Iconic singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away on February 6 due to Covid-19 related complications. Her demise was mourned across the world as her voice had touched hearts beyond boundaries. Nazia Ejaz, daughter of Pakistan’s celebrated singer Noor Jehan, remembered how her mother appreciated the talent of India’s ‘Nightingale’. She also shared that the two revered singers shared a close bond and often met in London during vacations.
Noor Jehan, referred to as Malika-e-Tarannum (Queen of Melody), left India after partition. But, like many others, she too liked the melodious voice of Mangeshkar and loved to listen to her sing “Ae Dil-e-Nadaan”, revealed Nazia during an interview with The Times of India. When Jehan once asked Mangeshkar to sing the Razia Sultan song, “she was almost shy.”
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Nazia shared that the two legendary singers used to “reminisce about the old Bombay days” whenever they met in London. “I remember, maa once said in an interview, ‘Lata Lata hai’,” Nazia recalled.
Regarded as one of Indian cinema’s greatest playback singers, Lata Mangeshkar sung over 25,000 songs in various Indian languages. Her popular Hindi songs include classics like “Ajeeb dastan hain ye”, “Naam ghum jaaye ga”, Lag ja gale”, “Baahon me chale aao” among many others.
She won several honours, not just in India, but across the world. She holds the honour of being the first-ever Indian to perform in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, London. In India, she was honoured with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour.