In the demise of this era's Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar, people of India and this subcontinent lost its legendary singer. A pall of gloom descended over the millions of music lovers and her fans across the boundaries world over. The 92-year-old playback singer had tested Covid positive with mild symptoms and was admitted on January 8 to Breach Candy Hospital's intensive care unit.
“Coming generations will remember Lata Mangeshkar as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose voice had unparalleled ability to mesmerise people,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Anguished beyond words, she leaves behind a void in the nation that can't be filled. Beyond films, Lata Didi was always passionate about India's growth and wanted to see a strong and developed India” he added.
President Ram Nath Kovind has said, “Lata ji's demise is heartbreaking for me, as for millions world over.”
Regarded as one of Indian cinema's greatest playback singers, Mangeshkar started her career in Marathi movies at the age of 13 in 1942 and has sung over 30,000 songs in various Indian languages.
Melody queen Lata Ji, who has enthralled people for over five decades with her songs, was awarded Bharat Ratna on 25th January 2001, the nation's highest civilian honour.
Lata,who has sung over 30,000 songs is already (rpt already) a recipient of Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke award among other awards for her contribution to film and music. Her first song in ‘Aap ki seva me' went almost unnoticed in 1947 but within two years she was on everyone's lip with her soulful numbers in “Andaaz', ‘ Barsaat' and ‘Mahal'.
For Lata ji, be it the Hindi, Marathi, Bengali or any language, the accent, essence and influence adapted in the songs brings the soul and spirit alive as if it was the mother language of the singer. Not only that, her voice and style of the song and music adapted to the demands of the illustrious composers across generations.
Dogras of this region have special love and affection for Lata Ji. She had a special bond with people of Jammu where she sometimes visited. The most popular melodious Dogri folk songs composed of late Smt Padma Sachdeva, “O Malla Tu Lok Pannan thikria Badam Panne tu.. expressing inner instinct of a Mother and Bhala Sepahiya Dogreya…” reflecting feelings of a lover in the memory of her beloved who is a serving soldier in a far off land and who cannot come back to his home to meet her so frequently. The song is playful yet there is an underlying emotion of pain caused by separation.
Words fall too short in expressing tributes to the Lata ji who has been honored with the rare epithet “Nightingale of India”. The meloody queen has left this mundane world but her soulful songs will remain refreshing the gen iierations to come.
