Lata Mangeshkar
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"In Concert - Lata An Era In An Evening" | |
 
Audio samples available for downloading |
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Name: Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar According to her birth-sign she was required to be called by a name starting with the letter "H". She was name Hema, but her father fondly called her Hridaya. Date & Place of Birth September 28,1929, at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Career Technically her first song as a playback singer was in 1942, for Marathi film "Kiti Hassal" composed by Sadahshiv Nevrekar. It got deleted from the film. Hence, "Paa Laagu Kar Jori Re", a thumri composed by Datta Davjekar for Vasant Joglekar's "Aapki Sewa Mein" (1947) is considered her first playback song. Acting Assignments Acted in the Marathi films 'Pahili Mangalagaur "(1942), ' Chimukala Sansar' (1943), 'Maze Bal' (1943), 'Gajabhau' (1944) and 'Chhatrapati Shivaji' (1952). Also acted in Hindi films 'Badi Maa'(1945), 'Jeevan Yaatra';(1946), 'Subhadra' (1946), 'Mandir' (1948) and 'Chhatrapati Shivaji" (1952). Music Direction Composed the music for Marathi film "Ram Ram Pahuna" (1950) under her own name. Under the pseudonym "Anandghan" she composed music for four Marathi films - 'Mohityanchi Manjula' (1963), 'Maratha Tituka Melawawa '(1964), 'Sadhi Manasa' (1965) and ' Tambdi Maati' (1969). Film Production Produced Marathi film 'Waadal' (1953) and Hindi film 'Lekin' (1988). Awards *Padma Bhushan in 1969. *Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1989. *Declared 'As thana Vidvan' by the Balaji Mandir Trust in Karnataka. *'Swarabharati' title form the Shankaracharya. *Honoured with doctorate by Kolhapur, Khairagarh and Hyderabad universities. *Won four Filmfare awards for the 'Best Female Playback Singer' for 'Aaja Re Pardesi' (Madhumati - 1958), 'Kahi Deep Jale Kahi Dil' (Bees Saal Baad - 1962), 'Tumhi Mere Mandir '(Khandaan -1965), and 'Aap Mujhe Achhe Lagne Lage'(Jineki Raah' - 1969). She withdrew her name from the contest to encourage young and upcoming singers. Lata Mangeshkar Awards In 1984 the Madhya Pradesh Government instituted an award and a prize of one lakh rupees in her name. LATA MANGESHKAR There is not an iota of exaggeration in saying that if there was one single person after Mahatma Gandhi who has been bestowed with the same affection, admiration, allegiance and enjoyed the same nation-wide following it is the voice of India called Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar. Over the years men of letters have been eloquent in describing the singing phenomenon only to realise to their dismay that they have not been able to measure up to her colossal stature. Miracle, she is, and one need not explain, construe or even justify a miracle. In her case simply listening is believing ! She is Lataji to the film industry, Didi to the near ones ,and Lata, plain and simple, to the millions whose hearts leap on hearing her. Eliminate her from film music and you end up eliminating music itself. She personifies film music and as India's former Finance Minister and renowned educationist the late Mr. C.D.Deshmukh once said," she is the symbol of national integration". May be she was born in Indore, maybe she hails from Goa, maybe Maharashtra saw her reach the pinnacle of glory, yet she belongs to every part of the country having sung in all the Indian languages. If Lata Mangeshkar was a singing machine, as she was described by a leading Indian magazine, then never before had one seen a machine with a soul, mind and charismatic individuality of it's own. During one of his visits across the border, the silky-voiced singer Talat Mehmood was asked what would have been the fate of Lata Mangeshkar if 'Malka-e-Tarannum' Noorjehan had chosen to remain in India. The soft spoken singer said, " Noorjehan would have found the going extremely tough. It was Lata who posed a threat and challenge to Noorjehan and not vice-versa.""Understandably they did not appreciate my answer", says Talat with a chuckle. Respect, she has commanded. Persona, she has built. Popularity, she has earned. Though she has always magnanimously given the entire credit for her unique success to the Almighty and her father's blessings, it is also the blood, sweat and tears that have contributed equally in making her a living legend. All this hard work has gone into making her what she is today. Only the ignorant and the naive , are amazed that at 67, she has had the spirit , vigour and the stamina to reel off 20 odd medley of songs non-stop at the concert at the Andheri Sports Complex- where in one sweep she covered the full range of fifty tuneful years of her singing reign. Practice has made the woman perfect, though she will be the last person to claim that she was anywhere near perfection. But it is amazing how a music connoisseur and a man on the street express their feeling with the same intensity and sincerity when a Lata melody is heard .Some years ago a British correspondent from a news agency interviewed her. The following tete-a-tete ensued :
