Lata Mangeshkar at 79

Singer Lata Mangeshkar, known as the Nightingale of Bollywood for having mesmerised millions with her melodious voice for over six decades, enters her 80th year on Sunday (September 28) - and like every year she plans to keep it austere sans fanfare.

Lata has never celebrated her birthday in public and follows the same annual routine. She begins the day by praying at the Mahalaxmi Temple situated right across her home in Prabhu Kunj in Mumbai.

This time she may attend a function at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital that she built in Pune in memory of her father.

From her first super hit "Aayega aanewaala" to "Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya" and "Noorie" to her recent bests like "Yeh hum aa gaye hain kahaan" and "Luka chuppi", Lata has managed to thrill music lovers of every generation with her soulful singing over her 66-year-long career and continues to do so.

From light classical music to film songs and from ghazals to bhajans and pop, she has sung a variety of numbers. Having worked with almost all top music composers and singers in the industry, Lata has sung more than 30,000 songs in over 20 Indian languages.

The singer featured in the Guinness Book of Records from 1974 to 1991 for having made the most recordings in the world.

"That 60 years down the line and having rendered over 25,000 songs, she has been able to maintain the same position is why she is called the Bollywood living legend," composer Anu Malik told IANS.

According to him, every song of hers is a musical gem as much for her singing quality as for its pure composition.

Born September 28, 1929, to a family of musicians settled in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Lata's life wasn't easy. After her father Dinanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and theatre actor, died of heart ailment in 1942, his five children - Lata, Hridayanath, Asha, Usha, and Meena - and wife Shudhhamati had to struggle for survival.

Being the eldest of them, 13-year-old Lata had to see the family through the rough patch. And she did it single-handedly until her siblings grew up, each gifted with musical talent of varying degrees.

Till the time she voluntarily cut down her singing assignments in the late 1980s, Lata faced no competition from any of the female singers, barring her sister Asha Bhosle. Though Asha's career ran parallel with hers, it was on a different note and scale musically.

Lyricist-filmmaker Gulzar said Lata's greatness lay in her complete devotion to music.
"Singing for her is not merely a profession, it is akin to worship," he said.

Alka Yagnik, who grew up listening to Lata songs and idolised her before she became a playback singer herself, referred to the queen of melody as "a pure soul."

Anuradha Paudwal said: "Lata Mangeshkar is a perfect example of a playback singer who can modulate her voice according to various song situations and suit characters as per their age and social status."

Late maestro Naushad had once told this correspondent that when on a rainy day in 1943, she had come to meet him at the now-defunct Kardar Studios in Mumbai, he was busy in his music room and told her to wait.

"When I called her over and told her to sing, she chose one of Noor Jehan's numbers. She sang it with such perfection that my heart went out to her because she was drenched completely as she had waited under the rain. You rarely see such dedication," said the composer, for whom Lata sang many memorable songs later.

Lata pioneered many constructive changes in Bollywood, which proved to be beneficial for singers in the long run.

She was the one who introduced the royalty system for singers in the industry. She also insisted that the singer's name be published with the songs instead of actors.

Music director Shamir Tandon described Lata as "a genuine human being".

"The reason why she has ruled the industry and is still around is that she has always paid attention to the art of singing, always kept on upgrading herself, besides adopting herself to the changing times," Tandon told IANS.

Here is a fact file on Lata Mangeshkar, who turns 79 on Sunday.

- Name: Lata Mangeshkar
- Birth Name: Hema (late renamed Lata after a female character Latika in one of her father's plays "Bhaaw Bandhan")
- Nick Name: Lata di, Lata tai
- Born: Sep 28, 1929
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Birth Place: Sikh Mohalla, Indore
- Favourite singer and idol: K.L. Saigal

Family

- Father: Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar (classical singer and theatre actor)
- Mother: Shudhhamati (second wife of Deenanath Mangeshkar)
- Brother: Hridayanath Mangeshkar (singer)
- Sisters: Asha Bhonsle, Usha Mangeshkar and Meena Mangeshkar
- Original surname: Hardikar (Deenanath changed it to Mangeshkar in order to identify his family with his native town, Mangeshi in Goa)

