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Lata’s formal education was unexpectedly limited only to one day. The story behind this was that she started teaching singing signing for others on her first day and this disturbed the teacher causing her to stop Lata. Since then, she did not go to school.
Lata took her first lesson on Arts from her father and when she was eight years of age she started to play a role in her father’s musical drama. She was 13 years when her father died and Master Vinayak Damodar Karnataki, the owner of Navyug Chithrapati Movie Company, and a close friend of the Mangeshkar family, came to the rescue of Mangeshkars. He encouraged Lata to try her career as a singer while acting.
Latha’s debut in playback singing was the song Naachu Yaa Gade for the movie Kiti Hasaal filmed in the Marathi language in 1942. This song was dropped off after final editing of the film. But Master Vinayak gave her a minor role in Navyug Chitrapat’s Marathi movie named Pahili Mangalaa-gaur (1942) with a song Natali Chaitraachi Navalaai, composed by Dada Chandekar. Lata’s first Hindi song for a movie was Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu for the Marathi film Gajaabhaau (1943).
Lata had to move to Mumbai as a result of the shifting of Master Vinayak’s company, and it was a great advantage to further widen her musical skills and she took to learning classical music under Ustad Amanat Ali Khan Bhendibazaarwale, Amanat Khan Devaswale and Pandit Tulsidas Sharma.
She contributed her golden voice to the song Paa Lagoon Kar Jori composed by Datta Davjekar for Vasant Joglekar’s Hindi movie Aap Ki Seva Mein (1946). Lata and her sister Asha played minor characters alongside Noor Jehan in Master Vinayak’s first Hindi movie Badi Maa (1945). Lata recorded a bhajan (devotional song) Maata Tere Chamon Mein in this movie. She was fortunate to be introduced to Music Director Vasanth Desai by Master Vinayak during the recording of his second Hindi movie Subhadra screened in 1946.
After the demise of Master Vinayak in 1948, Music Director Ghulam Haider introduced Lata by the song Dil Mera Thoda - a fantastic performance of her musical brilliancy - in his movie Majboor (1948). This was the major turning point in Lata’s career in music. Since then almost all songs sung by her in movies Mahal (1949), Dualri (1949), Barsaat (1949) and Andaz (1949) became top favourite hits. She has conquered the world of music with her nightingale voice and making history by recording a number of songs for nearly a 1000 films.
She was the playback singer behind all the leading stars in Indian cinema, in particular for Madubala. She was musically involved with almost all Indian music directors and later by their sons S.D. Burman, Rajesh Roshan and Ananda Milind. A special feature is that she has never sung under O.P. Naiyar due to an unknown dispute and has never performed in Goa though she hails from Magheshi, Goa.
Lata was not only a singer but also a composer of music. Mohityanchi Manjula (1962), Maratha Tirkua Melvava (1964), Saadhi Maanse (1965) and Tambadi Maati (1969) are some of the films with her music direction under the pseudonym of Anand Ghan. The first film with her own music was Raam Raam Pahunein (1955). Her direction of music was understandably marvellous that she won the Award for the Best Music Director for the film Saadi Maanse presented by the Government of the State of Maharashtra, India. The Song Airanchya Deva Tula from the same film won the Award for the Best Song.
Lata has performed her acting skills in nine films. They were Pahili Mangalaguar ( 1942), Chimukla Sansaar ( 1943) Maajhe Baal, Gajabahu (1944) Badi Maa ( 1945) Jeevan Yaatra, Subhadra (1946) Manddir ( 1948) Chithrapati Shivaji ( 1952). Her performance in Gajabahu was highly appreciated.
Later she touched the arduous task on production of films such as Vaadal, a Marathi film (1953), Jhaajhar, a co-production with C.Ramachandra (1953), Kanchan (1955) and Lekin (1990).
She has won a plentiful number of accolades for her magnificent performance in films. She made history as the first female playback singer who won the Film Fare Award for the Best Female Playback Singer in Madhumati (1958), winning the same award four times subsequently. She has won prestigious awards both locally and internationally. In 2001 she was honoured with Bharat Ratna Award, India’s Highest Civilian Award. In 1999 she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha but poor attendance brought a lot of flak against her. She deserves a degree of credence for not taking a salary, an allowance or a house though she was entitled to as a member of parliament.
In spite of her short school education she was honoured with honourary Doctorates by six universities. Lata Mangeshkar Award was introduced by the Governments of Madya Pradesh and Maharashtra respectively in honour of her immeasurable contribution to the world of music.
She is a unique character in the nation of India. Funds raised by her musical events were mainly donated to charity organizations. A medical hospital and a Medical Research Institute were built by the Mangeshkar family with the support of their well wishers for the benefit of the needy people in honour of Lata’s late father. In a high quality gesture of generosity this indisputable Nightingale Playback Singer of the Silver Screen assigned in 1994 the Best Playback Singer Film Fare Award to the talents of the future generation.
The best patriotic song Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon (O! the people of my country) with lyrics of sentimental value by Kavi Pradeep and music composed by Chithalkar Narhar Ramachandra was sung by Lata before the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on June 27, 1963, at a patriotic rally held on the Republic Day at Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi after several months since the end of the Sino-Indian war. It was a commemorative rally of tribute to those Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the battle field. Prime Minister Nehru was so impressed over her sensational spirit that moved him to tears and he highly commended her spectacular demonstration of patriotism.
Lata Mangeshkar has conquered the hearts of all music fans locally and abroad with her unparallel golden voice. Most significantly, all Asians should be proud of this national asset of India who is also the immortal Queen of Music of the entire sub-continent.
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| Lata Mangeshkar |
Lata Mangeshkar, the Nightingale of India, turns 80 on September 28, 2009. The contribution made by this Queen of Indian Music with her immaculate golden voice is ineffable. Most Indians believe she is the national treasure of the Indian nation gifted by God. Starting from scratch in 1942, she rose to the loftiest heights in her musical career during the last six decades. She has made history by recording songs in more than 1000 films in 20 regional languages of India. Her sensational voice made Sri Lanka Matha immortal, a vastly popular song. It was recorded with Mohdeen Baig in the Sinhala film Seda Sulang (Stormy Wind) released on June 24, 1955. The number of songs recorded during the period 1948 to 1987 amounts to nearly 30,000 as released by the film authorities. Indications are that she has done nearly 40,000 songs throughout her career.
Lata was born to a Marathi speaking family in Maharashtra, Madya Pradesh, India, on 28th September 1929. Pandith Dinanath Mangeshkar was her father. Dinanath’s second wife, Shudhamati was her mother. In recognition of his native village Mangesh in Goa India, he changed his ancestral family name Hardikar to Mangeshkar. Lata’s three younger sisters Asha, Usha and Meena are also singers while her younger brother, Hridayanath Mangeshkar, is a musician. Lata’s second sister later became the world renowned playback singer Asha Bonsle.
Lata was known as Hema by birth. Her parents later named her Lata resembling the character Latika in the drama Bhawan Bandham directed by her father. This contradicts another story about the change of name. In 1922 Dinanath was married to Narmada also known as Shrimati. Their daughter, Latika, died in her infancy and her mother too died shortly afterwards. Dinanath subsequently married Narmada’s sister Shudhamati. Lata was accordingly named after Latika in memory of his late daughter from the first marriage. She was also nicknamed Hridaya, taken from the previous surname Hardikar. Lata was born to a Marathi speaking family in Maharashtra, Madya Pradesh, India, on 28th September 1929. Pandith Dinanath Mangeshkar was her father. Dinanath’s second wife, Shudhamati was her mother. In recognition of his native village Mangesh in Goa India, he changed his ancestral family name Hardikar to Mangeshkar. Lata’s three younger sisters Asha, Usha and Meena are also singers while her younger brother, Hridayanath Mangeshkar, is a musician. Lata’s second sister later became the world renowned playback singer Asha Bonsle.
Lata’s formal education was unexpectedly limited only to one day. The story behind this was that she started teaching singing signing for others on her first day and this disturbed the teacher causing her to stop Lata. Since then, she did not go to school.
Lata took her first lesson on Arts from her father and when she was eight years of age she started to play a role in her father’s musical drama. She was 13 years when her father died and Master Vinayak Damodar Karnataki, the owner of Navyug Chithrapati Movie Company, and a close friend of the Mangeshkar family, came to the rescue of Mangeshkars. He encouraged Lata to try her career as a singer while acting.
Latha’s debut in playback singing was the song Naachu Yaa Gade for the movie Kiti Hasaal filmed in the Marathi language in 1942. This song was dropped off after final editing of the film. But Master Vinayak gave her a minor role in Navyug Chitrapat’s Marathi movie named Pahili Mangalaa-gaur (1942) with a song Natali Chaitraachi Navalaai, composed by Dada Chandekar. Lata’s first Hindi song for a movie was Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu for the Marathi film Gajaabhaau (1943).
Lata had to move to Mumbai as a result of the shifting of Master Vinayak’s company, and it was a great advantage to further widen her musical skills and she took to learning classical music under Ustad Amanat Ali Khan Bhendibazaarwale, Amanat Khan Devaswale and Pandit Tulsidas Sharma.
