.
Where shall I start? I had been hearing Lata Mangeshkar's songs from my childhood via radio. It was 'Aap ki farmaayish' during daytime in those days and even now, though we hear her in 'bhoole bisre geeth' in the morning too, where very old songs are played. She is 87 years old now!
From my mother, grand mother to my sons, love her songs/voice! My son loves her old songs, though!
Wikipedia gives more details about her here! I think I will write mainly about the precious cassette we had during the late 1970's!
It was the Cassette season then! No CDs. We used to hear via radio for many years until then. Then my husband brought home a car stereo. It was like small box with knobs and a slot for inserting cassettes. My elder son was around 2 years old. He grew up hearing music even when he was in my womb! I am crazy about music...mainly film music, a little doze of bhajans too! I used to play the radio, mainly Vividhbharati from early morning bhajan programmes to night's 'aap ki farmaayish'. You must be knowing that I am a great fan of 'Sangeet Sarita' programme which can be heard even today from 7.30 to 7.45 am. The result, my sons also became very familiar with music. (I think this programme has influenced us to appreciate all sorts of music from ghazals to western classical music). We used to have many cassettes after the tape recorder came home. One was 'Lata Mangeshkar's 1971 Live concert at London's Albert Hall'. It was played 3-4 times a day, everyday! I remember my son mimicking the English words which can be heard in the beginning of the cassette! Dilip Kumar speaks in chaste Urdu! I can't follow many words in his speech even now! But it sounds good in his voice! The cassette became useless after it got cut 2-3 times (I had pasted them again and again!). I couldn't get a new one later. I had been searching for it for many years now. Thank god, I got it now, thanks to 'you tube' and Mega Ayub! Her voice during this concert was at its peak! Soft and clear! Each and every song covered here, is a gem!
Here is some notes about this event at the famous 'Albert Hall' in London:
The 103-year-old Royal Albert Hall in London -- Britain's most prestigious auditorium with a seating capacity for 6000 -- witnessed a musical phenomenon unequalled in its hallowed history when the inimitable Lata Mangeshkar made her international "debut" on its august stage with a series of three concerts in the aid of the Nehru Memorial Project in Britain in March 1974.
Seldom, indeed, has the hall been booked for a single recitalist three times in one week. What, however, made the event equally unique was to have the hall packed by an oriental artiste for all three nights -- and something more. For even after the intermission on the final night (March 14), there still were crowds willing to pay double the highest price for admission to the hall!
Inside the hall, Lata, the cynosure of all eyes, received a big ovation as Dilip Kumar -- one of India's top-notch film stars, who was also specially invited by The India League, sponsors of the Memorial Project -- introduced her at every concert as his "little sister" and as "a singer with the voice that defied description and definition".
Tribute after tribute, as also bouquets galore, came to Lata from many eminent personalities of England and India.
Then amid the ideal setting that matched her many-splendoured talent, Lata sang her songs with a seraphic impulse. She could demand and obtain the spontaneous surrender of her 18000and odd listeners -- and sent them home with gladdened hearts and nostalgic memories.
That is at once the singular distinction of the one and only Lata Mangeshkar..."the undisputed melody queen of India"..."the pint-sized bundle of musical genius"... "a singer with a moonlight in her throat"... "a legend in her lifetime"...
I am hearing this now after many years but still can remember the song list clearly! She is singing even now....for the current famous music director, AR Rahman!
 |
| The Great Lata Mangeshkar! |
Where shall I start? I had been hearing Lata Mangeshkar's songs from my childhood via radio. It was 'Aap ki farmaayish' during daytime in those days and even now, though we hear her in 'bhoole bisre geeth' in the morning too, where very old songs are played. She is 87 years old now!
From my mother, grand mother to my sons, love her songs/voice! My son loves her old songs, though!
Wikipedia gives more details about her here! I think I will write mainly about the precious cassette we had during the late 1970's!
It was the Cassette season then! No CDs. We used to hear via radio for many years until then. Then my husband brought home a car stereo. It was like small box with knobs and a slot for inserting cassettes. My elder son was around 2 years old. He grew up hearing music even when he was in my womb! I am crazy about music...mainly film music, a little doze of bhajans too! I used to play the radio, mainly Vividhbharati from early morning bhajan programmes to night's 'aap ki farmaayish'. You must be knowing that I am a great fan of 'Sangeet Sarita' programme which can be heard even today from 7.30 to 7.45 am. The result, my sons also became very familiar with music. (I think this programme has influenced us to appreciate all sorts of music from ghazals to western classical music). We used to have many cassettes after the tape recorder came home. One was 'Lata Mangeshkar's 1971 Live concert at London's Albert Hall'. It was played 3-4 times a day, everyday! I remember my son mimicking the English words which can be heard in the beginning of the cassette! Dilip Kumar speaks in chaste Urdu! I can't follow many words in his speech even now! But it sounds good in his voice! The cassette became useless after it got cut 2-3 times (I had pasted them again and again!). I couldn't get a new one later. I had been searching for it for many years now. Thank god, I got it now, thanks to 'you tube' and Mega Ayub! Her voice during this concert was at its peak! Soft and clear! Each and every song covered here, is a gem!
