Lata Mangeshkar will remain as a ‘Wonder’. Her one after another song, music after music has appeared like a river, like the current of music of India. Her voice has appeared as a flute which disseminates the music like a gentle breeze with flawless perfection. Her song has turned to as air. Lata Mangeshkar told that it was very difficult to sing Salil Chowdhury’s songs. But the listeners felt that Lata sang the songs with ease and spontaneity. Salil Chowdhury commented that Lata could not be explained with any explanation. He wrote this in ‘Jiban Ujjiban’. Overcoming his pride of music Salil Chowdhury opined that Lata Mangeshkar brought many of his songs in such a height that was only possible by herself. In fact, Lata made the leisure of mind of people to the leisure of song. If you listen the songs like ‘Aja Re Pardeshi’, ‘Dil Tadap Tadap Ke’, ‘Itna Na Mujhse Tu Pyar Badha’, ‘O Basanti Pawan Pagal’, ‘Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega’, ‘Na Koi Umang Hai’, Naina Barse Rimjhim Rimjhim’, ‘Lag Ja Gale Pe’, ‘Hum The Jinke Sahare’, ‘Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai’, ‘Hawa Chale Kaise’, Na Jaane Kya Hua’, ‘Ae Dil E Nadan’, ‘Aao Tumhe Chand Pe Le Jaye’, Zindagi Ki Na Toote Ladi’, ‘Tere Liye Palkon Ki Jhalar’, ‘Rahe Na Rahe Hum’, ‘Is Mod Se Jaate Hai’, ‘Tum Aa Gaye Ho’, ‘Tere Bina Zindagi Se’, ‘Rulake Gaya Sapna’, ‘Piya To Se Naina Lage Re’, ‘Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai’, ‘Panna Ki Tamanna Hai’, ‘Nadiya Kinare’, ‘Ab To Hai Tumse’, ‘Piya Bina Piya Bina’, ‘Tere Mere Milan Ki Yeh Raina’, ‘Bada Natkhat Hai’, ‘Raina Beeti Jaye’, ‘Neend Churayi Chain Churaye’, ‘Sun Ri Pawan Pawan Purbaiya’, ‘Chanda Hai Tu Mera Suraj Hai Tu’, ‘Beeti Na Bitai Raina’, ‘Bahut Door Mujhe Chale Jaana Hai’, ‘Naam Gum Jayega’ or in Bengali like ‘Ja Re Jare Ure Jare Pakhi’, ‘Na Mon Lage Na’, ‘O Mor Moyna Go’, ‘Antabihin Kate Na Aar Jeno’, ‘Nishidin Nishidin’, ‘Keno Kichhu Katha Balo Na’, ‘Saat Bhai Champa Jagore’, ‘Pa Ma Ga Re Sa’, ‘Ogo Aar Kichhu To Naai’, ‘O Prajapati Prajapati’, ‘Keno Je Kandao Bare Bare’, ‘O Tui Nayan Pakhi Amar Re’, ‘Kichhu To Chahini Ami’, ‘Ki Je Kori Dure Jete Hoy’, ‘Jhilik Jhilik Jhinuk’, ‘Ami Cholte Cholte Theme Gechhi’, ‘Sabar Aarale’, ‘O Amar Pran Sajani’, ‘Ore Mon-Moyna’, ‘O Jhar Jhar Jharna’, ‘Akash Pradip Jwale Durer Tarar Pane Cheye’, ‘Ei Jiban Kakhon Dahan Kakhon Magan, ‘Ebar Ami Amar Theke Amake Bad Diye’ you will feel that these songs crossing the music, river, mountain, valley reach to such a location where these creations are not confined of a Lyricist, Composer or Music Director. These songs are the songs of the life, the integral part of the unending legacy of the music of India, which is itself a history and the name of the history is Lata Mangeshkar. She sang more than thirty thousand songs in thirty six languages. It is a rarest incident across the world that a singer has such a huge number of playback songs in her credit.
The musical fraternity of Bengal paid tribute to the legend Lata Mangeshkar who collaborated with the Music Directors like Salil Chowdhury, S. D. Burman and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay not only to produce memorable songs in Hindi but also in Bengali among other languages. While some recalled the dedication to music which Mangeshkar, always had, others recollected her modesty when singing for Bengali films and on stage in Bengal, despite being a towering personality in the sub-continent’s musical world.
Renowned Music Director Salil Chowdhury and Lata Mangeshkar’s association created milestones in Bengali and Hindi music. Salil Chowdhury collaborated with Lata Mangeshkar for some thirty five Bengali songs, twenty of them for films. Among their many hits in Bengali were modern numbers like `Ja Re Ja Re Ure Jare Pakhi’ (Fly away bird) and `Ami Cholte Cholte Theme Gechhi’ (I stopped even as I walked). Recalling incidents associated with Mangeshkar who was close to Salil Chowdhury, Antara Chowdhury, daughter of Salil Chowdhury remembered Lata Mangeshkar said in a light hearted manner that none could render the lyrics penned by Salil Chowdhury the way she did. Many Musicians said Mangeshkar understood Bengali as she had many friends among Bengali Music Directors and Singers. The Music Directors explained her finer nuances of the lyrics. According to Antara Chowdhury, Lata Mangeshkar picked up and rendered the nuances in a manner which truly none but a great singer like her could have ever done.
Mangeskar, who had sung some one hundred eighty five songs in Bengali, is remembered by her fans for classics such as `Akash Pradip Jwale’ (The light burns in the sky) by Satinath Mukhopadhyay and ‘Prem Ekbar Esechhilo Nirobe’ (Love came once silently) put to music by Hemanta Mukhopadhyay.
The emergence of Lata Mangeshkar witnessed the new aspiration, hope and music of an independent country in a nascent stage. The songs of union, friendship, romance, love dominated the then musical ambience of the country. Experimentation was made in Bengali and Hindi Film songs. Lata Mangeshkar offered her voice in this experimentation. She sang for almost each and every Bengali and Hindi Music Directors. Every possible variation in songs of Bengali and Hindi Film reflected in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar ranging from Bhajan, Gajal, Kirtan to Romantic to Patriotic to Devotional. She sang Tagore Song to Modern Bengali Song.
Music Director Nausad once wrote Lata Mangeshkar that India’s heartbeat was her voice. During the last seven decades in each and every corner of the country in the occasion and situation of joy-sorrow, love-association-reunion-separation, Lata Mangeshkar’s songs were the permanent sound track. She was truly the ‘Indian Nightingale’. How many songs exactly have sung by Lata Mangeshkar through her entire life? It is a meaningless endeavour to specify the number. At the end of her vast, charismatic musical life, Lata Mangeshkar’s voice remained as the ‘Voice of the Culture of the Nation’ and the legend remained as ‘Endless Songs’.
