The Singer Who Conquered The World Without Autotune: Remembering Lata Mangeshkar On Her Birthday

Lata Mangeshkar doesnt need an introduction. She sang about 50,000 in 14 different language and won the Guinness World Record and was called the nightangle of India for all the right reasons. The legend was born on 28th September 1929 and she passed away on 6th February last year.

From Nargis to Preity Zinta, she sang for all. She was the most celebrated and popular singer in India and her contribution to the Indian music industry in a career spanning eight decades gained her honorific titles such as the "Queen of Melody", "Nightingale of India", and "Voice of the Millennium.

11 Lesser Known Facts About Lata Mangeshkar

1. Lata Mangeshkar comes from a family of performers and singers

Lata Mangeshkar was the first child of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti. Her sisters Asha, Usha and Meena are also being celebrated vocalists and singers.

2. Changed her name after a famous character Latika

Born as Hema, she was rechristened later as Lata which was inspired by a character's name in her father's play Bhaaw Bandhan.

3. Started singing at the age of five

She received her first music lesson from her father. At the age of five, she started to work as an actress in her father's musical plays (Sangeet Natak in Marathi). On her first day of school, Mangeshkar left because she was not allowed to bring her sister Asha along with her.

4. Her first song never went live

At the age of nine, Mangeshkar gave her first public performance at the Nutan Theatre, Sholapur. She recorded her first song in 1942 for the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal. However, the song "Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari" was removed from the film's final cut.

5. First big break with the Aayega Aanewala song

Lata Mangeshkar's 'Aayega Aanewala' song from the movie Mahal in 1949 gave her much.needed stardom.

6. Lata Mangeshkar never listened to her own songs

While speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Lata Mangeshkar once said that she would never listen to her own songs as she would find several faults in her singing.

7. Ghulam Haider was her Godfather and Madan Mohan was her favourite music director

Music Director Ghulam Haider was her Godfather as he showed complete faith in her talent. Lata Mangeshkar shared a special bond with music director Madan Mohan and listed 'Woh chup rahe' from Jahan Ara as their favourite collaboration.

She once said, "I shared a special relationship with Madan Mohan, which was much more than what a singer and a music composer share. This was a relationship of a brother and a sister."

While she worked with almost all music directors and composers in Indi, she never worked with OP Nayyar. OP Nayyan also worked mostly with Asha Bhosle, Mangeshkar's sister.

8. Her patriotic song moved PM Nehru to tears

Lata Mangeshkar dedicated 'Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon' to the soldiers who lost their lives in the 1962 war. Her patriotic song moved PM Nehru to tears on 27 January 1963 at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi.

9. 1974: The year of Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar became the first ever Indian to perform live at the iconic Royal Albert Hall. This was her debut on the international stage.

In the 1974 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, she was listed as the most recorded artist, having sung around 25,000 songs.

However, the claim was contested by Mohammad Rafi and until 1991, the book listed her name along with Mohammad Rafi's claim.

10. Politician Lata: Rajya Sabha MP

Mangeshkar was nominated in 1999 as a Rajya Sabha MP and her term ended in 2006. Being criticized for not attending the sessions, Lata Mangeshkar cited her illness and claimed that she was reluctant to be inducted into the Rajya Sabha.

During her term as an MP, she did not take a single penny or a salary or a house in Delhi.

11. Bharat Ratna recipient

Lata Mangeshkar was the second Indian vocalist to be conferred with Bharat Ratna after Carnatic singer MS Subbalakshmi.