Bappi Lahiri and Lata Mangeshkar: Indian music industry loses two of its legends in less than two weeks. Bappi Lahiri, the renowned Bollywood music composer, passed away today from a sleep-associated disorder. Famous Bengali singer Sandhya Mukherjee also breathed her last yesterday. These two deaths come close after the demise of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. Their sudden death has created a void in the music industry and in the hearts of music lovers. The demise of these legendary singers, truly among Indian music legends, is being termed as ‘End of an Era.’ However, the magnificent work done by them and the music that they have created would live forever!
Lata Mangeshkar:
Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential Indian music legends. Her contribution to the Indian music industry in a career spanning seven decades gained her honorific titles such as the “Queen of Melody”, “Nightingale of India”, and “Voice of the Millennium”.
Lata Mangeshkar recorded songs in over thirty-six Indian languages and a few foreign languages. Primarily, she sang in Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi. She also sang in English, Russian, Dutch, and even Swahili. She received several accolades and honors throughout her career. In 1989, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was bestowed on her by the Government of India. In 2001, in recognition of her contributions to the nation, she was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor. She is only the second female singer, after M. S. Subbulakshmi, to receive this honor.
France conferred on her its highest civilian award, Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, in 2007.
She was the recipient of three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and many more.
In 1974, she was one of the first Indian playback singers to ever perform at Royal Albert Hall in London, UK. Her last recorded song was “Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti ki” released on 30 March 2019 as a tribute to the Indian army and Nation.
At one point, she appeared in the Guinness World Records. This listed her as the most recorded artist in history between 1948 and 1987. This solidified her status as one of the Indian music legends.
Bappi Lahiri:
Alokesh Lahiri (27 November 1952 – 15 February 2022), popularly known as Bappi Lahiri, was an Indian singer, composer, politician, and record producer. The singer popularized the use of synthesized disco music in Indian cinema. He had delivered major box office successes in Bengali films. He was popular in the 1980s and 1990s with filmi soundtracks such as Wardat, Disco Dancer, Namak Halaal, and many more. His contributions have cemented his place among Indian music legends.
Bappi Lahiri wrote most of his songs for discotheques and dance numbers. However, he also composed several melodious tracks in movies like Chalte Chalte and Zakhmee. He joined the BJP in 2014. He contested the 2014 Indian general election as a BJP candidate from the Sreerampur (Lok Sabha constituency) in West Bengal, but he lost the election.
In addition to his popular disco-electronic music, Bappi Lahiri stood out for his signature sartorial style. This style featured gold chains, golden embellishments, velvety cardigans, and sunglasses. The Filmfare Awards honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 63rd Filmfare Awards. This solidified his legacy as one of the legends of Indian music.
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