Asha Bhosle

by Ken Hunt
Sister of the most influential voice of India, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle was born September 8, 1933. In April 1942 her father Dinath Mangeshkar died, causing upheaval in the family which moved from Pune to Kolhapur and in turn to Bombay. Around the age of ten she apparently sang her first film song in the Marathi film Majha Bal. Asha Bhosle has since sung in virtually every Indian language, in Russian and Malay, has sung Rabindra Sangeet (the songs of Bengali poet Tagore), has sung with the bhangra group Alaap, the Indian rap act Baba Sehgal and Boy George, the former lead vocalist of the British pop group Culture Club. Cassette compilations and recyclings of her work are numerous.