In no mood to celebrate, Lataji has quietly launched her music label LM Music with an album of Bhajans devoted to Swami Samarth Of Akkalkot.
The lavish launch party that was planned for 18th November was indefinitely postponed after Balasaheb Thackeray's death.
Interestingly Lataji sings together with her youngest sister Usha after a few years. The 2 sisters sang plenty of hit film songs within the 1950s and 60s like 'Apalam Chaplam' (Azad), 'Kis Kaaran Kamini Sharmaye' (Chandan Ka Palna) and 'Bahe Jaiye Na Rani' (Sabse Bda Rupaiya).
Subsequently, Lataji elected to maintain a discreet distance to permit her youngest sibling to blossom as a solo singer.
Now the eldest born of the Mangeshkar family and the youngest have come together to sing for the primary album on Lataji's own label.
Says Lataji, "IT'S always a pleasure to sing with Usha. She's a great singer in her own right. We've come together again due to the solemnity of the occasion; Swami Samarth is a much-revered saint from Akkalkot."
Mayuresh Pai, a tender talented composer and an enormous fan of Lataji, has composed the Bhajans.
The album at the Nightingale's new label has gone quietly into the market.
Says Lataji, "Our release function needed to be dispose of. 2012 was not an even year for me. We can have a lavish function in January 2013. But we needed to release the Mahamantra album for Swami Samarth. It was a commitment. We needed to deliver within a time-frame."
About the label LM Music, Lataji says shyly, "IT IS A name suggested by everyone within the family. I went together with it. I've no real interest in using my name for anything."