Noorjehan, when she came to India for the first time 33 years after partition, she was told by and exuberant newsman in Mumbai, "Wouldn't it be nice to have three top-singers from three Asian countries on the same stage in one concert? Madame, you from Pakistan, Runa Laila from Bangladesh and our own Lata Mangeshkar". "I am nobody", she replied instantaneously without batting an eyelid, "simply a non-entity - a footwear. But for heavens sake don't take anybody else's name in the same breath with that of Lata Mangeshkar. Don't insult her". Then on 11th February 1982 at the "Mortal men immortal memories" programme in Mumbai at the Shanmukananda Hall, Noorjehan said, "Lata has reached that unattainable position today that she will be justifies if she decides to abstain from even looking at the multitude. But her feet are firmly rooted to the ground. It is difficult to believe that Lata Mangeshkar, the pride of the nation, who has been recipient of Padma Bhushan, Dadasaheb Phalke Award and doctorate from three universities, has had no formal education. Her father Master Dinanath, a singing sensation on the Marathi stage, breathed his last when Lata was barely 12. Lying on his death-bed he said to her, the eldest of the five children, "Except for that Tanpura in the corner, those notebooks filled with classical music and songs and God's blessings, I have nothing else to give you." No father would have given his daughter more. When Lata's rendered Marathi song, 'Kalpavriksha Kanyesathi Lavuniya Baba Gela' (Oh father, you have gone away planting a Yumyum tree for the daughter). It meant much more than a mere song. She has poured her bleeding heart and tormented soul into the sad song. As a dark, skinny girl of 13, Lata gave her first playback in 1942, when she sang "Nachu Ya Gade" in Marathi flim 'Kiti Hasal' undet the baton of music director Sadashivrao Nevrekar. Somehow the song got deleted from the film. Hence Datta Davajekar's composition, 'Pa Lagu Kar' a thumri in Vasant Joglekar's 'Aap ki seva mein' (1947) , marked her debut as a playback singer. But only when maestro Ghulam Hyder made her sing in 'Majboor' the Hindi film industry woke up to the fact that a new shining star has arisen on the horizon. What was good enough for 'Masterji' was surely good for any other composer worth his salt. Of course, it was not roses all the way for Lata. There were doubting Toms. Producer S. Mukherji rejected her for 'Shaheed' arguing that her voice was too thin and shrill. Ghulam Hyder, as the oft- repeated story goes, warned him, "You can turn her down today, but there will come a time, when producers and composers will come crawling to her feet". Prophetic words, indeed ! Dilipkumar, one of her most ardent and vociferous admirer today, had expressed doubts about a Maharashtrian girl getting her Urdu pronunciation right. He will be the first to admit that he was made to eat a humble pie by the super songstress almost immediately after he had expressed his reservations. That was 50 years ago. Films and music have undergone unbelievable changes since. Most of Lata's illustrious contemporaries - composers, singers and lyricists-are no more. Those who are still around have long ceased to be active. Lata has stood firm among the ruins. She sang like an angel for S.D. Burman, Roshan and Sardar Malik. She continued to sing again for their progenies - R.D. Burman, Rakesh Roshan and Anu Malik respectively. Her Midas Touch has turned even mediocre compositions into gold and when she was given outstanding melodies, she immortalised them. Her playback singing made actressess look far more beautiful that they actually were. Her melodious voice allows even mediocrity attain respectability. Many people believe that music has been the most outstanding factor and perhaps the