Yaah! Yet another of those topics which are really mind-stirring to the core. The theme-“The Top 5 Female Vocalists”. It is again a very hard task considering the fact that here the contenders are not normal people. They are divas in music. Personally I am nowhere near to judge them but this is just a sincere effort on my part to just point out all those singers whom I personally admire as singers. I just don’t want to stick to Bollywood in particular, I’ll be more general. I know that this list may not be agreed upon by many, but honestly this is only my personal view.
So moving on to the review, the Top 5 female vocalists according to me would be:
1. Lata Mangeshkar
Yes. This undoubtedly would be the first choice of millions. Lata Ji is the undisputed Queen of music. She has achieved such a stature that no one can dream of. She is in the true sense the ‘Musical Splendor’ and there is now doubt why people call her ‘Nightingale’. She has been industry for so long and still composers like A.R.Rahman are able to bring out the best in her even at this age. The song ‘Lukka Chuppi’ from ‘Rang De Basanti’ bears a great testimonial to this fact. She is a cut above the rest.
2. Chitra
She is the singer blessed with a melodious voice. A voice second only to Lata Ji. Chitra has been mainly singing for the South Indian movies but she also has a good stint in Bollywood. There are a lot of Bollywood numbers she has sung. Songs like ‘Kehna Hi Kya’ from ‘Bombay’ are just mesmerizing. They just give you the right feel. She is extremely melodious and really listening to her songs is a pleasure unlimited.
- Asha Bhosle
Asha Ji is another of those divas who have served the Bollywood music arena for so long and still her voice is as fresh as ever. I feel that Asha Ji is very much sound in Hindustani Classical Music. That is evident from the style in which she sings her songs. If Lata Ji is known for her sweetness, Asha Ji is known for the richness in her voice. A naughty voice that can really touch the hearts of most people. Her style of singing is altogether unique. No doubt in that and she is still going on
- Kavita Krishnamurthy Subramanium
Kavita Ji is one of the greatest musical talents in India. I personally feel that she is one such singer who can sing any sing with equal ease, whether be it high or low pitch. She is really very calm and composed while singing that she makes singing look so easy. I feel that Kavita Ji has still not been able to achieve what she is really capable of. The reason God only knows.
5. Alka Yagnik
Alka Yagnik surely a very well known face in the Bollywood arena. She is an extremely talented singer who has won the hearts of millions with her great voice. The only problem I see in Alka Ji is that she is not that choosy about the songs she is singing. There have been many occasions that she has been singing for C-grade Composers who compose only for ‘Paan Shops’ as I call them. She is a great singer and must really abstain from singing substandard songs that degrade her popularity. Whatever the case, she is the lady with a magical voice.
Conclusion:
Apart from all the singers listed there are a lot of singers who have a lot of potential and who are really sweet to listen to. They are extremely talented but they really miss out from the top list just because of minor factors. I would just like to add that apart from the singers mentioned above the other female singers who really have done a great impact on me are: Sadhana Sargam, Shreya Ghosal, Vasundhara Das, Sujata Mohan, Anuradha Sriram, Madhushree(Sujata Bhattacharya) and Soumya Rao.
Music is perceived by every person differently. So a particular song or an artist can be soothing to some irritating to another. It’s just how you feel the intensity of the music. This list is just my personal review. A small attempt to write what I honestly perceive about music.