Introduction
Lata Ji's voice will remain as one of the greatest influences in the world of music. She was and will always remain a legend. She left us an unforgettable legacy. A true icon in the world of music.
In 1929, Feb 6th, she was born as Hema Mangeshkar. The eldest among 4 siblings, she was not the only musician in the family. In fact, all her siblings grew up to be successful musicians in their lives.
Nightingale of India
In her career of seven decades in the Indian music industry, she gained many titles attributed to her voice. Such as Voice of the Millennium, Queen of Melody and Nightingale of India. During the span of her career, she lent her voice to over 36 Indian languages. In her lifetime, she achieved an outstanding number of awards. These include the Dadasaheb Phalke Award bestowed on her by the Government of India. She also received India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna. The only other female singer to garner this honor after M. S. Subbulakshmi. Even France was mesmerized by her voice and conferred on her its highest civilian award, Office of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, in 2007. The list is endless.
In 1974, she became the first India playback singer to ever perform at Royal Albert Hall, London. Her last recorded song is the said to be her rendition of Gayatri Mantra at Mukesh Ambani’s daughter Isha Ambani’s wedding.
Her childhood
It is believed that her father loved the native of Mangeshi, Goa and therefore adopted the surname Mangeshkar so that his family would identify with the town. Lata Ji, was renamed after a character named ‘Latika’ from one of her father’s plays. Her father was a musician and theatre artist. Her first musical lesson was with her father at the age of 5. She lost her father at a very early age and a friend of the family became her mentor.
The beginning years
In the initial stages of her career, she imitated acclaimed singer Noor Jehaan’s style. Soon, she developed her own signature style of singing. Her first major hit was the iconic ‘Aayega Aanewala’ from the movie Mahal (1949). Another unforgettable song she gave us in the 1960s is Pyrar Kiya To Darna Kya from the movie Mughal-e-Azam. Followed by another immortal song Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai. Her voice continued to mesmerize the world for eons with songs like Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo, Gata Rahe Mera Dil and Hothon Pe Aisi Baat from the famous movie Jewel Thief.
A hard worker who was versatile in her approach
Lata Ji’s voice dominated the world of music, her songs permeated the walls of every Indian household. Almost every song of hers seemed to resonate with the audience and she continued to give us magic with every tune. She was a hard worker, for she seemed to work continuously and tirelessly. Her voice has won the hearts of many Indian over generations. Till today, her songs continue to be popular.
Her work was intense and wide, as she worked with a lot of people from the Indian music Industry. On many occasions, she recorded in different languages as well. In fact, the Guinness Book of Records listed her as the recipient for ‘most number of songs recorded in the world’. But there was a controversy over this nomination and her name was later removed.
She was a multitasker
Not many people know that Lata ji designed a jewelry collection called Swaranjali. A collection of 5 pieces were used to raise funds at a Christies auction towards the Kashmir Earthquake relief in 2005. She also dabbled in composing and producing during her lifetime.
A good role model
A lot of young children want to be like her, she was and continues to be a good role model for children. Especially children who love music. In one of her interviews Lata Ji emphasizes on the importance of practice for musicians. Her journey and achievements exemplify her hard work and her dedication to her craft.
Music and Learner Circle
We at Learner Circle would like to encourage all children to be like Lata Mangeshkar. For children who love music and want to choose it as their passion, we have a variety of online courses. All our courses are curated to foster creativity and imagination in children. Our vision is to encourage children on a journey of infinite learning by constantly innovating new learning methods for children. We understand that children are different and different children learn differently. That is why we are constantly adding to our list of online courses to give children more opportunities to explore and grow. We believe that helping children to pursue their passion can help become better leaders for tomorrow.
If your child wants to pursue music please do not hesitate to check our website for a free demo.
