Lata Mangeshkar conferred highest French honour

Playback singer Late Mangeshkar is seen with music director Shankar and Mohammed Rafi (right) in a file picture.

The ‘Nightingale of India’, Lata Mangeshkar has been conferred France’s highest civilian award, the Insignia of ‘Officier de la Legion d’Honneur’ (Officer of the Legion of Honour).

The award which has earlier been conferred on Oscar winning Indian director Satyajit Ray as well as megastar Amitabh Bachchan will be bestowed on the 80-year-old singer during an official ceremony in Mumbai hosted by Jerome Bonnafont, Ambassador of France to India, on December 2.

“France has a tradition of supporting artists from all over the world. Bestowing the insignia of Officer of the Legion of Honour on Lata Mangeshkar, is a recognition of her incomparable singing career, and to a personality who has stayed at the top range in her field for over 60 years,” said Jerome Bonnafont, Ambassador of France to India.

The ‘Legion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour) is the highest distinction that can be conferred by the French Republic on a French citizen as well as on a foreigner.

Other famous personalities who have been awarded this honour include Steven Spielberg and actor Gerard Depardieu.

The legendary singer who first broke onto the music scene with

Aayega Aanewaala in

Mahal (1949), is considered the greatest playback singer in Indian cinema having sung more than 30,000 songs in a career spanning six decades.