The legend

Lata Mangeshkar is a big name in popular and light classical Indian music. This 'nightingale of India' has become legendary as a playback singer in the Indian film industry. Her distinguished career spans more than six decades. Lata was born in 1929 in Madhya Pradesh province. Her father Dinanath Mangeshkar was a classical singer and owned a theater company. To compensate for a shortage of good… education, he taught his children music from an early age. When father died in 1942, the thirteen-year-old eldest daughter Lata had to earn money for the family. She went on to act in movies and sing playback. At first it was very difficult for Lata to find work. In the film industry, heavy nasal voices were popular, such as those of the star Noorjehan. However, around 1950 the taste changed and people increasingly preferred Lata's high voice. Lata's great vocal range was praised as well as her ability to express every emotion in her lovely voice. From the 1950s to the 1990s, Lata and her younger sister Asha Bhosle became the queens of Indian playback singing. The double album The Legend contains old recordings of Lata, arranged chronologically from 1948 to 1990. (SvdP)more