Music composer Ilaiyaraaja joined hundreds of thousands in paying tribute to late singer Lata Mangeshkar, who died because of Covid-19 associated issues on Sunday, on the age of 92. In a recorded video message shared on Twitter, the music composer mentioned that her dying is a big loss not only for the music business, however for the entire world.
He wrote in his tweet, “Heartbroken, but blessed to have known her & for having worked with her.. loved this incredible voice & soul… Lataji holds a place in our hearts that is irreplaceable…. That’s how profoundly she has impacted our lives with her voice.”
In his video, he mentioned in Tamil, “In the history of Indian film music, for the last six-seven decades, Lata ji mesmerised the world with her divine voice. I am deeply saddened at her death, which has left a big void in me. I don’t know how I will come out of this. Her demise is going to be a big loss not only for the music industry, but also for the whole world.”
Heartbroken, however blessed to have recognized her & for having labored along with her.. beloved this unbelievable voice & soul… Lataji holds a spot in our hearts that’s irreplaceable…. That’s how profoundly she has impacted our lives along with her voice. pic.twitter.com/HEAWKaUTZs
— Ilaiyaraaja (@ilaiyaraaja) February 6, 2022
He added, “My deepest condolences to her family, Asha ji, Hridhayanath ji, Usha ji…” The late singer has voiced lots of the composer’s songs, together with “Valai Osai Kala Kalavena” within the Kamal Haasan-starrer Sathya. Recalling the story of how Mangeshkar got here to report the track, Ilaiyaraaja had advised The Hindu, “When I played the tune, Kamal Haasan liked it and wanted to use it in the film. But I said it should be rendered only by Lata Mangeshkar and he agreed. She was not fully confident when I sang it for her. But when we played the song after recording, her reaction was inexplicable.”
Ilaiyaraaja additionally shared some classic images of him and Mangeshkar in a second tweet.
Lata Mangeshkar will likely be cremated with full state honours at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Sunday, within the presence of PM Narendra Modi. Known because the Nightingale of India, her profession spanned seven a long time and over 25,000 songs. She has been conferred with India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.
