Kishore Kumar
Born 4 August 1929 ยท Madhya Pradesh
Died 13 October 1987
Recorded over 2,000 songs and popularized yodelling in Indian cinema playback singing.
๐ Add birthday reminderKishore Kumar was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music. Kumar was one of the most popular singers in the Indian subcontinent, notable for his yodelling and ability to sing songs in different voices. He used to sing in different genres but some of his rare compositions, considered classics, were lost in time.
โจ A detail that surprised us
Kishore Kumar sang in as many as 10 Indian languages fluently despite having no formal training in classical music.
1. ๐ค In 1948, Kishore Kumar recorded his first playback song "Marne Ki Duayen Kyon Mangu" for the film Ziddi, marking his entry into Bollywood music under the mentorship of music director Khemchand Prakash.
2. Born Abhas Kumar Ganguly on August 4, 1929, in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, he was the youngest of four siblings in a Bengali Brahmin family, with his elder brother Ashok Kumar already a celebrated actor.
3. Despite acting in 22 films between 1946 and 1955 and often being cast in comic roles, Kishore disliked acting and reportedly went to lengths to be removed from films, focusing instead on his singing career.
4. ๐ฌ In 1961, Kishore Kumar took a bold step by producing, directing, and acting in a film, showcasing his multifaceted talents beyond singing, although his heart remained with music.
5. He sang fluently in over 10 languages, including Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, and Urdu, making his voice a rare linguistic bridge across Indian cinema.
6. ๐ Between 1971 and 1975, Kishore Kumar won four Journalists' Association Awards for Best Male Playback Singer consecutively, for films such as Aradhana and Hare Rama Hare Krishna, highlighting his dominance in that era.
7. During the Emergency period (1975โ1977), he refused to sing for the Indian National Congress rally, leading to a ban on his songs on All India Radio and Doordarshan, a rare political stand by a playback singer.
8. โ What hidden gems among his lost rare compositions might still reveal new facets of his musical genius?
Awards & Honours
- ๐ Padma Bhushan
๐ One thing most people don't know
Kishore Kumar was not formally trained in classical music and did not know any raags, yet he managed to create evergreen melodies spanning various music genres.
๐ผ๏ธ Through the Years
๐ท No photos yet
๐ The Journey
๐๏ธ Discoveries
"Whatโs wrong with making friends with trees?" - Kishore Kumar in a 1985 interview with Pritesh Nandy
โ Kishore Kumar
๐ฅ Speeches & Recordings
Kishore Kumar's Last Interview With Lata Mangeshkar
YouTube๐ Curated Sources
๐ฑ What changed because of them
Kishore Kumar transformed Indian playback singing by introducing a unique yodeling style and emotional versatility that influenced generations of singers. His multilingual proficiency broadened the reach of Hindi film music across Indiaโs diverse linguistic regions. The Madhya Pradesh government commemorates his impact through the annual 'Kishore Kumar Award' established in 1997 to honor contributions to Hindi cinema.
๐ฌ Social Buzz
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