Legend. The word is overused today and hardly befitting the personalities it’s often tagged with. In the case of singer Lata Mangeshkar though—who died at the age of 92—it almost seems trifling. Dubbed the ‘Nightingale of India’, Lata was a key cog in the wheel of playback singing for over seven decades.
Her work cuts across genres, across state borders, and is it a surprise then that even if she wasn’t exactly prolific when it came to singing contributions in South cinema, she, nevertheless, was still a household name. Among those inspired by her boundless energy and singing excellence are countless playback singers, many of whom enjoy successful careers today. We spoke to some female singers based in the South, singers who can’t help but wax eloquent about Lata’s legacy, and here’s what they had to say:
Shashaa Tirupati
I see flashbacks of my entire childhood when I think of her. It’s a personal and emotional setback for me. Her songs were my first and consistent companion, and she was my guru, alongside Rafi saahab. The connection I felt to her meant that I went back to her recordings from as early as the 50s, even as a child. I would religiously practise along, as her voice would play on my tape recorder for thousands of songs; my mother would write out these songs in notebooks with a pen. Once, my mother overheard me humming Lata Ji's Jao Re Jogi Tum Jao Re while I was playing with my brothers, at the age of 5. This was the stepping stone to my career. This was from when I learned to develop aptitude, training, and step into music as a life path. Lata ji takes a part of my soul with her.
Sujatha Mohan
Lata ji—for every female singer—is a maanaseega guru. There is no doubt about it. Whatever you learn from gurumukham with the guru in front of you, that is the foundation of your singing. But the experience which these people have—from what they have sung in films—is what we get; this is the material that we go to when we get similar songs, be it a fast-paced song or a romantic melody. We seek references from the work of such icons.
We cannot fathom her repertoire because Lata ji has sung so many songs across all genres. Personally, an incident that I am reminded of is when I sang a song for AR Rahman, for the film, Pukar. It is a club-themed song with Madhuri Dixit singing, but she also has to show a lot of pain in her singing.
It was a very complex emotion—love, yes, but at the same time, there is revenge, and yet, it must also sound like a song played in a club. So, I was quite confused. ARR simply gave me a reference to the song, Aa Jaane Jaan, (from the 1969 Hindi film, Intaqam). He said that is the emotion he wanted. The reference was perfect.
Even though she is gone mortally, her sound is heard everywhere in the universe every day. That is what she has left behind.
AR Raihanah
A true-blue legend, an encyclopedia for film singing & an immortal voice. The heights that she achieved can never be surpassed. Forever and ever her voice will be echoing in all our hearts.
MD Pallavi
“Lata ji has had a big presence in our lives. Anybody, who has been born and brought up in India, cannot disassociate themselves from her. There is a song for every occasion, associated with her voice. Her songs will be there with us forever. There is no way we can let go of her, as her work is very much a part of the collective consciousness. She has impacted the whole culture and nation in a strong way. A legend passes on, but she also lives on.”
Jonita Gandhi
“I think I speak for a lot of artists when I say that so much of what I am today, I owe to Lata Ji. Growing up (in Canada), I didn’t really know Hindustani music. I just knew her songs, her voice, and her singing. But it’s one and the same. That’s the power of her legacy.
The music industry has lost a godmother today. I started my journey with Lata ji as my first guru without her even knowing, as I’m sure many others have too. It will be very hard to shake the feeling of this realisation that she has passed on. Her art and her voice will always be a reminder of her contribution to music, to Indian cinema, and to this world. It will continue to inspire us to practise discipline and devotion in music. Rest in eternal peace Lata ji.”
Sangeetha Katti
“Lata ji remains eternal. As a singer and a musician, we have grown up listening to her songs and trying to sing them. Her singing—be it bhakti geet, romantic numbers, or patriotic songs—is the only important reference and will remain so. There is no replacement. I missed the opportunity to meet her twice, but her influence is tremendous in my life. A dedicated musician, her commitment was divine. Every song sung by her is an institution. Merely singing her songs well is good enough to qualify you as a musician. She was gifted; how she evolved in her journey is amazing.”
Sanah Moidutty
“I find it difficult to believe that Lata ji is no more. Throughout my childhood, I listened to her songs and wondered how someone could pull off such difficult songs with such ease and with as much soul. Even a lifetime isn’t enough to experience and learn from the music and legacy she has left behind. This day marks the end of an era. I’m sure musicians and listeners all over the world will be feeling the same today. Her voice and her singing healed us, and it will continue to do so. Rest in peace Lata ji.”
Chinmayi
“She defined Indian playback singing—hers was the voice, the voice everyone wanted to have, one that showed mastery over a myriad of expressions, emotions… Also admirable was her discipline of practising well into her 80s. I am pretty sure she would have been singing before she fell ill. I also remember her for being critical of what she was hearing ‘these days in the name of singing.
There’s an image of hers that made the front page once—of her eyes and ears shut tight, with a grimace on her face. Some of us kept talking about it for days. She has lived close to a century, seen this country form and grow, and she has ruled our music and our hearts. It has truly been an honour to have been around when she was.”
( With Inputs from Murali Krishna CH, A Sharadhaa, and Sajin Shrijith)