Indian people should thank God for giving birth to people like Lata Mangeshkar in India. Her voice has been entertaining and inspiring millions of people for many years. Lata Mangesshkar also known as ‘Nightingle of India’ is the most famous singer of india.Born on September 28, 1929 in Indore, Lata has been active in all spheres of Indian popular and light classical music having sung ghazals, bhajans and pop. In fact, she has sung over 50,000 songs in 20 Indian languages for three generations of heroines, ranging from Madhubala to Zeenat Aman to Kajol. She even made it to the Guinness Book of Records as the most recorded artist in the World.
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Her initial inning at acting and singing would bring her little or no recognition but she managed to put bread on the family’s table. Dinanath Mangeshkar, her father, owned a theatrical company and was a reputed classical singer, a disciple of the Gwalior school. He gave her singing lessons from around the age of five. She also studied with Aman Ali Khan Sahib and later Amanat Khan.Her God –given musical gifts meant that she could master the vocal exercises effortlessly on first pass and from early on she was recognized as being highly gifted musically. Music director Ghulam Haider introduced her Bombay Talkies, which was to her stepping-stone to the big time. Lataji’s first recording was for the Marathi film Kiti Hasal in 1942 but her song never made it in the film. Her next effort was the song NatliChaitrachi Navalai for the 1942 Marathi film Phili Mangalagaur.This would become Lataji’s first playback song. Incidentally, her first Hindi song Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu was for a “Marathi” film Gajabhau.
Lata Mangeshkar has never hesitated to help budding music directors by offering to render playbacks for them. She helped many others to gain popularity. One of her earliest songs, ‘Aayega aanewala’ from the movie ‘Mahal’ shot madhubala to stardom 50 years ago. This was followed by several hits over the next few decades, including ‘Baiju Bawra’, ‘Madhumita’, ‘Hum Dono’, ‘Aandhi’,’Silsila’and the recent ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’, to name a few. She has sung in virtually all Indian languages with equal success. She has also composed music for some films, with adopted name of Anand Ghar. They were Ram Ram Pahune, Mohityanchi Manjula, Maratha Tituka Melwawa, Sadhi Manse and Tambadi Ati. She acted in Pahili Mangala Gaur, Majhe Baal, Gaja Bhau, Badi Maaa, Jeevan Yara, and Samudra Mandir. She produced Marathi and Hindi films like Wadal (Marathi), Kanchan (Hindi) and Lekin (Hindi). Her albums of bhajans were evidence of the fact that she was the undisputed number on singer in the country. Apart from her film songs, Lata Mangeshkar has personally adapted the works of leading Marathi poets and set them to music for private recording. She has recorded devotional songs by Sant Tukaram, and her recording f the Bhagwat in Sanskrit is recognized as her crowning achievement.
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The magic of Lata Mangeshkar has never faded, and she voices the heroines of the present generation with elan. She has moved on gracefully from madhubala to Madhui, retaining the same freshness that she did in her youth. Lata’s most memorable contribution is, however, not from any movie or album. It was after India’s losses in the India-China war in 1962 that a young Lata had sung the song, “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logoan, Zara Aankh Me Bhar Lo Pani”. The song written by Kavi Pradeep, moved the then Indian Prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to tears and he confessed “Beti tone mujhe rula diya.” It is at this time when the Pakistani Prime Minister said that he would gladly exchange Lata for Kashmir” such is the aura of Lata Mangeshkar. Lata is a legend in her lifetime and undeniable the best singer India has ever produced. As renowned Classical singer Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan said for lata “Kambakht Galti Se Bhi Kabhi Besura Nahi Gati”. Her contribution to making music popular throughout India and the world is in calculable and she has reigned supreme all through the last six decades. Over the years, she was won the hearts of millions of music lovers, and according to the Guinness Book of Records, she has rendered more songs than any artist anywhere in the world, over 30,000 is the book’s estimate.