only contribution to the success of Hindi cinema. And Lata is music. She covered the entire gamut of her redoubtable singing career when she chose to call her audio-visual presentation of medley of songs' Madhubala to Tabbu', in her concert at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai. Though she had earlier sung for the likes of Nargis, Nalini Jaywant and Kamini Kaushal, it was with Madhubala singing "Aayega Aanewala" in 'Mahal' that Lata hit the bull's eye. You cannot visualise 'Venus' Madhubala, arguably the most beautiful leading lady on the silver screen minus the haunting 'Aayega Aanewala'. It Anil Biswas, the Bengal tiger, who gave some of his finest compositions to Lata in films like 'Anokha Pyar', 'Gajare', 'Arzoo', 'Girls School', 'Beqasoor', 'Aaram', 'Badi Bahen', 'Tarane', 'Humdard', 'Mehman', 'Raahi', 'Maan', 'Naaz', Jalti Nishani', 'Laadli' and 'Sautela Bhai', has gone into print saying, "If Asha's voice has body, Lata's has soul" Lata when she came, was Godsend to us composers who in those days had to make even heroines like Naseem Banu sing without doubt. Lata is the best thing that happened to our film music." Sajjad Hussain, the temperamental genius if there was one, did not mince his words when he mouthed his opinions, musical or otherwise. He has gone on record saying, "Lata gaati hai, baki sub roti hai". (Lata sings, all others cry). Other gifted composers in days of yore, who were not as blatant in their utterances, seemed to secretly share Sajjad's opinion as they reserved their best compostions for the best female voice in business. It's true of Naushad and Ravindra Jain, Madan Mohan and Shiv Hari, C. Ramchandra and Ram Laxman. The list seems to be unending. Madan Mohan, whose teaming up with Lata invariable spelt sheer magic, once dropped in unannounced at Lata's place only to tell her- "I was passing by your house, suddenly I remembered that when I was a small kid, an astrologer had correctly predicted all major events in my life, but he never told me that divine voice called Lata Mangeshkar would sing for you. I thought I should tell you". "I used to be extermely short-tempered at one time," she told a friend, "During one of my tiffs with Shankar-Jaikishan, which was a regular feature of our long and fruitful association, I exploded, "Tum zaadu ho" (You are a broom.) Of course, we patched up and celebrated it by going to Chowpatty and eating 'Bhel-puri' and ice-cream. This was also a standard follow-up of our silly little fights." In yet another remembrance of the super composer duo, Lata says, "On one particular Holi, Shankar and Jaikishan came dressed immaculately in spotless white Shaskin suits.I opened the door and poured bucketful of coloured water on them. Oh God ! I should have captured their expression in my lens. I would won a prize in some photo exhibition." Research reveals that Lata sang for Shankar-Jaikishan,a total number of 453 songs in 124 films. One can imagine the quantity of 'Bhel-puri' and ice-cream the three must have consumed over the years. Lata's religious bend of mind is not as well known as her penchant for white sari and fascination for diamonds. She wouldn't leave the house without doing her daily 'pooja'. She always applies meticulously 'kumkum' on the forehead of the family members before they went out. She has full faith in her Lord Mangesh. She would never break her fast come what may. No wonder her voice reminds sister Asha Bhonsle of the bell in a temple. When God creates a genius, he also showerrs on his creations other benefits. Elephantine memory and ready wit are the twin blessings enjoyed by Lata Mangeshkar. She remembers the minutest details of the events in distant past. Talk about Anil Biswas and instantly she would recall not just his Matunga residence in the early fiftees but the wall- hangings as well. She can place people accurately even it she hasn't met them for ages. 