How come Asha was more prolific than Lata?

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Posted: 8 years ago

Lata is widely considered the most popular female playback singer to have been a part of Bollywood, so was surprised to find out that Asha is more prolific than her.

Read the following on Wiki and have previously read that she recorded more songs than Lata:

"In 2006, Asha Bhosle stated that she had sung over 12,000 songs, a figure repeated by several other sources. In 2011, she was officially acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history."

Wasn't Lata singing pretty much every other song in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s? Then how come Asha has recorded more songs? Did she do more work in regional cinema?

Edited by DriftInfinitely - 8 years ago

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Posted: 8 years ago

10 astonishing record-breakers in global music

1. Most recorded artist in music history - Asha Bhosle

India is the country that reads the most and it's also the world's most prolific filmmaking nation, ahead of Nigeria in second place. But what about music? Forget about Paul McCartney, Wiley or Johnny Cash - all of whom have recorded hundreds of songs - if you want to discover the most-productive musicians of all time, you need investigate playback singing (professional singers pre-recording songs for use in film) in South Asian cinema, particularly two sisters: Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.

In 1974, the Guinness Book of Records had older sister Mangeshkar (now 87) down as recording the most songs in history - a staggering 25,000. The figure was contested and the record removed until 2011 when it was credited to Bhosle for recording up to 11,000 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs in over 20 Indian languages since 1947. It's no wonder that Cornershop paid tribute to Bhosle with their appropriately titled Brimful of Asha, the Norman Cook remix of which went to No.1 in 1997.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/3c824721-6f0f-4561-bcbd-d3e56c640eb1

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CherHorowitz

@TotalBetty

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Posted: 8 years ago

Originally posted by: DriftInfinitely
Lata is widely considered the most popular female playback singer to have been a part of Bollywood, so was surprised to find out that Asha is more prolific than her.
Read the following on Wiki and have previously read that she recorded more songs than Lata:
"In 2006, Asha Bhosle stated that she had sung over 12,000 songs, a figure repeated by several other sources. In 2011, she was officially acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history."

Wasn't Lata singing pretty much every other song in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s? Then how come Asha has recorded more songs? Did she do more work in regional cinema?

That's surprising... How did Asha beat Lata by such a big margin? I think she sang more in regional and also released more pop albums

Edited by ---Betty--- - 8 years ago

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CherHorowitz

@TotalBetty

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Posted: 8 years ago

"In 1974, The Guinness Book of Records listed Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artist in the history, stating that she had reportedly recorded "not less than 25,000 solo, duet and chorus backed songs in 20 Indian languages" between 1948 and 1974. The later editions of Guinness Book stated that Lata Mangeshkar had sung no fewer than 30,000 songs between 1948 and 1987.

The entry was discontinued by Guinness editions in 1991 without explanation, while several sources continued to claim that she recorded thousands of songs, with estimates ranging up to figures as large as 50,000.

However, even the earliest Guinness claim of 25,000 songs (between 1948-1974) was disputed and claimed to have been exaggerated by several others, stating that the number of songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar in Hindi films till 1991 was found to be 5025.

Mangeshkar herself has stated that she does not keep a record of the number of songs recorded by her, and that she did not know from where Guinness Book editors got their information.

In 2011, the entry was revived by Guinness crediting the record to Asha Bhosle as the most recorded artist in music history, "for recording up to 11,000 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs and in over 20 Indian languages since 1947".

(Source: Wikipedia)

So What's wrong with Guinness!?!!

Why did they get it wrong in the first place? Aren't they the most trusted source in world records?

In 1991, Lata ji no.of songs tally was 5025 but in 1974 they said it was 25,000 songs?

Somebody gave them wrong info just to get Lata ji's name in the books and they didn't even verify it? Makes you wonder how accurate all the info on that book is 🤪

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Angel-likeDevil

@Angel-likeDevil

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Posted: 8 years ago

Surprising na... when we think about their careers, it seems Lata's was a bigger career as in it feels as if she'd have more songs recorded than Asha.. 😃

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Justmoi

@Justmoi

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Posted: 8 years ago

If I am not mistaken SPB is the current holder of the Guinness Book of Records for the most number of songs.

I know both Lataji and Ashaji sang for Tamil and I am probably going to be battled for saying this 😆, but Ashaji's voice was more versatile and she could change it for a rural song vs a club song while I think Lataji could only sing certain genres. Also her pronunciation of words in Tamil was not very good. Ashaji had superior pronunciation of Tamil while not knowing the language. The only one who has come close to her when it comes to pronunciation while singing in a language she does not know is Shreya Goshal for me.

