By SHASHIKA MOORUTH
Lata Mangeshkar Ji is my inspiration and mentor from childhood when I started singing in South Africa. I grew up listening to her songs and trying to sing them best I could, despite Hindi and Urdu not being our spoken language; we lacked the facility for music training in South Africa and didi’s songs were my lessons. But gradually it became apparent to me that there was a ‘calling’ in her voice, that I needed to find in my voice. My desire to visit India and pursue music became stronger and stronger.
Her attitude to the art in all aspects drove me to pursue the same, so I started to learn the language and train in classical music. Gradually I understood what the calling in didi’s voice was……that music is a ‘sadhana’ and entertainment is secondary – if not at all. Didi awakened my soul to music. I began to listen to didi’s songs and sing them even more with the understanding that her every nuances were from the spiritual world.
I lived in Peddar Road as a paying guest for a few years during my music training and once I had the opportunity to visit Prabhu Kunj for some work with Usha ji Mangeshkar. I was sitting in the lounge waiting for Usha ji when a door leading into the lounge opened and out peeped Lataji!
There was no one else in the room just didi and myself and I was too transfixed to say or do anything. I could have spoken or asked for a photo or autograph but that would seem rude and intruding especially as I had not gone there to meet Didi on appointment. I am happy I didn’t as I would have lost the transcendental experience. The experience was one of having a darshan in a mandir. Didi looked about the room probably looking for someone and then saw me.
I put my palms together and she returned the gesture and smiled. For me this was the most divine moment…..no verbal communication, no autograph, no photos, just a simple and divine exchange during which I felt her effulgence and divine music fill my soul. Didi then went back into the room. I often think of that moment; I was meant to have darshan of a goddess in music and Krishna Bhagwan arranged it so.
In 2011 I had the desire to record some of Lataji songs for my own growth and I booked a studio in Mhada only to realise that it was Swarlata Studio that belonged to didi. I had no idea……such is the divine way. It was only during the recording that seeing the beautiful frames of Lataji in the reception that I inquired and learned it was didi’s studio.
Later my own production Krishna the Flute Player was recorded at LM Studio in 2016 and again I felt it a blessing to be around Didi’s energy. There will never be another Lataji,,,I sing didi’s songs for my learning and growth and will continue to work on my singing based on her advice and the example didi set.
(As told to SHRI RAM SHAW…Shashika Mooruth is a globally renowned singer. She is based in South Africa.)