Like many households, everybody at my house in Kerala used to be keen on Hindi songs. So, Lataji used to be a well-recognized voice for me from my early life, although I didn’t know who she used to be. We used to have a choice of albums and data, together with Lataji’s well-known ones that had a few of her well known recordings from London.
My first assembly with Lataji used to be in 1989, when she used to be felicitated on the Madras Telugu Academy after profitable the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. I wasn’t invited, however I had a recording with SPB sir (SP Balasubrahmanyam) that day. He instructed me that he sought after to complete early and go away for the development. I begged him to take me alongside and he agreed. After the development, he presented me to her. She mentioned, “I’ve heard you making a song.” That used to be a trophy for me, essentially the most important popularity.
Later, there used to be a live performance in Mumbai to have fun her seventy fifth birthday in 2004. At the day of the live performance, I used to be very worrying however I controlled to visit her and introduce myself. That day, I sang Rasik balma (Chori Chori, 1956), considered one of her favourites, and Rulake gaya sapna (Jewel Thief, 1967).
On her eightieth birthday, I recorded an album titled Nightingale, and my husband despatched that to Lataji. After a couple of days, she known as me. I used to be shocked to listen to her voice. She instructed me that she had heard the entire songs and he or she liked them.
After the death of my daughter, I used to be closeted at house. This is when I used to be decided on for an award within the identify of Lataji in 2012. When the organisers known as me, I instructed them that I may just no longer attend the development. That very same night, Lataji known as me. She consoled me and insisted that I must no longer be retreating from the sector. She instructed me that I needed to attend the development and obtain the award. I used to be promised that she would additionally come, however she didn’t make it because of non-public causes. That used to be my remaining name with Lataji.
(KS Chithra is a playback singer and Carnatic musician)
(As instructed to Arun Janardhanan)