Lata Mangeshka: Singer known as the “Nightingale of India” dies at 92

Singer Mangeshkar Canknown as the “Nightingale of India”, who reigned over Bollywood music without rival for decades, has died at the age of 92, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Sunday.

She died in a Mumbai hospital after being admitted to the intensive care unit on January 11 with symptoms of covid-19.

“I am overwhelmed beyond words. The kind and benevolent Lata Didi has left us. It leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled.”Modi wrote on Twitter.

Born on September 28, 1929 in Indore, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, Lata Mangeshkar had recorded her first song in 1947 for the movie “Majboor”.

“Dil mera todo”, one of the songs from the film, brought her to fame at the age of 18. From then on, Bollywood blockbusters were made with her incomparable voice throughout the following decades, marking many cinematographic works such as “Barsaat” and “Mahal”.

She had lent her voice to many actresses, some 50 years younger than her. So much so that some critics complained that her omnipresence overshadowed the young rising stars.

However, he retained a fanatical following that placed each of his songs at the top of the charts.

Always with a long brown braid and a red dot on her forehead, she sang in more than 1,000 films and published many albums.

He had some 27,000 songs in his repertoire, performed in dozens of languages, including English, Russian, Dutch and Swahili.

Their songs are performed every year at the official Republic Day celebrations.

“Generations to come will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unrivaled ability to mesmerize people,” Modi wrote.

Lata Mangeshkar never married or had children.