Here is some notes about this event at the famous 'Albert Hall' in London:
The 103-year-old Royal Albert Hall in London -- Britain's most prestigious auditorium with a seating capacity for 6000 -- witnessed a musical phenomenon unequalled in its hallowed history when the inimitable Lata Mangeshkar made her international "debut" on its august stage with a series of three concerts in the aid of the Nehru Memorial Project in Britain in March 1974.
Seldom, indeed, has the hall been booked for a single recitalist three times in one week. What, however, made the event equally unique was to have the hall packed by an oriental artiste for all three nights -- and something more. For even after the intermission on the final night (March 14), there still were crowds willing to pay double the highest price for admission to the hall!
Inside the hall, Lata, the cynosure of all eyes, received a big ovation as Dilip Kumar -- one of India's top-notch film stars, who was also specially invited by The India League, sponsors of the Memorial Project -- introduced her at every concert as his "little sister" and as "a singer with the voice that defied description and definition".
Tribute after tribute, as also bouquets galore, came to Lata from many eminent personalities of England and India.
Then amid the ideal setting that matched her many-splendoured talent, Lata sang her songs with a seraphic impulse. She could demand and obtain the spontaneous surrender of her 18000and odd listeners -- and sent them home with gladdened hearts and nostalgic memories.
That is at once the singular distinction of the one and only Lata Mangeshkar..."the undisputed melody queen of India"..."the pint-sized bundle of musical genius"... "a singer with a moonlight in her throat"... "a legend in her lifetime"...
I am hearing this now after many years but still can remember the song list clearly! She is singing even now....for the current famous music director, AR Rahman!
.
P.S.: I heard this song just now, from the movie, 'Anand'. Goose bumps! She is unbelievably good!
18 comments :
Beautifully written.She is an all time great and favourite across the entire country or should I say among all the Indians in the world.She is a phenomenon and set the bar very high for others to aspire for and aim to reach.
K.PARTHASARATHY: Yes, what you say is very right!No one can reach her level! Thank you for the first comment KP Sir!
I too like her yesteryear songs more than the recent ones. Her voice becomes quite coarse in the songs she sang in the '90s which is when i started to listen to Hindi songs. But I have heard some gem of her songs from earlier times. Will listen to the song you embedded now :)
Destination Infinity
She is one of the greatest in India. Her performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London was memorable.
DESTINATION INFINITY: Age is the reason! All of us love her old songs. Madan Mohan's songs with her are brilliant. He nearly, yes, nearly, used her full potential. Hear these songs, you will love them!
SG: Yes! We never get bored of hearing them, SG!
She is a legend really..I love her old songs.
I haven’t listened to many Hindi songs, but well I know she’s a legend and singing all her life. Should try listening to her and others... Our first music system is also a car stereo/cassette player that was removed from one of the cars that come to uncle’s garage for repairs.
RENU: Me too!
JEEVAN: I will never forget the small car stereo which was a god-send for us, music lovers! Hear this you tube link. You will love her voice.
She indeed is one of the best singers in the world..
My first cassette player was a small walkman type that my uncle got for me when he came from states to visit us.. :)
Bikram's
God's child!!!
A good dedication!
She is one of my most favorite singers too.I liked listening to her songs as a kid and had even learnt some of her songs by heart.
There are some good songs where she has been paired with Kishore Kumar.
True, she has a a lovely voice, and the old songs one can never get bored of them.
What a voice and what a programme. Thanks.
BIKRAMJIT SINGH MANN: Yes, she is! And we never forget the first new gadget we have had!
LOCO MENTE: She is! She will stay in Indians' hearts forever!
AVADA KEDAVARA: The number of singers were limited then and so good voices were getting more chances. No TV distraction! So,film songs with good singers became famous.
HADDOCK: Many many good songs are there which can be heard throughout the day even now via TV or radio!
RAMA ANANTH: I love her old songs more than the new songs!
ONKAR: Happy to know that you enjoyed, Onkar!
I had the same cassette! :D The old songs are so beautiful. By the time she started singing for Kajol, I stopped being her fan. But her old songs, I love them still.
Lataji ka kya kehna! I love her old songs too, only my choices start from the mid '40s, even as she was influenced by the style of Noor Jehan. I have a humongous collection of her songs courtesy the cassette collection which I inherited from my sister. I had even blogged about it, remember? I could so empathise with your patching up the torn tape over and over till it couldn't be done any more! And today we have zillions of songs in a pinhead, don't we?
Like you, I am also a fan of old film music, including Tamil and Marathi, even though I also like Carnatic and Hindustani classical music and ghazals and geets. Sharing one of her early songs which is among my favourites, tuned by Ghulam Haider, whom she calls her Godfather.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NADtKBYliXI
SHAIL MOHAN: Her voice became sort of rough with age later. But old songs...heavenly!
ZEPHYR: Recently I hear her interview in the radio on the birthday celebration of Vividh Bharathi. Yes, she started singing like Noor Jehanand her godfather was Ghulam Haider. Her other hobby was photography. She had a holiflex camera too! Since I was busy in the kitchen I couldn't jot down and write a post about it!
Heard the song! She was a child then, still hers was a strong voice!
Thanks for the detailed comment, Zephyr!
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