Lata Mangeshkar : Lesser Known Facts About the ‘Nightingale of India’

Legendary singer and Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar pass away in Mumbai. Known as the ‘Nightingale of India’, she has left behind a treasure trove of songs in her mellifluous voice, sung across a career that lasted for over 70 years.

Lata ji, consider one of the greatest Indian playback singers, will live on through her melodies.

Her solos and immortal duets with Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh, with a legion of other prominent Indian singers, are among Hindi cinemas most memorable songs.

On sunday, 6th February 2022, will be remember as a dark day as the legend Lata Mangeshkar, the Nightingale of India, left us for her heavenly abode.

Lata Mangeshkar ji was 92.

The veteran singer had carve an impeccable legacy in a glorious career spanning eight decades.

She render innumerable songs across genres in 36 languages.

Her voice had remain the perfect reference for generations of composers and listeners.

As per frequent collaborator and renown lyricist Javed Akhtar, Lata’s greatness cannot be encapsulate by any other word than her name itself.

The famous lines by Gulzar, Naam Gum Jayega, Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hain perfectly capture her relentless passion for music.

She was admitted to the ICU ward of a Mumbai hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19 in January.

Lesser Known Facts About the ‘Nightingale of India’

Lata Mangeshkar was born in a family of performers

Lata Mangeshkar belong to a family of performers.

Her father ran a theatre company, and Lata grew up with a love of music.

The aim of the sisters Lata and Asha Bhosle when they took up singing was to carry forward their father’s legacy.

In an old interview with Stardust, she recalls the immediate reason for her vocation.

Lata Mangeshkar said :

“It so happen that once my father ask his shagird (disciple) to practice a raag while he finished some work. I was playing nearby and suddenly a note of the raag that shagird was rendering, jarred. And the next minute, I was correcting him. When my father return, he discover a shagird in his own daughter.”

Lata Mangeshkar’s first song was remove from the film

Lata ji record the first song of her career “Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari” in 1942 for a Marathi movie calls Kiti Hasaal.

But unfortunately, the song was remove from the film’s final cut.

Lata Mangeshkar once fainted while recording a song

Lata once fainted while recording a song with music composer Naushad.

She revealed the same in an interview with Firstpost,

Lata Mangeshkar Said :

“We were recording a song on a long hot summer afternoon. You know how Mumbai gets in summer. During those days, there was no air conditioning in the recording studios. And even the ceiling fan was switched off during the final recording. Bas, main behosh ho gayi (So I fainted).”

Lata Didi never listened to her own songs

Once she said while speaking to Bollywood Hungama that she does not listen to her own songs as if she did, she would find a hundred faults in her singing.

Lata Mangeshkar favourite music director was Madan Mohan

In Lata’s words, the best music director she work with and with whom she had a special bond was Madan Mohan.

She said in a 2011 collector’s item calendar called Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet,

Lata Mangeshkar Said :

“I share a special relationship with Madan Mohan, which was much more than what a singer and a music composer share. This was a relationship of a brother and a sister.”

She listed ‘Woh chup rahe’ from Jahan Ara as their favourite collaboration with him.

Lata Mangeshkar serve as a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha

Lata had a brief tenure as an MP (Member of Parliament) from 1999 to 2005.

She had been nominate to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) in 1999.

She describe her tenure as an unhappy one and claim she was reluctant to be induct.

Lata Mangeshkar fame extends way beyond Indian boundaries

Lata ji was not just an Indian singing legend.

The lovers of her melodious voice could be found all over the world.

She holds the honour of being the first-ever Indian to perform in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, London.

The government of France confer her with the Officer of the Legion of Honour in 2007, which is the country’s highest civilian award

Lata Mangeshkar once held a Guinness world record

The 1974 edition of The Guinness Book of Records had listed Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artist.

But the claim was contested by Mohammed Rafi.

The book continue to list Lata’s name but also mention Rafi’s claim.

The entry was remove in 1991 until 2011, in which Guinness put Lata’s sister as the most recorded artist.

Currently, Pulapaka Susheela holds the honour.

Lata Mangeshkar never worked with OP Nayyar in her career

In her long career, Lata ji work with the greatest of Indian composers and music directors, but she never work with OP Nayyar.

Lata Mangeshkar last recorded a song in 2015

Due to ill-health, Lata ji had been away from singing for quite a few years.

The last time she recorded a new song was in 2015.

Some other Facts About Lata Mangeshkar

• She was the eldest child born to Shevanthi and Dinathan Mangeshkar.
• Lata ji has four siblings, Asha Bhosle, Usha, Meena and Hridaynath.
• Lata’s mother was the second wife of her father.
• Dinanath’s first wife was Lata’s maternal aunt, who died early into the marriage.
• Lata was named Hema when she was born.
• The name was changed to Lata, inspire by a character name Latika in one of her father’s plays.
• Dinanath was a keen theatre artist and classical singer.
• Lata from a young age was expose to music.
• She also played a part in her father’s play when she was five years old.
• After her father’s demise, Lata became the sole breadwinner of the family.
• The first song she sang was for a Marathi film Kiti Hasaal.
• Lata lived the first 16 years of her life in Indore where she was born.
• Her native house is now a clothing showroom.
• Lata act in eight films between the years 1942-1948.
• She also compose music for a couple of Marathi films under the pseudonym, Anandghan.
• The veteran music artist credits music director Ghulam Haider as her godfather as he always had complete faith in her talent.
• Lata ji has a permanent gallery reserve at the Lord’s Stadium to enjoy her favourite sport- cricket.
• Lata’s patriotic song Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon move then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to tears when she perform the song at New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on 27th January, 1963.