Asha Bhosle, Bollywood's Incomparable Voice, Passes Away
Asha Bhosle, the legendary voice of Bollywood, has died at the age of 90. Her career spanned decades, leaving an indelible mark on Indian cinema and music worldwide.
Asha Bhosle, the iconic Indian singer celebrated as the voice of Bollywood, passed away on Sunday, April 12, in a Mumbai hospital. Her son, Anand Bhosle, confirmed the news, citing multiple organ failure following a cardiac arrest as the cause of death.
Raised in a family steeped in musical tradition, Bhosle commenced her career providing vocals for low-budget films. Her collaborations with O. P. Nayyar led to breakthrough hits, propelling her to international fame as a playback singer. She became the voice behind countless Bollywood compositions, where actors would lip-sync to her recordings on screen. Her unique blend of classical expertise, playful charm, and occasionally daring themes resonated with a broad audience, solidifying her status as a Bollywood icon for decades.
Asha Bhosle
Throughout her illustrious career, Bhosle collaborated with successive generations of film composers, from her future husband R. D. Burman (who composed her classic song “Dum Maro Dum”) to contemporary artists like A. R. Rahman. Her talent also attracted international musicians, including Michael Stipe (with whom she duetted on "The Way You Dream" in 2002), Gorillaz (on “The Shadowy Light” from The Mountain), and the Britpop band Cornershop, who dedicated their hit “Brimful of Asha” to her.
Her musical versatility spanned genres and eras, encompassing North Indian classical music, Hindu devotional songs, folk tunes, pop, and new age compositions. Her extensive catalog includes over 12,000 songs, a remarkable achievement recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2011 (when the count stood at 11,000). Bhosle received two Grammy nominations in the world music categories for her albums with Ali Akbar Khan (Legacy) and Kronos Quartet (You’ve Stolen My Heart—Songs From R.D. Burman’s Bollywood).
Following her collaboration with Gorillaz, which touched upon themes of mortality, Bhosle shared in a statement:
That, in the afterlife, she would “attain moksha (ultimate freedom) wherein I shall become one of the thousands of sounds floating all around us. If you put some of them together, they form a beautiful tune.” On Monday, thousands gathered at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park to pay tribute to Bhosle, with a gun salute and an impromptu rendition of her beloved song “Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar.”
Related Articles
Listen to Asha Bhosle on Foxsoundi. Click here to listen!
Comments (0)
Login to comment