'Screen' photographer K.G. Samel was first surprised and then touched when Lata, meeting him after a gap of several years, feelingly enquired about the health of his ailing wife. "I didn't expect her to remember me, let alone remembering my wife and her failing health. But then she is Lata Mangeshkar", says Samel. Behind her serene, collected, calm look and the awe-inspiring aura of her towering personality, hides and impish little girl. Her razor-sharp humor is to be seen to be believed. A high profile Indian journalist was interviewing her in Los Angeles where she had gone for a concert. " At this stage of your career" he asked ,"are you forced to do things against your will?" "Sure", she replied. "Can you quote an instance?" he wanted to know. "For instance talking to you", pat came the reply. At her last live concert, she told the mammoth audience, "I hope you liked the songs, I have sung in Lata Mangeshkar's voice". Lata In Concert - An Era In An Evening 50 Years Of Lata Packaged By Sony Music Mumbai , October 1997. Sony Music Entertainment (India) has put together a double album, In Concert - Lata An Era In An Evening, which is scheduled to hit Indian music stores on October 28,1997. This double album is a recording of the live concert, televised nationally by Sony Entertainment Television, on March 9 this year, at Mumbai's Andheri Sports Complex. Essentially, the albums contain some of Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar's favourite songs, including a 20-minute medley of 18 songs, the first ever sung by her! Vijay Singh, Managing Director of Sony Music in India opined, "Lata Mangeshkar is ageless. Her voice gives you a real high even now. We at Sony Music believe that we had to encapsulate her golden voice and career in an appropriate manner . What better way than to digitally master and offer a quality product which she truly deserves!" Lata Mangeshkar needs no introduction. She has been gladdening Indian hearts for over 5 decades now. Her voice has bound the people of this country irrespective of caste, creed, religion or region. Lata started her career as a singer in the forties by singing for the late Master Vinayak's film . Thereafter, she has sung for most of the music directors of the period in their varied and distinctive styles. She surpassed nearly all her contemporaries and rose to the hall of fame as the legendary singer of India. Lata has the distinction of having sung in all Indian languages - both film and non-film songs. Her name figures in the Guiness Book Of World Records for rendering the highest number of film songs which is stated to be over 25,000. During her career, Lata has received many awards including the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1989. Infact the general feeling that prevailed when this award was bestowed on her was that, Lata symbolised the coming - of - age of India's popular culture, of it's emergence as one of the most powerful counterweights to western domination of the Third World in cultural terms. According to Lata," I believe that music knows no boundaries and has no religion. I consider music to be the voice of God. I've sung all over the world to people of all nationalities. I've received the same love and appreciation from Pakistanis and Bangladeshis that I have from Indians". In Concert - Lata An Era In An Evening is a collectors item. The voice and personality of Lata have been captured in a unique product which is an expression of the singer's greatness. There are several rare unreleased photographs of Lata, which are included in the booket which accompanies the CD as well as in the cassette. All this together with the fact that the recording has been produced on imported tape and on special edition gold CDs appropriately captures the glory of Lata's range and repertoire . This double album spans almost all of Lata's entire singing career. The live concert is a significant moment in the history of Indian music. The great singing star Noorjehan had this to say -"Lata has reached that unattainable position today that she will be justified if she decides to abstain from even looking at the multitude. But her feet are firmly rooted to the ground." There is always a Lata song to define every event in our lives. She has sung for nearly all the heroines- from Madhubala to Tabu . Film star Madhuri Dixit very aptly summed up the sentiment of the film industry when she said, "we are there because she is there". The albums also feature duets with S. P. Balasubramanium, Sudesh Bhonsale, Usha Mangeshkar and Adinath Mangeshkar. Some of the tracks featured in the double album are: Album 1 Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh Dil Deewana Pehla Pehla Pyar Hai Sun Beliya Tum Mile Dil Khile Mungda Kora Kagaz Tha Ek Shaam Ek Yug - Medley Album 2 Khamosh Hai Zamana Aaja Re Pardesi Naina Barse Aa Jaane Jaa Roja Jaaneman Didi Tera Dewar Deewana Aate Jaate Yeh Nain Dare Dare Gore Gore Musafir Hoon Yaaron Rasoo Allah / Yaara Seeli Seeli Aye Mere Vatan Ke Logon |