Madhya Pradesh Government Announces A Unique Tribute To Lata Mangeshkar; Here's Why It Is Important

A day after the demise of Lata Mangeshkar, the Government of Madhya Pradesh led by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced the coming up of a music academy and a museum dedicated to her in Indore — her birthplace.

Lata Mangeshkar passed away on 6 February. She was 92. Paying a tribute to her, Chouhan said that she was a patriotic artiste and her music inspired the nation, people and politicians with a new energy.

Chouhan was speaking in a tribute to Lata Mangeshkar in Madhya Pradesh. He planted saplings in her memory. He announced that his government has decided to establish an academy in Indore, her birthplace, where students can engage in sur-sadhna and learn music.

He added that a museum will come up in the city where compositions sung by her will be available. He added that the "swaroop" of the museum will be discussed with experts in the field of music.

He further added that a statue of Lata Mangeshkar will also be installed in Indore and a state award will be named after Lata Mangeshkar. The award will be given to artistes on the occasion of her birth anniversary.

This indicates that the MP government is looking at paying a tribute to Lata Mangeshkar via all elements: visual, of continuity through music training-learning and awards in her name, all meant for the public.

The move is of significance as the association of Madhya Pradesh with Lata Mangeshkar will find a futuristic purpose in the music academy and the museum. The aspects of memory and memories surrounding Lata Mangeshkar will find the same space as learning, training and performance in a stream of performing arts that she was known for. Her musical repertoire had roots in the richness of 'natya sangeet' and Hindustani vocal music. These aspects can go back to the element of training at the music academy.

Her father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar passed on the creative strengths of music, theatre-related music, and devotional music to Lata ji and her siblings.

This report mentions: "after the death of her father-Dinanath Mangeshkar, Lata, then a teenager, moved to Mumbai with her family and started singing in Marathi films." Later on, in their life in Maharashtra, Lata Mangeshkar and her siblings explored music through compositions in Marathi, Hindi and other languages.

The coming up of a music academy in Madhya Pradesh — known for being an important seat of the different styles and gharanas in Hindustani music — will probably help in opening up the amalgamation of different voices, styles and talents and eventually contribute towards some improvement in commercial film music.

Going by Chouhan's own announcement and statement, it seems that her musical body of work will be shared with the public at the museum. If the offerings are curated well, this museum might, in turn, help in documenting the musical heritage of Lata Mangeshkar in Madhya Pradesh while sharing it with the public.