ASHA BHOSLE

The happy go lucky Virgo was born on September 8th 1933 in Sangli district in Maharashtra, India. Asha is the younger sister of the famous singer Lata Mangeshkar. She started training at a young age of 6 with her father Dinanath Mangeshkar and started her professional career at the age of 10 and started signing for Marathi movies.

Asha eloped with Ganpatrao Bhosle when she was sixteen and got married to him. Her family however; never accepted their marriage. Asha became a mother of three children, but her marriage was in deep waters and she separated from her husband and returned to her parents. For years after being overshadowed by sister Lata she finally carved her niche and started signing more fast tracks. OP Nayyar gave her the perfect break and signed her for movies ‘Naya Daur’ and ‘Tumsa Nahi Dekha’.

In the late 1960’s Asha changed her singing technique after working with RD Burman as she started singing for the famous bad girls of Bollywood and became the voice of Helen and sang classics like “Piya Tu” and “Yeh Mera Dil”. Asha Bhosle’s association with RD Burman was not just restricted to music as the two tied the knot in 1980. The couple remained married until death did them apart.
For almost a decade Asha cashed on the cabaret wave and was tagged with the stereotype.

Asha then, decided to for an image make-over and delivered the evergreen “Dil Cheez Kya Hai” number for the original ‘Umrao Jaan’. In 1995, despite being in her 60’s, the singer crooned for the sex diva Urmila Matondkar in ‘Rangeela’. In 1999, Asha also sang for ‘Taal’ and her songs topped the charts.
Asha also ventured into restaurant business and has an International food chain called ‘Asha’s’. Asha has also worked with a lot of international bands; In 1997, she sang a love song with ‘Code Red’ and her song was also featured in Nelly Furtado’s “I’, like a Bird”. Asha has also been active in the Indian Pop Music and her album with Adnan Sami “Kabhi To Nazar Milao” has been one of the biggest hits of all times. Age has been no barrier for Asha as her voice has magically remained young forever.

LATA MANGESHKAR

Lataji's first recording was for the Marathi film Kiti Hasal in 1942 but her song never made it in the film. Her next effort was the song Natli Chaitrachi Navalai for the 1942 Marathi film . This would become Lataji's first playback song. Incidently, her first Hindi song Mata Ek Sapoot Ki DuniyaBadal De Tu was for a " Marathi " film Gajabhau, released in 1943.

Her initial inning at acting and singing would bring her little or no recognition but she managed to put bread on the family's table. Dinanath Mangeshkar, her father, owned a theatrical company and was a reputed classical singer, a disciple of the Gwalior school. He gave her singing lessons from around the age of five. She also studiedwith Aman Ali Khan Sahib and later Amanat Khan. Her God-given musical gifts meant that she could master the vocal exercises effortlessly on first pass and from early on she was recognized as being highly gifted musically.

By 1947, as India looked forward to finding its own identity as an Independant nation, Lataji would gift India its voice. Her first Hindi song Pa Lagoon Kar Jori for a " Hindi " film was released. The film, Aap Ki Sewa Mein.
It was after India’s losses in the India-China war in 1962 that a young Lata had sung the song, “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon, Zara Aankh Me Bhar Lo Pani”. The song, written by Kavi Pradeep, moved the then Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to tears and he confessed “Beti toone mujhe rula diya.”It is at this time when the Pakistani Prime Minister said that he would gladly exchange Lata for Kashmir" such is the aura of Lata Mangeshkar. Lata is a legend in her lifetime and undeniably the best singer India has ever produced.

As renowned Classical singer Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan said for lata "Kambakht Galti Se Bhi Kabhi Besura Nahi Gati". Her contribution to making music popular throughout India and the world is incalculable and she has reigned supreme all through the last six decades. Music director Ghulam Haider introduced her Bombay Talkies which was to be her stepping stone to the big time. Over the years, she was won the hearts of millions of music lovers, and according to the Guiness Book of Records, she has rendered more songs than any artiste anywhere in the world, over 30,000 is the book's estimate.

Apart from her film songs, Lata Mangeshkar has personally adapted the works of leading Marathi poets and set them to music for private recordings. She has recorded devotional songs by Sant Tukara, and her recording of the Bhagwat in Sanskrit is recognised as her crowning achievement.Her most famous non-film song is Aye Mere Waton Ke Logo tuned by C. Ramchandra and written by poet Pradeep, it was this song that had brought tears in the eyes of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru..Her first Hindi song(but in a Marathi Film)1943 - Gajabhau (maata ek sapoot ki duniya badal de tu...)Vinayak Rao was happy with Lata's performance and signed her as a staff artiste on a monthly salary of Rs. 60. It was increased to Rs. 350 by the time Vinayak died in 1947.In 1945 the company shifted its headquarters to Bombay. Lata moved out into the big city. It was then Lata met Amanat Ali Khan Bhindibazarwala, a classical scholar who accepted her as a disciple.

In Badi Maa (1945),starring Noorjehan, Lata acted, sang for herself and for younger sister Asha. When Pakistan was created, Amanat Ali left India. Thereafter, she also became the pupil of Ustad Amanat Khan Devaswale. For some time Pandit Tulsidas Sharma, who was a pupil of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali, also trained her.

Late Mangeshkar has never hesitated to help budding music directors by offering to render playbacks for them, and in the past five decades, there must be very few, indeed, who have not benefited from Lata's great talent. She has sung in virtually all Indian languages with equal success. She has also composed music for some films, with the adopted name of Anand Ghar. They were Ram Ram Pahune, Mohityanchi Manjula, Maratha Tituka Melwawa, Sadhi Manse and Tambadi Ati. She acted in Pahili Mangala Gaur, Majhe Baal, Gaja Bhau, Badi Maa, Jeevan Yara, Samudra Mandir. She produced Marathi and Hindi films like Wadal (Marathi), Kanchan (Hindi) and Lekin (Hindi).Books On Lata Mangeshkar:

Phule Vechita by Lata Mangeshkar The book is not an autobiography in the strictest sense of the term; it is a collection of articles penned by Lata since 1952. The editorial effort is by Madhuvanti Sapre and Dinkar Gangal.It is published in Marathi script. One chapter : Suraatle naate - Naatyatle Sur (Relations in Melody - Melody in Relations) in which Lata talks about Asha, her younger sister has been translated by Dr. Veena Nayak. In search of Lata Mangeshkar by Harish Bhimani "When I was barely eight, my father, who was also my guru, had told me, 'Fear only your own self. Ask yourself whether what you are doing is right and if the answer is yrs, then move ahead without a second thought'. I have followed his mantra to this day." - Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar : A biography by Raju Bharatan Lata's aura, her charisma and her persona make for a fascinating life story - a success story without parallel in the annals of popular music. Lata Mangeshkar Gandhar Swaryatra (1945-1989) Edited by Vishwas Nerurkar .