Lata Mangeshkar : Nightingale of musical world

 

From Yogesh Gogwekar

Place: Mumbai

Website:

 Lata Mangeshkar : Nightingale of musical world

 Earlier I have written about Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar on her 90^th Birthday. With some modification, I am posting this again to pay her tribute. Today on 6^th February 2022 , around 8.12 am, she took her last breath at 8,12 am at the age of 92. Nearly 29 days back, she had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital as she was found to be Kovid Positive.  Throughout her life, she ruled the hearts of many generations and it will continue to rule for generations to come. I always like her song from Film Mahal of 1949 ,Aaye ga Aanewala " which was composed & directed by Khemchand Prakash & lip-synced on screen by beautiful actress Madhubala but Today I am remembering her following song of film Dil Apana Aur Preet Parai

Ajib Daastaan Hai Ye, Kahaan Shuru Kaha Khatam

Ye Manzile Hain Kaunasi , Na Wo Samajh Sake Na Ham

Lata Mangeshkar, a Great Singer who has been honored with Bharat Ratna in 2001 by Indian Government. It was the happiest moments for music lover. She was really Nightingale of musical world. There is nobody to match the power & influence she has exercised, and continues to, exercise.

Born on 28.09.1929 in Princess State Indore under British India, her birth name was Hema which was changed by her parents and renamed as Lata after female character in one of her father’s play "Bhaav Bandhan” and whole world started knowing her as Lata Mangeshkar. She took her first music lesson from her father & for Hindustani classical music from Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Amanat Khan Devaswale & Pandit Tulsi das Sharma.

In 1942, She started her career by recording her song for Marathi film Kiti Hasal and song was " Naacha Ya Gade, Khelu  Sam mani Hous Baan" whose music was composed by Sadashiv Narvekar. For Hindi film, Gulam Haider introduced her to Sashadher Mukherjee who rejected her due to her thin voice. Annoyed Haider informed him that in coming years directors & Producers will fall at her leg and beg her to sing in their films and gave her major break through with song "Dil Mera Toda,  Muje Kahi Ka na Chora  in film Majboor in 1948. Therefore, she always considered him as her Godfather

And after that over the span of seven decades, she has recorded more than 30000 songs in Hindi & sung for 36 regional languages other than Marathi. She sang songs composed by many music directors like Anil Biswas, Shankar Jaikisan,  Kalyanji Anandji, Naushad, C Ramchandra, Vasant Desai, Salil Choudhary, Sudhir Phadke, Annu Malk,, A R Rahman etc.

In the beginning of her career, as she agreed that she used to imitate singer Noor Jahan but later on developed her own style of Singing. She has been criticized by an actor Dilip Kumar by passing remarks about her Maharashtrian accent while singing Urdu & Hindi songs. Instead of demoralizing, not only she, but her siblings learnt Urdu from Urdu teacher name Shafi.

There will be so many incidents in her life through which one can easily make out her capabilities as a remarkable singer; but one incident at the time of recording of a song from Mughal-e-Azam, proved that she is really a Nightingale of musical world. And that song was Rat itni Matvali Subbha Ka Alam Kya Hoga. 

Recording of this song was at Mehboob studio with eighty-piece orchestra and forty violins. At the time of recording, Lata Mangeshkar stopped singing suddenly. Naushad asked the reasons. She informed him that one boy with white shirt is not keeping the tune of violin in proper way. Therefore, she was going out of the tune. Being music director, Naushad did not notice & told her that he didn't find any problem & nobody including Lata Mangeshkar was out of tune.

Music director Naushad also told her that we had done the rehearsal for one hour before her arrivals and no one was out of the tune. Therefore, recording started again and Lata Mangeshkar started singing & stopped again. This has happened three times. At last, she told Naushad to select another singer to do the song. Now, Naushad decided to hear the orchestra again & realized the mistake of a boy who was playing violin out of the tune. He got up immediately & asked boy to leave violin & sit aside. After that recording went smoothly & song became one of the remarkable song and music director Naushad praised Lata Mangeshkar by saying, “I have composed the song but you put four moons on it".

Since she could easily make out one boy with violin was going out of tune among the forty violins, no wonder whole musical world calling her Saraswati. 

Marathi Multifaceted writer P. L. Deshpande has rightly said about her, “I am sure her voice and songs will keep mesmerizing generation to come. No matter where I go, her voice will always remain with me". This is really true. Yes God is really great and really thankful to him for giving me to opportunity to listen to her voice and her songs.

Lata Mangeshkar is not with us but her voice is immortal which will remain with her forever.

Thank You