Lata Mangeshkar, whose voice defined generations across South Asia, died in hospital in Mumbai at the age of 92.
Lata Mangeshkar worked with nearly all of India's legendary music directors over a career that spanned more than 70 years
Singer Lata Mangeshkar, one of India's biggest cultural icons and who has defined music and melody for generations in South Asia, has died at the age of 92, her doctor said.
Mangeshkar was admitted to the hospital on January 11 after contracting COVID-19 and died of "multi-organ failure" at Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital on Sunday, according to Dr Pratat Samdani.
Along with her younger sister Asha Bhosle - a superstar in her own right - "Nightingale" Mangeshkar dominated Bollywood music for over half a century and is considered by many to be the greatest playback singer of the Indian film industry.
Born on 28 September 1929 in Maharashtra, Mangeshkar first sang in religious ceremonies with her father Dinanath, who was also a trained singer.
In 1942, at the age of 13, he recorded his first song for a Bollywood film. Lata Mangeshkar Interactive
After relocating to Mumbai, the film capital of India, she became a star with immense popular appeal, enchanting audiences for decades to come with her effortless, loud voice and immortal Hindi music.
'gift from God'
Mangeshkar sang over 5,000 songs in over 1,000 Bollywood and regional language films, apart from recording devotional and classical albums. His music contained approximately 27,000 songs in dozens of languages, including English, Russian, Dutch and Swahili.
"My voice is a gift from God," she once told an interviewer.
"When I sang a lullaby, I became a mother, when it was a romantic song, I was a lover."
His songs, which were always full of emotion, were often sad and mostly dealt with unrequited love, but others sang songs of national pride.
She sang for early Bollywood superstars like Madhubala and Meena Kumari and later gave voice to modern divas of the industry like Priyanka Chopra.
Over the span of his career, Mangeshkar worked with almost all the great music directors of India, including Madan Mohan, Naushad, SD Burman, RD Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and AR Rahman, who sold millions of records.
He also won dozens of singing awards, earning him almost saint status in the Bollywood music industry.
Anirudh Bhattacharjee, a Kolkata-based writer, said the defining factor as to why Mangeshkar attracted millions of people was "his impeccable voice".
"It was beyond definition," he told Al Jazeera. "The emotions she could incorporate into her songs came very naturally... She didn't have to work hard—it was a kind of effortless, evergreen singing."
"Another aspect is that whatever he sang can be compared to the divine," he said. "There has never been anyone like him and I don't think there will be anyone like him in the future."
Indian Bollywood playback singer Lata Mangeshkar during the 72nd Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Awards in Mumbai on April 24, 2014
Longevity, Rewards, and Odds
Mangeshkar didn't shy away from taking a stand when it came to raising her fees or asking for a share of the royalties earned on her songs.
His longevity and discipline saw him lend his voice to teenage actresses who were 50 years younger than him.
Critics complained that his dominance left little room for new singers to flourish, but his audience remained loyal, ensuring that his songs ruled the charts.
She was also known for her quirks, such as never singing with her shoes on and always writing each song by hand before recording it.
In 2001, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna. India's highest civilian honour. The French government awarded him its highest civilian award, the Officier de la Légion d'honneur in 2007.
India's home ministry said there would be a state funeral for Mangeshkar and the government would observe state mourning with a flag at half-staff till Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described his death as "a void in our country that cannot be filled".
"Generations to come will remember him as a stalwart of Indian culture who had the unparalleled ability to mesmerize people with his melodious voice," he said in a tweet.
Mangeshkar never married. She is survived by her four siblings, all accomplished singers and musicians.