The name Lata Mangeshkar has become a household term in most countries in the east as well as the west. Born in 1928, Lata has up to date created a world record in the field of singing songs in her mother tongue Hindi as well as in a few other languages, inclusive of Sinhala. In a recent research it is found that every three minute or so a song of Lata is heard. I am not sure if this is an exaggeration.
To her credit, she has sung about 35,000 to 40,000 songs. She has spent all her time devoted to music. As I remember as a schoolboy, I saw the Hindi film Madhuvanthi eight times, perhaps enamoured by the enchanting singing quality on the part of Lata and the appearance of the two brilliant performers Vijanthi Mala and Dilip Kumar. Then in the film Mother India, Lata happened to be the playback singer for nurses where the song Nagari Nagari Dware Dware is still resonating in my ears.
With all these serious and enchanting episodes, the sensitive artiste behind is recalled as Lata Mangeshkar without whom it was popularly believed that there was no charm and mesmerism in sound. She had sung songs for the melodies created by musicals such as Noushad, Shankar and Jikishan and S D Barman to name a few. In one of their biographies I read I came to know that Lata was splendid in her day to day actions as devoted to her function as a singer.
When once questioned by me about the voice of Lata I still remember what the late Maestro Amaradeva had to say.
“Lata’s voice is simply divine, for there is no equal.”
I wanted to clarify what he meant by divine.
Then said the maestro: “Perhaps there is a layer of mystic touch in her range of singing which cannot be explained in laymen’s terms.”
My mind goes back to 1993/1994 when I spent sometime in Dollis Hill in London where I had the habit of going to a close by library. This is an area where quite a lot of most communities from India and Pakistan lived. Dollis Hill Library was crowded with Lata Mangeskar fans, as she was schooled to pay a visit to meet and that with them. At the entrance to the library auditorium I saw a life size portrait of Lata Mangeskar. The visitors were made to hear the old hits of Lata such as Ayega from the film Makel. The fans were seen eagerly waiting for Lata with flowers and other gifts.
When Lata arrived with a group of fans, there was a loud applause I merriment. She spoke a few words in Hindi. She was greeted with garlands. I had the opportunity of having a brief glance and a chat with the singer Lata. But it was a busy programme. She had to move from city to city in various part of the UK. It is stated that she is not so quite fond of travelling and meeting people.
But part of her earnings from singing at home and abroad have been deposited as charity. During a visit to India recently I was informed that Lata has built a hospital with all the medical facilities one could imagine of. She loves children despite the fact that she remains an unmarried woman. When the media persons question her on her aspect of love, I am married to music. Music makes me love all types of people ranging from children to adults.
Lata had once said: “I don’t have rivals, but some say that I have dominated the field of singing. My humble feeling is that we need more and more of singers.”
In Sri Lanka during the time of the gramophone era, where discs came to be a commercial commodity, Lata’s voice was imitated by a few local female singers. But how many succeeded? All these random jottings go to inform just one event that falls on January 28 where a Sinhala biography of Lata will be launched at the National Library Services Auditorium in Colombo. The pioneer effort is penned by a young music teacher, Nayana Shamali Rajapaksa who is both a Sangeeth Visharada and a poetess. Her book is titled as Lata Mangeskar Age Jivitha Katawa comes out as a Godage publication.
The key chapter of Nayana’s book centres round the social services rendered by Lata via the money she had earned over the years. One good example is her erection of a hospital with all the medical facilities. Perhaps it is hinted that the greatness lies not only in the skills of an artist. She has earned all the possible awards bestowed on artistes of all types. But the most interesting point is that she is stated as unmoved by felicitations at home and abroad.
The challenges she has to face come as the final factor in the work. Lata sensitively watches what happens round her in the changing aspects of the world. Some of the pseudo modernisms in the field of music have entered though she is not in a position hold them tightly. She lives happily.
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