Lata Mangeshkar Celebrates 79 Years Of Her Radio Debut As A Singer

Veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar today celebrates completing 79 years of her debut on radio. Mangeshkar shared how her journey started in a tweet on December 16, "Aaj se 79 saal pehle 16 December 1941 ko maine Radio par pehli baar gaaya. Maine 2 natyageet gaaye the." She further added that her father was elated after listening to her songs on radio.

The legendary singer has amassed more than 14.7 million followers since her social media debut in 2010.

Aaj se 79 saal pehle 16 December 1941 ko maine Radio par pehli baar gaaya.Maine 2 natyageet gaaye the.Jab mere Pitaji ne wo sune tab wo bahut khush hue, unhone meri maa se kaha ki Lata ko aaj radio pe sunke mujhe bahut khushi hui,ab mujhe kisi baat ki chinta nahi.

— Lata Mangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata) December 16, 2020

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Previously in an interview, when asked what she felt about radio as a medium for popularising music, Mangeshkar had said, "there are some good things in this generation and some bad. Both are being brought together (through radio) and that is a good thing."

Mangeshkar reigned as a playback singing for many decades who has been felicitated with the highest civilian honour in India, Bharat Ratna. Late last year, she was hospitalised at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai due to a viral infection that had the whole nation worried about her health.

Mangeshkar courted controversy after her comment on singer Ranu Mondal’s video singing her iconic song Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai went viral last year. Speaking to IANS in an interview, she had said, “Agar mere naam aur kaam se kissiko bhala hota hai toh main apne-aap ko khush-kismat samajhti hoon (If anyone gets benefited from my name and work then I feel fortunate). But I also feel imitation is not a reliable and durable companion for success. By singing my songs or Kishoreda’s (Kumar), or (Mohd) Rafi Saab’s, or Mukesh Bhaiyya or Asha’s (Bhosle) numbers, aspiring singers can get short-term attention but it won’t last.”

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Born in 1929 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the 91-year-old who began her music career in 1942, has been a recipient of three National Film Awards, 12 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, and four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards. To add to her countless lists of awards, the 'Nightingale of India' was honoured by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her contribution to Bengali music with the state’s highest civilian award, the Banga-Bibhushan. Apart from being honoured with Bharat Ratna in 2001, Mangeshkar is also the recipient of Padma Vibhushan and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for contribution to Indian cinema.

In a career spanning 75 years, Mangeshkar has recorded more than 30,000 songs in 35 Indian and foreign languages. She has also been honoured with France’s highest civilian award, Officer of the Legion of Honour.

Feature Image Credit: Times of India

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