – Kanchan Ganga (Hindi)
- 1990 – Lekin… (Hindi)
Music direction
Lata Mangeshkar composed music for the first time in 1955 for the Marathi movie Ram Ram Pavhane. Later in the 1960s, she composed music for following Marathi movies under the pseudonym of Anand Ghan.
- 1950 – Ram Ram Pavhana
- 1963 – Maratha Tituka Melvava
- 1963 – Mohityanchi Manjula
- 1965 – Sadhi Manase
- 1969 – Tambadi Mati
She won Maharashtra State Government’s Best Music Director Award for the film Sadhi Manase. The song “Airanichya Deva Tula” from the same film received best song award.
Awards
Indian music great Lata Mangeshkar, sometimes called the “Nightingale of India,” is well-known. Born in Indore, India, on September 28, 1929, she became one of the most famous playback singers in Indian movie history. Throughout her seven-decade career, Lata Mangeshkar’s melodic voice has enhanced thousands of songs and captivated listeners all over the world.
Lata Mangeshkar has won various honors and recognitions for her outstanding contributions to music over her distinguished career. These honors provide witness to her lasting influence on Indian culture in addition to recognizing her extraordinary talent. Here is a sampling of some of the distinguished honors that have been given to her:
1. Padma Bhushan: In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the arts, Lata Mangeshkar received the Padma Bhushan in 1969, the third-highest civilian accolade in India.
2. Dadasaheb Phalke Award: In 1989, she was bestowed with the most prestigious accolade in Indian film, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which acknowledged her exceptional career contributions to the field.
3. Padma Vibhushan: She received the second-highest civilian award in India, the Padma Vibhushan, in 1999 for her outstanding contributions to the music industry.
4. Bharat Ratna: Lata Mangeshkar is the first and only playback singer to become the recipient of India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001.
5. National Film Awards: For her heartfelt performances in a variety of movies, she has won multiple National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer. Her songs have garnered her a great deal of praise and admiration and have made a lasting impression on Indian film.
6. Filmfare Awards: For her outstanding playback singing, Lata Mangeshkar has received multiple honors from the Filmfare Awards, one of the most prestigious film awards in India.
7. Lifetime Achievement Awards: In addition to the honors listed above, she has received other lifetime achievement awards from different organizations and institutions in recognition of her outstanding career and musical legacy.
Guinness Controversy
According to Guinness World Records, Lata Mangeshkar recorded “more than 25,000 solo, duet, and chorus backed songs in 20 Indian languages” between 1948 and 1974, making her the most recorded artist in history. Mohammed Rafi, who asserted to have sang almost 28,000 songs, challenged her record.
The Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged Rafi’s claim for the “Most Recordings” after her passing in its 1984 edition, but it also listed her name. According to the Guinness Book’s later editions, she sang almost 30,000 songs from 1948 until 1987.
Death
Mangeshkar tested positive for COVID-19 on January 8, 2022, and was admitted to the Mumbai acute care unit of Breach Candy Hospital with minimal symptoms. She showed “marginal improvement” in her health but stayed in the intensive care unit. Her condition had “improved marginally,” according to the treating physicians, who had removed her from the ventilator on January 28. Nevertheless, on February 5th, her condition worsened and she was once again receiving “aggressive therapy” while on a ventilator.
At the age of 92, Mangeshkar passed away from multiple organ dysfunction syndrome on February 6, 2022. She had received round-the-clock care for COVID-19 and pneumonia for 28 days. Following his Mumbai homage to Lata Mangeshkar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Asha Bhosle and the Mangeshkar family.
In memory of her, the Indian government declared a two-day national mourning period and half-mast flying of the national flag across the country on February 6 and 7. Many people from the Indian music and film industries, as well as celebrities, fans, and internet users, sent their sympathies.
Players from the Indian Cricket Team donned black armbands in memory of Mangeshkar during the first ODI between India and the West Indies. Mangeshkar’s nephew Adinath Mangeshkar and sister Usha submerged her ashes in the Godavari River at Ramkund, Nashik, on February 10, 2022.
Upshot
The impact of Lata Mangeshkar goes well beyond the fields of music and film. Her ethereal voice has transcended language and cultural boundaries to capture the hearts of millions of people. She continues to inspire generations of musicians and music fans worldwide with her unmatched talent and passion.
In addition to her numerous accolades, Lata Mangeshkar’s legacy is shaped by her significant influence on the music industry, which has solidified her place as a cultural icon of India and a shining example of musical brilliance.
FAQs
1. What noteworthy accomplishments has Lata Mangeshkar made?
A: Throughout her distinguished career, Lata Mangeshkar has won countless accolades, including the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 2001. She has also received the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honor, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honor in Indian cinema.
2. How did Lata Mangeshkar become well-known?
A: Her career took off when Lata Mangeshkar began singing in Hindi and Marathi movies in the 1940s. She soon became well-known and became a prominent playback singer in the Indian film business thanks to her beautiful voice and flawless singing ability.