Nearly 49 years after the legendary Lata Mangeshkar graced the Royal Albert Hall in London with a rare live concert, her iconic songs resounded once more in a special tribute event, titled 'Lata Mangeshkar: Bollywood Legend', as part of the BBC's annual summer Proms season.
The Prom 18, held on Friday night, featured many renditions from the late playback singer's 1974 live concert, including classics like 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon' and 'Aaega Aane Wala' from the film 'Mahal,' accompanied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO).
Singer Palak Muchhal, known for her philanthropy and extensive playback singing, opened the show with the title track from the film 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram,' followed by melodies from Bollywood classics like 'Mughal-e-Azam' and 'Kabhi Kabhie,' to more contemporary hits from 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge,' 'Mohabbatein,' and 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.'
The BBC Proms acknowledged the extraordinary impact of Lata Mangeshkar's career, spanning nearly seven decades with around 50,000 songs in 36 different languages. Her exquisite voice earned her the revered title of 'The Nightingale of India.'
The concert featured a diverse selection of songs, presenting several medleys that represented over half a century of Indian music. Dancers from the Bollywood Co. London added to the spectacle, performing dance sequences inspired by the cinematic originals.
The CBSO artists, led by musicians Tim Pottier, Saurabh Shivakumar, Nathen Durasamy, and Michael Seal, brilliantly arranged the songs for the live orchestra, combining violins, cellos, clarinets, and traditional Indian instruments like tabla, dholak, and dhol. The audience, comprising thousands of enthusiastic fans, sang and danced along, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
First Bollywood celebration in over a decade
This event marked the first Bollywood celebration in over a decade at the annual Proms, also known as the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, which run for eight weeks and are broadcast live by the BBC.
David Pickard, Director of BBC Proms, highlighted the Proms' commitment to celebrating diverse genres and artists from around the world. In addition to the tribute to Lata Mangeshkar, this year's Proms featured Portuguese fado and Northern Soul for the first time.
Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away at the age of 92 in February of the previous year, was accorded a state funeral in Mumbai, leaving behind a timeless legacy in the world of Indian music.
Asian Voice heard from community members who watched the show on iPlayer or attend it in person at the Royal Albert Hall.
Deeply disappointed by a wasted opportunity
Psychiatrist Dr JS Bamra told Asian Voice, “I was deeply disappointed in BBC Proms choosing Palak Munchal to pay tribute to the iconic and revered Lataji last weekend. It was frankly embarrassing from the moment she started singing Satyam Shivam Sundaram, and it didn’t get any better so I switched the TV off.
It really was such a wasted opportunity because there is so much talent in India’s singers which could’ve been showcased. A good choice would’ve been either Shreya Ghoshal or Alka Yagnik, or better still, this would have been a fantastic opportunity for some of those talented singers from Indian Idol or India’s Got Talent to be given a chance to perform at the historic Royal Albert Hall. This is really not the best way to spend our licence fee. The BBC must make amends with a re-run which will meet the approval of the millions of Lataji’s fans all over the world.”
The orchestra and singer’s voices were mismatched
Molay Bhadra told the newsweekly, “I somehow heard about this program & couldn't get hold of a ticket. I asked around & was told to please watch it on BBC & concentrate on the Birmingham Symphony by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). After watching the programme I realised why. From the very beginning things were not right. The orchestra & the singers' voices were completely out of the world and a complete mismatch and initially I blamed it on my TV. With due respect to BBC, they didn't realise how to immerse the Hindi songs into a symphony orchestra. On top, the singer Palash Muchhal is not a singer for such occasions. With due respect to the organizers, the female singer and her brother killed some of the very well-known Lataji songs. I couldn't sleep & was about to cry. There are hundreds of singers in London who could sing those songs much better than them, so why this team of singers? I think there is a scam behind this. I think BBC has to choose such out-of-sync singers to make the CBSO sound better & I agree. At some point, I was just listening to the orchestra music and ignoring the vocal. I know BBC don't listen to or understand such matters but I think for such a situation our late R D(Panchamda) was very much needed there to make the program a little more audible and presentable. Watching this prom you won't have a clue why earning Lataji received the endearing title of 'The Nightingale of India happened. Not at all. The program killed it all.”