Education

- Limited to only one day in school. Started teaching songs to other children on first day in school, becomes angry when stopped by the teacher - stops going to school.
-First Music teacher - Her father
-Lessons in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Amanat Ali Khan Bhendibazaarwale
-Classical music under Amanat Khan Devaswale
-Pandit Tulsidas Sharma, a pupil of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan also trained her in music
-Also took lessons in Hindustani from a maulavi, Shafi after actor Dilip Kumar made a mildly disapproving remark about her Maharashtrian accent while singing Hindi/Hindustani songs

Start of playback singing career

-1942, First song: "Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari" for Marathi film "Kiti Hasaal" at the age of 13 (song was dropped from the final cut)
-1942, Second song: "Natali Chaitraachi Navalaai" for Marathi film "Pahili Mangalaa-gaur"
-1943, First Hindi song: "Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu" for Marathi film "Gajaabhaau"
-1945 - moved to Mumbai, sang "Maata Tere Charnon Mein" in "Badi Maa"
-1946 - sang "Paa Lagoon Kar Jori" for "Aap Ki Seva Mein"
-1948 - First major break with "Dil Mera Toda" in "Majboor"
-1949 - Turning point in career with "Aayega Aanewaala" for "Mahal"

Landmark songs

-1958 -"Aaja Re Pardesi" from "Madhumati"
-1960 - "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya" from "Mughal-E-Azam"
-1960 - "Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh" from "Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai"
-1962 - "Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil" from "Bees Saal Baad"
-1962 - "Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha" from "Anpadh"
-1963 - "Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon" after the India-China war
-1964 - "Lag Ja Gale" and "Naina Barse Rim Jhim" from "Woh Kaun Thi?"
-1965 - "Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai" and "Piya Tose" from "Guide"
-1966 - "Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega" from "Mera Saaya"
-1970 - "Rangeela Re" from "Prem Pujari"
-1971 - "Khilte Hain Gul Yahaan" from "Sharmeelee"
-1972 - "Chalte Chalte" and "Inhi Logon Ne" from "Pakeezah"
-1973 - "Piya Bina" from "Abhimaan"
-1973 - "Beeti Na Bitai" from "Parichay"
-1975 - "Roothe Roothe Piya" from "Kora Kagaz"
-1990 - "Yaara Sili Sili" from "Lekin"
-1998 - "Jiya Jale" from "Dil Se"
-2001 - "Khamoshiyan Gungunane Lagin" from "One Two Ka Four"
-2001 - "O Paalanhaare" from "Lagaan"

National honours

-1969 - Padma Bhushan
-1972 - National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for "Parichay"
-1975 - National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for "Kora Kagaz"
-1989 - Dada Saheb Phalke Award
-1990 - National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for "Lekin"
-1997 - Rajiv Gandhi Award
-1999 - Padma Vibhushan
-2001 - Bharat Ratna (second vocalist to receive the award after classical singer M.S. Subbulakshmi)
-2008 - "One Time Award for Lifetime Achievement" honour to commemorate the 60th anniversary of India's independence

International honours

-1980 - Presented key of the city of Georgetown, Guyana, South America
-1980 - Honorary Citizenship of The Republic of Surinam, South America
-1985 - June 9, declared as Asia Day in honour of her arrival in Toronto, Canada
-1987 - Honorary Citizenship of USA in Houston, Texas
-2004 - Her song "Wada Na Tod" was selected as a part of the soundtrack for Hollywood movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
-2007 - Legion of Honour (highest French civilian award)

Other milestones

-1974 - The Guinness Book of Records listed Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artist in the history, stating that she had reportedly recorded "not less than 25,000 solo, duet and chorus backed songs in 20 Indian languages" between 1948-1974
-1974 - First concert overseas at the Royal Albert Hall, London
-1984 - The Guinness Book of Records stated Lata Mangeshkar's name for the "Most Recordings" (later editions of Guinness Book stated that Lata Mangeshkar had sung no fewer than 30,000 songs between 1948 and 1987)
-1999 - a perfume brand named after her "Lata Eau De Parfum" was launched
-1999 - nominated as a member of Rajya Sabha
-2001 - she established the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, managed by the Lata Mangeshkar Medical Foundation (founded by the Mangeshkar family in October 1989)
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Indo-Asian News Service