Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
South India’s ‘Lata’ loved bhajans over contemporary film music
will remember and appreciate the manner in which she dropped the ‘se’ in the lines ‘Nit man pyaasa, nit man tarase,’ quickly to move on to the next note.
She went on to sing a few songs for music directors of Hindi cinema, but she loved to sing devotional songs the most. Observing the ease of her singing and preparation, composer and renowned sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar offered her the movie ‘Meera’ in 1979. She sang all the bhajans in the film. All 12 bhajans, including ‘Mere To Giridhar Gopal’, remain popular till date.
Through her career, Vaniji lent her voice to more than 10,000 songs in Indian movies. There was no state in the country that the singer’s voice had not touched. She has recorded songs in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Marwari, Haryanvi,
Bengali, Odiya, English, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, Badaga, Urdu, Sanskrit, Punjabi and Tulu, and more – a total of 19 languages, which is an incredible feat for any singer.
She eventually turned her back on the industry and recorded thousands of devotionals and private albums, apart from travelling across the country and abroad performing in concerts.
She belonged to a family of music lovers and learners, which led her to music since her childhood. Her marital home also supported her music. Her husband, wellknown sitar player Jairam persuaded her to train in classical music. Thereafter, she studied under the tutelage of Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan of the Patiala gharana in 1969. Her rigorous training with him led her to quit a steady job at a bank and pursue music as profession.
Her mother-in-law, Padma Swaminathan, a social activist and Carnatic music singer also supported her passion. Her repertoire is wide-ranging – she has sung nuances of various vocal forms such as Thumri, Ghazal, Classical and Bhajans.
Her voice would take on a distinct tenor with every genre she sang. Known as the ‘Lata’ of the south, Vaniji’s voice will live in our memory forever.