Ashaji's voice kind of melds into what the kind of song is. I can identify her voice fairly well in Hindi but I did not know for a long time she sang one of my favorite songs ever in Tamil. Lataji is distinctive always, Ashaji can change her voice according to song situation, language IMO. Perhaps that is why she had a bigger career ?

Edited by Justmoi - 8 years ago

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CherHorowitz

@TotalBetty

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Posted: 8 years ago

This is from Wikipedia

"During his last years, Rafi was involved in a controversy over Lata Mangeshkar's entry in the Guinness Book of World Records. In a letter dated 11 June 1977 to the Guinness Book of World Records, Rafi had challenged the claim that Lata Mangeshkar has recorded the maximum number of songs ("not less than 25,000" according to Guinness). After receiving a reply from Guinness, in a letter dated 20 November 1979, he wrote, 'I am disappointed that my request for a reassessment vis-a-vis Ms Mangeshkar's reported world record has gone unheeded.' In an interview to BBC recorded in November 1977, Rafi claimed to have sung 25,000 to 26,000 songs till then.

After Rafi's death, in its 1984 edition, the Guinness Book of World Records gave Lata Mangeshkar's name for the 'Most Recordings' and stated, 'Mohammad Rafi (d 1 August 1980) [sic] claimed to have recorded 28,000 songs in 11 Indian languages between 1944 and April 1980.' According to the available figures, Rafi has sung 4,516 Hindi film songs, 112 non-Hindi film songs, and 328 private (non-film) songs from 1945 to 1980. The Guinness Book entries for Rafi and Lata were removed in 1991. In 2011, Lata's sister Asha Bhosle was given the title.

So Rafi claimed he had recorded the maximum no. of songs, not Lata... In 1977 he wrote a letter to 'The Guinness Book' stating it was 25,000 to 26,000 songs thus beating Lata but was disappointed guinness didn't enter his name

Edited by ---Betty--- - 8 years ago

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BhataktiJawani

@BhataktiJawani

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Posted: 8 years ago

Asha and Lata are sisters right?

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CherHorowitz

@TotalBetty

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Posted: 8 years ago

Originally posted by: ScreamForMe
Asha and Lata are sisters right?

Yes

Lata is the eldest, she has four siblings Asha Bhosle, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar and Meena Mangeshkar.

Edited by ---Betty--- - 8 years ago

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Angel-likeDevil

@Angel-likeDevil

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Posted: 8 years ago

#10

Originally posted by: ---Betty---
This is from Wikipedia

"During his last years, Rafi was involved in a controversy over Lata Mangeshkar's entry in the Guinness Book of World Records. In a letter dated 11 June 1977 to the Guinness Book of World Records, Rafi had challenged the claim that Lata Mangeshkar has recorded the maximum number of songs ("not less than 25,000" according to Guinness). After receiving a reply from Guinness, in a letter dated 20 November 1979, he wrote, 'I am disappointed that my request for a reassessment vis-a-vis Ms Mangeshkar's reported world record has gone unheeded.' In an interview to BBC recorded in November 1977, Rafi claimed to have sung 25,000 to 26,000 songs till then.
After Rafi's death, in its 1984 edition, the Guinness Book of World Records gave Lata Mangeshkar's name for the 'Most Recordings' and stated, 'Mohammad Rafi (d 1 August 1980) [sic] claimed to have recorded 28,000 songs in 11 Indian languages between 1944 and April 1980.' According to the available figures, Rafi has sung 4,516 Hindi film songs, 112 non-Hindi film songs, and 328 private (non-film) songs from 1945 to 1980. The Guinness Book entries for Rafi and Lata were removed in 1991. In 2011, Lata's sister Asha Bhosle was given the title.

So Rafi claimed he had recorded the maximum no. of songs, not Lata... In 1977 he wrote a letter to 'The Guinness Book' stating it was 25,000 to 26,000 songs thus beating Lata but was disappointed guinness didn't enter his name

aww :( poor Rafi ji.

BTW, this topic got me thinking about other singers like Chitra.. I remember that she too recorded many songs :)

Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra, often credited as K. S. Chithra or simply Chithra, is an Indian playback singer from Kerala. Chithra also sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. She has sung in a number of Indian languages as well as Urdu, Latin, Arabic, Sinhalese and English. She has recorded more than 25,000 Songs for various films and albums. She is a recipient of six National Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards South and 34 different state film awards. She has won all the four south Indian state film awards.^[1] She was honored with India's civilian honor Padma Shri^[2] in 2005. Her song "Kannalane/Kehna Hi Kya" from the film Bombay (1995) was included in The Guardian's "1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear" list.^[3] Chithra is referred to as Chinna Kuyil (English: Little Nightingale) or Keralathinte Vanambadi (English: Nightingale of Kerala) or Nightingale of South India