By: PTIDate: 2008-09-28

Mumbai:
India's most revered singer melody queen Lata Mangeshkar who has mesmerised music lovers with her celestial voice for over six decades celebrated her 79th birthday with family members in her Pune home today.


Didi as she is fondly called by family, fans and admirers is rarely in Mumbai on her birthday.


She was last heard in Vikram Bhatt's "1920" where she shared playback credits with Pandit Jasraj and Asha Bhosale.


Lata's brother Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar organised a musical concert 'Didi ani mi' (Didi and I) at the Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir in Pune in her honour.


The legendary singer was introduced to intricacies of classical music by her father master Dinanath Mangeshkar.


She did a few Marathi films like 'Pahili Mangalagaur', 'Majhe Bal', 'Gaja Bhau' and even few Hindi movies like 'Badi Maa', 'Jeevan Yatra' and 'Samudra Mandir'.


She is listed in the Guiness Book of World records as the most recorded artist in the world.


Today, the legendary singer sits pretty, occasionally crooning for selected numbers especially that of filmmaker Yash chopra's films and many non-film albums


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BHARAT RATNA Lata Mangeshkar, popularly known as ’Nightingale of India’ for having mesmerised millions with her mellifluous voice for over six decades, turned 79 on Sunday (September 28).



Lata is considered a living legend in India. She has enthralled music lovers of every generation with her soulful singing in a long career spanning over six and a half decades and still counting...



Lata is the second vocalist ever (after MS Subbulakshmi) to have received the highest civilian honour in India — Bharat Ratna for her immortal and soulful singing as a playback singer in films. She has charmed her fans all over the world with over 30,000 songs in Hindi and other languages. She has worked with almost all music composers and singers in the industry. She is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in the world with over 30,000 songs.



Lata Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929 to a family of musicians in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. She started her career as a playback singer in her early teens to look after her family. Her father Dinanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and theatre actor, died when she was only 13 years of age. Being the eldest child in the family, the onus of being the breadwinner of the family fell on Lata. She fulfilled her duty diligently and supported the family of six members single-handedly until her siblings grew up to share her burdens.



In her early days, Lata even acted in some Hindi and Marathi films apart from lending her voice as a playback singer. Between 1942 and 1948, she acted in as many as eight films. The first Hindi film in which she did playback singing was Aapki Sewa Mein (1947), but she went unnoticed. It was the era of singers like Noor Jehan, Shamshad Begum and Zohrabai Ambalewali, who were known for their heavier voices. Due to her soft and thin voice, Lata was rejected as a playback singer by producer S Mukherjee for his film Shaheed (1948). However, she was given a break by Ghulam Haider with the song ’Dil Mera Toda’ from film, Majboor (1948).



In 1949, Lata’s four films got released, which were all runaway hits and stabilised her career in Bollywood. Her soulful rendering of the song ’Aaega aane walaa’ from Mahal made Lata a household name and there was no looking back.



She has sung in over 980 Hindi movies and in over 20 regional languages. She and her talented sister, Asha Bhosle are the cynosure of every music loving Indian. Lata has been active in all walks of Indian popular and light classical music, having sung film songs, ghazals, bhajans and even pop. It is a voice that no Indian can afford to detest.



Her most famous non-film song is ’Aye mere watan ke logon’. Post Indo-China war in 1962, Lata sang this song in a gathering to commemorate the martyrs of the war. Her soulful rendering had brought tears in the eyes of our then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Tuned by C Ramchandra and written by poet Pradeep, it was sung in such a soulful and influential style that this song reverberates even today on the occasions of national import.



Though Lata has turned 79, she still retains the freshness and softness of a 16-year-old girl in her voice and mannerism clearly justifying the title of a nightingale. In her long career, she has been bestowed with innumerable awards and recognitions. Apart from Bharat Ratna, she has received three national awards and eight Filmfare awards. Her first awards for playback singing started in the year 1958. However, in 1956, song ’Rasik balma...’ (Chori-Chori) won the Filmfare Award for the best song, but she refused to sing it live in protest of no playback singer category award, which ultimately paved way for this new category in 1958.



Such was the dominance of Lata Mangeshkar in Hindi film music industry that no other female singer was able to get the Filmfare award from the year 1958 to 1966. In a gesture to allow the new talents come up and receive awards, Lata decided that she would not accept any award after 1969. However, Filmfare conferred upon her a special award in 1995 for her illustrious career in singing, which she accepted.

Her songs have captured the hearts and imagination of millions of her admirers around the world and become a part and parcel of the daily lives of Indians. Her soulful voice has mesmerised Indians for over six decades. Words fail to express the depth and scope of Lata’s genius as a singer and a human being.



She symbolises India in a way that no one else does. Noted film writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar’s statement about Lata on her birthday presents a clear picture of the star. He said, “Normally, artistes strive for perfection. Only Lata Mangeshkar has achieved it. There are no boundaries to her excellence and reach.”



Lata Mangeshkar is blessed with a talent that is second to none. We all salute the ’Nightingale of India’ on completing 79 years of age and pray to almighty that may she live for centuries to come!

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Lata Mangeshkar - Medley Part 1 of 2

Some edited highlights from the medley "5 Decades of Heroines" sung live by Lata Mangeshkar from her "Lata An Era In An Evening" Concert in Mumbai on 9th March 1997.

Part 1 of 2

Lata Mangeshkar - Yaara Sili Sili (Live Performance)

Another favourite performance by Lata Mangeshkar from her "Lata An Era In An Evening" Concert in Mumbai on 9th March 1997.
I can watch these performances endlessly - they are simply wonderful!

Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo Lata Mangeshkar Voice

A very touching and patriotic song.

"Aeri Jaane Na Doongi"

An old Indian classical dance from the movie Chitralekha 1964.

Happy Birthday to Lataji...

Her first Playback was in a Marathi film in 1942 - Kitti Haasal(was not used)and 1942 - Pahili Mangalagaur (naatli chaitrachi navalai...), she even acted in a few marathi films........and her first Hindi song(but in a Marathi Film)1943 - Gajabhau (maata ek sapoot ki duniya badal de tu...)

to Lata n may she live to see lots more...will listen to those selections later on..nice job Mitwah, tnks.