Lata Mangeshkar~ Bismillah Khan awarded Bharat Ratna
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Date:
2001-1-25
Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, who has enthralled audiences for over five decades with her songs, and shehnai wizard Ustad Bismillah Khan were tonight awarded Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian honour.
Lata, who made her debut as a playback singer at the age of 17 and has sung over 30,000 songs, is already a recepient of Padma Bhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke award for her contribution to film and music.
Her first song in 'Aap ki seva mein' went almost unnoticed in 1947 but within two years she was on everyone's lip with her soulful numbers in "Andaaz', Barsaat' and 'Mahal'.
84-year-old Khan, who has already been awarded Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, learnt shehnai under Ali Bux and Ahmed Hussain of Benaras and gave his first public performance at the age of 14 at an all India music conference in Allahabad in 1930 and has not looked back ever since.
A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique announced the awards on the eve of the Republic Day.
Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, who has enthralled audiences for over five decades with her songs, and shehnai wizard Ustad Bismillah Khan were tonight awarded Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian honour.
Her first song in 'Aap ki seva mein' went almost unnoticed in 1947 but within two years she was on everyone's lip with her soulful numbers in "Andaaz', Barsaat' and 'Mahal'.