By Dr. George Jacob

Kochi, Feb 6, 2022: India woke up on February 6 to a news the nation and her citizens never wanted to hear.

Lata Mangeshkar passed away at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital to Covid-related complications. The 92-year-old singer was fondly called ‘Nightingale of India’ for enthralling people with her mellifluous voice over several decades.

Lata, as she is fondly called, is the second singer of national acclaim, repute and mass endearing to fall to Covid. Earlier, S P Balasubrahmaniam died on September 26, 2020.

Lata’s singing prowess earned her numerous national and international awards and recognitions.

She had sung in 36 Indian languages and a few foreign ones.

The country will miss her. The void she leaves behind is huge. Though the general saying is that ‘nobody is indispensable,’ there are exceptions. She is one of them. There might never be another of her kind. Her songs will linger in our memory with a sense of loss tugging at our hearts.

Paradoxically, it will also be the same songs that will moor her passing solely on the physical plane.

Lataji, as she was called respectfully, will be immortalized by the melodies she sang. Music never dies. Immortality of music carries the singer to immortality on its wings. Each time her songs are broadcast over radio, and telecast on television she will be remembered. Every time another singer reproduces her songs on various stages or musical reality shows of today, she will spring back to life.

Her passing away stops at the physical plane. She will continue to influence us spiritually, emotionally and romantically whenever her songs are replayed, irrespective of the medium. For, such was her musical ability, powered by versatility.

As Lataji’s last rites were performed, grateful Indians lined up the streets and softly said, ‘Thank you for the music, Lataji,’ along with the prayer that she rest in eternal peace.