She contributed her golden voice to the song Paa Lagoon Kar Jori composed by Datta Davjekar for Vasant Joglekar’s Hindi movie Aap Ki Seva Mein (1946). Lata and her sister Asha played minor characters alongside Noor Jehan in Master Vinayak’s first Hindi movie Badi Maa (1945). Lata recorded a bhajan (devotional song) Maata Tere Chamon Mein in this movie. She was fortunate to be introduced to Music Director Vasanth Desai by Master Vinayak during the recording of his second Hindi movie Subhadra screened in 1946.
After the demise of Master Vinayak in 1948, Music Director Ghulam Haider introduced Lata by the song Dil Mera Thoda - a fantastic performance of her musical brilliancy - in his movie Majboor (1948). This was the major turning point in Lata’s career in music. Since then almost all songs sung by her in movies Mahal (1949), Dualri (1949), Barsaat (1949) and Andaz (1949) became top favourite hits. She has conquered the world of music with her nightingale voice and making history by recording a number of songs for nearly a 1000 films.
She was the playback singer behind all the leading stars in Indian cinema, in particular for Madubala. She was musically involved with almost all Indian music directors and later by their sons S.D. Burman, Rajesh Roshan and Ananda Milind. A special feature is that she has never sung under O.P. Naiyar due to an unknown dispute and has never performed in Goa though she hails from Magheshi, Goa.
Lata was not only a singer but also a composer of music. Mohityanchi Manjula (1962), Maratha Tirkua Melvava (1964), Saadhi Maanse (1965) and Tambadi Maati (1969) are some of the films with her music direction under the pseudonym of Anand Ghan. The first film with her own music was Raam Raam Pahunein (1955). Her direction of music was understandably marvellous that she won the Award for the Best Music Director for the film Saadi Maanse presented by the Government of the State of Maharashtra, India. The Song Airanchya Deva Tula from the same film won the Award for the Best Song.
Lata has performed her acting skills in nine films. They were Pahili Mangalaguar ( 1942), Chimukla Sansaar ( 1943) Maajhe Baal, Gajabahu (1944) Badi Maa ( 1945) Jeevan Yaatra, Subhadra (1946) Manddir ( 1948) Chithrapati Shivaji ( 1952). Her performance in Gajabahu was highly appreciated.
Later she touched the arduous task on production of films such as Vaadal, a Marathi film (1953), Jhaajhar, a co-production with C.Ramachandra (1953), Kanchan (1955) and Lekin (1990).
She has won a plentiful number of accolades for her magnificent performance in films. She made history as the first female playback singer who won the Film Fare Award for the Best Female Playback Singer in Madhumati (1958), winning the same award four times subsequently. She has won prestigious awards both locally and internationally. In 2001 she was honoured with Bharat Ratna Award, India’s Highest Civilian Award. In 1999 she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha but poor attendance brought a lot of flak against her. She deserves a degree of credence for not taking a salary, an allowance or a house though she was entitled to as a member of parliament.
In spite of her short school education she was honoured with honourary Doctorates by six universities. Lata Mangeshkar Award was introduced by the Governments of Madya Pradesh and Maharashtra respectively in honour of her immeasurable contribution to the world of music.
She is a unique character in the nation of India. Funds raised by her musical events were mainly donated to charity organizations. A medical hospital and a Medical Research Institute were built by the Mangeshkar family with the support of their well wishers for the benefit of the needy people in honour of Lata’s late father. In a high quality gesture of generosity this indisputable Nightingale Playback Singer of the Silver Screen assigned in 1994 the Best Playback Singer Film Fare Award to the talents of the future generation.
The best patriotic song Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon (O! the people of my country) with lyrics of sentimental value by Kavi Pradeep and music composed by Chithalkar Narhar Ramachandra was sung by Lata before the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on June 27, 1963, at a patriotic rally held on the Republic Day at Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi after several months since the end of the Sino-Indian war. It was a commemorative rally of tribute to those Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the battle field. Prime Minister Nehru was so impressed over her sensational spirit that moved him to tears and he highly commended her spectacular demonstration of patriotism.
Lata Mangeshkar has conquered the hearts of all music fans locally and abroad with her unparallel golden voice. Most significantly, all Asians should be proud of this national asset of India who is also the immortal Queen of Music of the entire sub-continent.
Read More:
Lata Mangeshkar reaches her 80th birthday
By T.K Premadasa Colombo Today Feb 23, 2010 2:10 PM
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