A Soulful Tribute To The Nightingale Of India-Lata Mangeshkar

The year 2022 has not been a great year for the Indian entertainment industry. India’s beloved nightingale Lata Mangeshkar left for heavenly abode on February 6, 2022. She passed away after prolonged hospitalization due to Covid-19 infection and pneumonia. Her loss is inevitable for the country and she has left behind a rich and soulful legacy for everyone to cherish. She gave over 8 decades of her career to the music industry and she sang over 30,000 songs in 36 languages and she was fondly called “Lata Di”. Hence, in this article, we will be paying a tribute to our beloved Lata Mangeshkar and her glorious legacy.

Unknown Facts About Lata Mangeshkar

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1. Her Early Life

Lata Mangeshkar was the daughter of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, who was a popular theatre actor and a classical singer, and Shevanti. She was born on 28th September 1929, and not many people know that Lata was not her original name. Her real name was Hema but later on, she was rechristened and became famous as Lata named after a famous character Latika from her father’s play Bhaaw Bandhan. Lata Mangeshkar started her musical journey at the age of 5. She studied the fine art of music with Aman Ali Khan Sahib and Amanat Khan who were renowned names in the music industry.

2. Lata Mangeshkar’s Debut in Bollywood

When Lata di made her debut in the Bollywood industry as a playback singer, she was rejected when the industry was dominated by popular playback singers such as Noor Jehan and Shamshad Begum. The reason behind her rejection was her voice as it was considered to be very thin at that time. Apart from singing Lata Mangeshkar acted in around 8 films from the year 1942 to 1948. However, with no success in these films, she made her debut as a playback singer for a Marathi film Kiti Hasaal but the song never came to anyone’s notice as it was included in the edited version.

3. Lata Mangeshkar’s Ties with Jawaharlal Nehru

As per some sources, the song “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon, Zara Aankh Mein Bhar Lo Pani” moved India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to tears. The song was written and sung in 1962 when India lost the war to China. Moreover, she has a permanent gallery reserved at the Lord’s Stadium where she used to enjoy watching cricket. To add to this, Lata Mangeshkar became the first Indian in 1974 to have performed in the Royal Albert Hall, in London. Lata Di believed that her voice suited actress Saira Banu the most!

4. Lata Di Never Listened to her Own Songs

There is no doubt that Lata Mangeshkar’s voice has mesmerized audiences across the world. But as a matter of fact, she never listened to her own songs. In fact, in one of her interviews, she confessed this and said that “I don’t listen to my own songs because I would find 100s of faults in my own singing”.

5. Her Journey as a Politician

Lata Mangeshkar served a brief tenure as an MP from 1999 to 2005. She was nominated for the Rajya Sabha in 1999. Although, her journey as a politician was not very satisfactory and fulfilling.

6. An Impeccable Record Holder

Lata Mangeshkar is a Guinness Book record holder. The 1974 edition had mentioned Lata di as the most recorded artist. However, the claim was contested by Mohammed Rafi. The book continued to mention her name but it also included Rafi’s name. Later on, the entry was removed in 1991. Later in 2011, the book had mentioned her sister as the most recorded artist. Presently, Pulapaka Susheela is entitled to this great honor.

7. Madan Mohan was her Favorite Music Director

Lata Mangeshkar’s favorite music director was Madan Mohan and she shared a very special bond with him. Back in 2011, she said at the collector’s item calendar called “tere sur mere geet”, “I shared a very special bond with Madan Mohan, which was much more than what a singer and a music composer would share”. The relationship was that of a brother and sister. Moreover, she listed “woh chup rahe” from Jahan Ara as one of her favorite collaborations with him.

8. Lata Mangeshkar’s Journey as a Music Director

Apart from trying her hands at acting, singing, and politics she even worked as a music director for Marathi films such as ‘Ram Ram Pavhana’, or ‘Tituka Melvava’.

9. She Recorded her Last Song in 2019

Lata Mangeshkar recorded her last song which was released in the month of March in 2019. The song was called ‘Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki’.

Popular Songs Sung by Lata Mangeshkar

Listed below are the popular songs that have been sung by our evergreen singer Lata di-

a) Lag Jaa Gale
b) Tere Bina Zindagi Se
c) Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna
d) Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha
e) Mera Saaya Saath Hoga
f) Jiya Jale
g) Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham

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Final Thoughts

Lata Mangeshkar was not only the pride of India but also a superwoman who left everyone amazed and speechless with her great talent. Apart from being a successful singer, she was an excellent daughter and a loving sister. Today when the entire nation is mourning a great loss, we should not forget the great work that she has done for the industry which cannot be explained in words.

Though the nightingale of India is no longer with us, her melodious voice and soulful songs will continue to the hearts of every Indian. Therefore, the entire team of PiggyRide is sending their heartfelt condolences to her family and all her fans who are completely shocked by her sudden demise. We hope that her soul rests in peace.