Singer Lata Mangeshkar, aka ‘Nightingale of India,’ dies at 92
New Delhi, Feb 6 (EFE).- Lata Mangeshkar, fondly remembered as the “Nightingale of India” for her melodious contributions to Hindi music in a singing career spanning nearly eight decades, died Sunday at the age of 92.
Mangeshkar, one of the most prolific playback singers in the Indian cinema, also known as the “Queen of Melody,” passed away at a hospital in India’s financial and entertainment capital of Mumbai.
“We announce the sad demise of Lata Mangeshkar this morning. She died because of multi-organ failure after more than 28 days of hospitalization post a covid,” Pratit Samdani of Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai told reporters.
The singer, who has recorded thousands of songs, mostly in Hindi but other Indian languages too, was a playback singer in Bollywood, meaning she sang without appearing on screen.
Her songs would be lip-synced by actors in song-and-dance scenes of Indian movies.
One of the most revered figures in India, Mangeshkar received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest honor, in 2001.
She got France’s highest civilian award, the Insignia of ‘Officier de la Legion d’Honneur’ (Officer of the Legion of Honour), in 2009.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was “anguished beyond words” following the death of the singer, who “closely witnessed the transitions of the Indian film world for decades.”
“She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. The coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerize people,” Modi said.
Mangeshkar was born on Sep.28, 1929, to a musical family in the central Indian city of Indore.
Her father Dinanath Mangeshkar and five siblings have contributed immeasurably to popularize Indian music as singers and composers.
She recorded her first song for a Marathi film in 1942 before making her playback singing debut for Hindi films in 1947.
She donned minor roles in some Marathi and Hindi films in the early part of her career.
Mangeshkar enthralled generations of Indians with her voice and ability to sing almost in every mood, every shade of human psyche – from devotional, patriotic, and romantic numbers. EFE
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