lata mangeshkar

“Be it in the era of LP (long playing phonograph) records, then Binaca Geetmala (popular radio countdown), audio cassettes, CDs, or now streaming platforms, this has been the top performing song for the company," says Vikram Mehra, managing director of Saregama. From Mehra’s succinct quote, we get to learn how far this music company has traversed through various formats since its first recording in 1901. We also learn that some things don’t change. Like Lag Ja Gale, which continues to…

It’s been over a year since Lata Mangeshkar soared into the musical realms beyond. However, through her innumerable songs in multiple languages, she continues to move millions, infusing a sense of oneness in a diverse audience. Hers is a voice that has brought succour and joy to individuals of every caste, class, creed and gender. In a distinguished career that spanned over half a century, she sang everything from lullabies and bhajans to patriotic songs and romantic ballads, leaving behind a rich repository of over…

By Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal Note: On the 89th birthday of Lata Mangeshkar, here is an excerpt from S. D. Burman: The Prince-Musician, where we see Mangeshkar fondly remembering her practice sessions with Burman. The book gives you a glimpse of yesteryears Bollywood as it chronicles the rise of S.D. Burman in the film industry. Burman, when he first arrived in Bombay, was an outsider who didn't speak much of Hindi or Urdu, but the music director -- as we all know -- soon won over the Indian…