Asha Bhosle death: The passing of legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle at the age of 92 has triggered an outpouring of tributes from across the music world. Among those remembering her legacy is Nazia Ejaz, the youngest daughter of iconic Pakistani singer Noor Jehan, who shared heartfelt memories of the late artist in an exclusive interaction.
For the unversed, Asha Bhosle died on April 12 at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after suffering multi-organ failure. She had been admitted a day earlier following severe exhaustion and a chest infection. Her family had requested privacy while she was undergoing treatment, but the news of her death quickly spread across the country and beyond.
Nazia Ejaz remembers a legendary voice
Speaking about Asha’s influence, Nazia Ejaz reflected on the era of musical legends who shaped the cultural identity of the Indian subcontinent.
“All I can say is that Asha ji was along with my mother Madam Noor Jahan and Lata ji, Rafi Mohammed Sahab, Mehdi Hasan Sahab, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab, all these people were giants of our preceding generations and we will have to wait for a long time before the likes of them will be heard again,” she said.
She further added, “They have shaped the music and culture of the subcontinent. They’ve influenced and shaped the music and culture of the subcontinent.” Ejaz also recalled that Bhosle shared a warm personal bond with her mother, Noor Jehan, as well as with Lata Mangeshkar.
“Lataji and Ashaji and my mother Madam Noor Jahan were friends. I had the fortune of meeting Ashaji once in Dubai. People like these are rarely born in this world. Voices and arts like these are found once in centuries,” she said.
For decades, Asha Bhosle defined playback singing with her versatile voice. Her collaborations with legendary composer R. D. Burman remain some of the most celebrated in Indian music history. “Nobody can sing the song she sang for R. D. Burman. The lachak and shokhi and expression she would give through those songs, nobody else could,” Ejaz said.
She also shared that she once met the singer when Bhosle invited her and her sister to dine at one of her restaurants. Among her favourite songs by the late legend, Ejaz named classics such as Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko and Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar.
Ejaz recalled the tribute the singer once paid to Noor Jehan after her death. She revealed, “When my mother passed away, Ashaji had said, ‘There will be music in the heaven today’. And I feel the same way about Ashaji as well.”