Mumbai, June 1 (IANS) As the last rites of the veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur were held in the city, the music and the film industry largely skipped her farewell.
Only playback singer Suresh Wadkar showed up to pay his final respects to the departed soul, while both the industries largely remained absent. Her last rites were held at the Pawan Hans crematorium on Monday. She is survived by her daughter, Charu.
The singer was given full state honours as her mortal remains were draped in the Indian tri-colour. The singer reportedly passed away on Sunday at her residence in Lokhandwala due to old age.
Suman Kalyanpur was one of the most respected playback singers in Indian cinema, known for her melodious voice and long career spanning several decades. She was born on January 28, 1937, and rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, recording songs in Hindi, Marathi and several other Indian languages.
She worked with leading composers such as Shankar–Jaikishan, O. P. Nayyar and Kalyanji–Anandji. Her duets with Mohammed Rafi became especially popular, producing memorable songs that remain cherished by music lovers.
She saw a meteoric rise after the fallout between the fellow old guards of Indian music, Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi.
Her voice was often noted for its sweetness, clarity and emotional depth. Despite working during the golden era of playback singing alongside legendary contemporaries, she carved out a distinct identity through her versatility and impeccable singing style. She recorded songs in several languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Kannada, and Bengali. She also sang devotional songs, ghazals. Her contributions continue to be celebrated by admirers of classic Indian film music.
–IANS
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