During her eight-decade long career, Bhosle has not only established herself as a musical giant but also as a versatile artiste. Yet, she believes that her "connection with music has grown stronger" with age. "I no longer just sing a tune, I feel the notes surging through my veins. It’s almost like I see the music. It’s difficult to explain. One has to feel it to understand it," says the 1933-born singer, who is the daughter of vocalist late Deenanath Mangeshkar.
Asha Bhosle turns ninety. She’s sung since 1942 as a little girl and has witnessed first-hand essentially the entire lifespan of the Hindi movie industry to date.
I’d love for someone to interview Asha over the next year for an extensive oral history of the industry, at least its music. Few from that era around today – Anandji, Laxmikant, Gulzar and Asha’s brother Hridaynath being a tiny handful.