If there is one voice that epitomizes the musical legacy of Bollywood, it is Lata Mangeshkar’s.
Also known as the ‘Nightingale of India’, her distinctive voice and incredible vocal range, which extends over more than three octaves, is legendary in the Indian film industry. Over a span of six decades, she has recorded the songs for the soundtracks of more than 1,000 Indian films.
Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh to Shevanti Mangeshkar and Dinanath Mangeshkar. Her father was a well-known theatre actor and Hindustani classical vocalist who began training her from the age of five. She also trained under maestros such as Ustad Aman Ali Khan and Ustad Amanat Khan.
In 1942, when Mangeshkar was 13, her father passed away. In the following years, Lata struggled to help support her family and establish herself as a playback singer in the Hindi film industry. Her first hit was “Aayega Aanewaala” from the movie ‘Mahal’ in 1949 and after that the hits just kept coming! In a career spanning more than 70 years, she has sung for actresses from Madhubala to Priyanka Chopra and worked with several legendary music directors including Madan Mohan, R D Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and A R Rahman.
In 1974, she became the first Indian to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London. She is the recipient of three National Film Awards and holds the distinction of being the most recorded artist in the history of Indian music. She received the ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Award’ in 1989, and India’s highest civilian honour, the ‘Bharat Ratna’, in 2001.
Picture Credit : Google
