Digital Desk: Lata Mangeshkar, also known as the Nightingale of India, is the first Indian performer to play live at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall.
The iconic singer, who died on Sunday in Mumbai at the age of 92, made her worldwide debut in 1974 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where she played some of her most beloved compositions to a sold-out audience.
This is my first concert outside India. I was quite nervous, but I am grateful for the warm reception," she said in her brief speech in Hindi.
During the show, she talked about singing with her Bollywood contemporaries like Kishore Kumar and Hemant Kumar, as well as performing with top musicians like S.D. Burman and Naushad.
She recounted anecdotes with the audience with a peculiar sense of humour.
Actor Dilip Kumar, whom she referred to as her brother 'Yusuf Bhai,' opened the sold-out show.
Just as the fragrance of a flower has no colour, just as flowing water or the breeze have no boundaries, and just as the rays of the sun have no religious divide, the voice of Lata Mangeshkar is just such a miracle of nature," said Kumar, or Yusuf Khan, in his famous introductory speech in Urdu, before he encouraged the audience to welcome the singer on stage with resounding applause.
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The event, one of the late singer's few with a live orchestra, was held to benefit the Nehru Memorial Fund, which was established to confer fellowships in honour of India's first Prime Minister.
The programme featured some of Mangeshkar's most famous Bollywood songs, including 'Aaja Re Pardesi' from 'Madhumati,' 'Inhin Logon Ne' from 'Pakeezah,' and 'Aayega Aanewala' from 'Mahal.'
More than 133,000 copies of the live show's recording, which was released in two volumes on long-playing records (LPs), were sold.
The Royal Albert Hall is a registered charity in the UK.
"The world's leading figures in music, dance, sport and politics have appeared on our stage since we opened in 1871, and now over 1.7 million people enjoy live experiences here every year, with millions more experiencing our events through broadcasts, recordings and new media channels," according to the website of the Royal Albert Hall.
