The name Lata Mangeshkar brings to mind a woman who is both a singer and a composer. She began her career singing in regional languages like Marathi and Tamil. Then she moved to Kannada, where she became one of the most famous voices in history. Her voice is recorded in countless films, making her the most sought after singer in the world.
Lata Mangeshkar was born on 28 September 1929
Lata Mangeshkar was born in Indore, British India. She was the daughter of Deenanath Mangeshkar, a theatre owner and classical singer. At a very early age, her father began teaching her to sing. She later studied with renowned classical singers Aman Ali Khan and Amanat Khan. She showed great musical talent at an early age and quickly mastered vocal exercises.
Mangeshkar’s musical career spanned three decades, starting at a young age. She first performed in Marathi musical plays, and by the time she was twelve, she was singing and acting. She also collaborated with prominent male playback singers.
She was honoured with a number of awards throughout her career. She received three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. She is widely considered one of the best singers in India. Her voice was once described as a “miracle from God”. In 1969, Mangeshkar decided to pass on the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award in order to promote fresh talent. But, two years later, she won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and two Filmfare Special Awards.
After achieving fame with her debut in the movie ‘Mahal’, Lata Mangeshkar soon gained the trust of music directors and gained acclaim. In the 1950s, she worked with renowned composers and became known as the queen of Bollywood playback singing. She recorded more than 30,000 songs for Hindi films and won the Guinness World Record for the most recorded voice.
Her career spanned eight decades and included songs in more than 1,000 Hindi films. Moreover, she also lent her voice to over thirty-six regional films. Her vocal talents helped shape the music industry in India. The versatile artist was known for pushing the boundaries of music.
She began her career as a playback singer for regional films in Tamil and Marathi
Lata Mangeshkar began her musical career at a young age. In the late 1930s, she was hired by Vasant Joglekar, the producer of the film Kiti Hasaal. The songs were composed by Datta Daavjekar. During this time, Mangeshkar was only thirteen years old.
After a few years, she began to work for leading music directors and playback singers, which led to a string of high-profile roles. She sang for the likes of Kalyanji-Anandji, Khayyam, and Pandit Amarnath HusanLal Bhagat Ram. She also sang in films like Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai and Mughal-e-Azam.
Lata Mangeshkar’s family had a musical background and she began singing in her early teens. Her father, Vinayak Damodar Karnataki, a Marathi filmmaker in his 30s, encouraged her to sing. Eventually, Master Vinayak passed away, and she was given the opportunity to train under Ghulam Haider.
In the late 1980s, Mangeshkar returned to the Tamil film industry. She sang the songs of Ilaiyaraaja in the films Anand (1987) and Sathya (1988). During this time, Mangeshkar began her association with Laxmikant-Pyarelal, singing over 700 songs for them.
During the Sino-Indian War, Lata Mangeshkar sang ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo’ for Jawaharlal Nehru, which moved the President to tears. Her association with Laxmikant-Pyarelal began in the 1960s and continued throughout her career. Together, they recorded over 700 songs, many of which became hits.
After Vinayak’s death, Mangeshkar’s mentor Ghulam Haider teamed up Mangeshkar with the producer Sashadhar Mukherjee. This led to her first major film role. During this time, Lata worked with numerous renowned composers, including S.D. Burman, Amarnath, and Husanlal. She also sang duets with Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh.
She moved to Kannada
Lata Mangeshkar died of multiple organ failure at age 92. The actress lived in Kannada for a short time, crooning two Kannada songs in 1967. She was a prolific songwriter, achieving international recognition with her music. The actress’s love for dogs extended to her personal life. She owned nine dogs. She shared photographs of her beloved dog Bittu on her Facebook account.
In 1942, her father passed away and she was forced to take care of her family. Master Vinayak offered her a role in the movie Badi Maa. This helped her get work with leading music directors. She then sang songs for films such as Devdas and Mother India. She later moved to Bombay to learn Hindustani music from Ustad Aman Ali Khan.
She also worked with some of the country’s top male vocalists. Her father was a member of the Gwalior Gharana, an ethnic group of artists and singers. Her father was a musical writer. The two worked together in music productions, and Lata sang Raag Khambavati for him. She revealed this personal background in a Facebook post in September 2021.
She was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Her parents were musicians and theater actors. She was named Hema but changed her name to Lata after a character in one of her father’s plays. Lata Mangeshkar continued her career as an actress even after her father’s death in 1942. Her mother and father gave her music lessons from an early age. She started acting in her father’s musical plays at age five.
Lata Mangeshkar’s music helped create a new genre of music. She sang in almost every language spoken in India. Her signature voice was emoting for actors through generations. She was also a producer and composer. She was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest honor. The Indian flag will be flying at half-staff to mark her life.
She became the most recorded voice in history
During the 1940s, Lata Mangeshkar began her singing career, first performing for movies and then for albums. Over the next three decades, she gained popularity with her singing and was awarded numerous accolades, including the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and the Bharat Ratna. She also collaborated with popular singers, including Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi, Asha and Usha, and Kishore Kumar.
She later started her own music label, and recently released a new song. The song, “Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki,” was composed by Mayuresh Pai, and is dedicated to the Indian army. The song has been praised for its sensitivity to the soldiers in India.
Lata worked with legendary music directors, including Madan Mohan and R D Burman, and she sang for many of the best-known films of the 1950s and 1960s. Her work for Laxmikant-Pyarelal resulted in over 700 recordings.
Lata Mangeshkar began her career in 1942 and went on to record over 50,000 songs in 14 languages. During the 1960s, she broke the Guinness World Record by singing 30,000 songs. Lata Mangeshkar’s voice has become one of the most recorded voices in history and is still considered a treasure in the Indian film industry. She has also been referred to as the voice of the nation and the millennium.
Lata Mangeshkar was born in Mumbai, India. Her father was a music teacher, and she began singing at a young age. Her first song was recorded at age thirteen for Vasant Joglekar’s Marathi film Kiti Hasaal. Her father was initially hesitant to let his daughters perform onstage, so she was forced to make do with her family’s theater company. At age five, she was trained by her father and tutored by Aman Ali Khan Sahib.
Her songs are frequently remixed by DJ’s
DJ’s have frequently sampled Mangeshkar’s songs, and some of her tracks have been featured on other artists’ albums. Madlib sampled two Mangeshkar tracks on his Bobby album. He altered the pitch of Mangeshkar’s vocals to make it sound like he was singing over a synthesizer. In addition, DJs like Four Tet have sampled Mangeshkar’s song, ‘Jiya Jale’.
As the Internet and music television became more popular, Lata’s songs began to be sampled by a broader audience. In 2002, R&B singer Shari Watson teamed up with hip hop heavyweight Rakim for the song “Addictive”. The song opened with Mangeshkar’s classic vocals.
However, Mangeshkar has always opposed remix culture. She wrote in a tweet that remixing a song is wrong and she urged recording companies to think before approving a new version. Her sentiments seem to be borne out.
Lata Mangeshkar’s career was a success, spanning seven decades. Despite accusations of monopolising the playback singing industry, she managed to cut down on her workload and focus on international shows. She continues to perform sporadically today, but is considered an icon by many.
