Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tribute to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar on her birth anniversary. In a post on X, he recalled how her voice carried India’s name across the world.

Modi said he paid humble respects to ‘Lata Didi’, writing that she illuminated the nation’s name through her divine singing talent. He added that her contribution to Indian music would remain memorable for ages to come.

Mangeshkar would have turned 97 today. The singer, known as the Nightingale of India, died in Mumbai in 2022 at the age of 92. From the 1940s onward, her voice defined Hindi cinema while shaping music in Marathi and many other languages.

She recorded songs in more than 36 Indian languages and worked with composers including Naushad, SD Burman, RD Burman, Madan Mohan and AR Rahman. Actress Poonam Dhillon also remembered the singer at a Bollywood melodies event, according to reports.

Why it matters: The tributes mark another year of a legacy that shaped India’s musical memory, from ‘Lag Jaa Gale’ to ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’.