It’s 6 am, you woke up to your alarm with the faint voice of ‘Mere desh ki dharti’ playing out of some loudspeaker near your building. It’s a regular school day but you’re extra excited today as you’ll get to wear whites, have samosas and jalebis and to top that off you won’t have to carry your books and get to leave the school by 10 am. That’s right! We are describing a school day on national holidays. Nostalgic much? And why shouldn’t you be? Republic Days and Independence days are celebrated with so much enthusiasm with the feeling of patriotism resonating in the form of patriotic songs.

Patriotic songs have always been an integral part of our country’s culture. They evoke feelings of nationalism and pride and remind us of the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters. These songs have been beautifully rendered by some of the most iconic voices in the music industry. This Republic Day, we pay homage to some of these artistes who have left an indelible mark on the patriotic genre.

Lata Mangeshkar is a name that needs no introduction, as her ‘Awaaz’ indeed is her ‘Pehchaan’. Her melodious voice has captured the hearts of millions of Indians for decades. She has lent her voice to several patriotic songs, including Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon, Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo and Vande Mataram. Her rendition of these songs has become synonymous with patriotism, and her voice continues to be an inspiration for many aspiring singers. Lata Mangeshkar is a highly acclaimed Indian playback singer and one of the most prominent and respected figures in Indian music. She began her singing career in the 1940s and has since recorded thousands of songs in multiple languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and Gujarati. She has won numerous awards for her singing, including the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, and the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, two other prestigious civilian awards. She has recorded songs for thousands of Bollywood films and has collaborated with many famous music directors and singers, including S.D. Burman, R.D. Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and A.R. Rahman. She has recorded songs for many legendary actors like Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Amitabh Bachchan, and many more. She holds the record for the most number of Filmfare awards won by a female playback singer with 11 awards. She has also been active in philanthropy and social work, including supporting education for underprivileged children and providing assistance to farmers in Maharashtra. Lata Mangeshkar is considered a national treasure and her contributions to Indian music will always be celebrated and remembered.

Mohammad Rafi is another legendary artist who has left an ineradicable mark on the patriotic genre. His powerful voice and emotive singing style have made him one of the most iconic voices of our country. Some of his most famous patriotic songs include ‘Aye Mere Pyare Watan’, ‘Ab tumhare hawale watan saathiyon’. His songs continue to be popular even today and are considered a benchmark for patriotic songs. He began his singing career in the 1940s and went on to become one of the most popular and successful singers in the country, with a career spanning over three decades. He sang in multiple languages including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali and many more. He has won several awards for his singing, including the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours. He has recorded over 26,000 songs in multiple languages throughout his career, making him one of the most recorded artists in the world. He has collaborated with many famous music directors and singers of his time, including Shankar-Jaikishan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and Madan Mohan, S.D. Burman and many more. He sang for many legendary actors like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Amitabh Bachchan and many more.  He passed away in 1980, but his legacy and influence on Indian music continue to live on.

Mahendra Kapoor is another iconic artist who has contributed a lot to patriotic music. His powerful and emotive singing style has made him one of the most popular singers of his time. Some of his most famous patriotic songs include “Mere Desh Ki Dharti,” “Aye Mere Pyare Watan,” and “Ab Tumhaare Hawale Watan Sathiyo.” His songs continue to be popular even today and are considered a benchmark for patriotic songs. Mahendra Kapoor was an Indian playback singer and one of the most prominent and respected figures in the Indian music industry. He began his singing career in the 1950s and went on to become one of the most popular and successful singers in the country, with a career spanning over four decades. He sang in multiple languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali and many more. He has won several awards for his singing, including the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. He has recorded over 3000 songs in multiple languages throughout his career, making him one of the most recorded artists in India. He has collaborated with many famous music directors and singers of his time, including S.D. Burman, R.D. Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji and many more. He sang for many legendary actors like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Amitabh Bachchan and many more. He was also known for his renditions of Bhajans and Ghazals. He passed away in 2008, but his legacy and influence on Indian music continue to live on.

Kalyan Ji Anand Ji is a music composer duo who have made a name for themselves in the patriotic genre. They have composed some of the most iconic patriotic songs of our times, including “Aye Mere Pyare Watan,” and “Ab Tumhare Hawale Wattan Sathiyo.” Their music continues to be popular even today and is considered a benchmark for patriotic songs. They began their career in the 1950s and went on to compose music for over 200 Bollywood films. They were known for their use of classical and folk music in their compositions, and for incorporating elements of Western music into their work. They have won many awards and accolades throughout their career, including the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. Kalyanji-Anandji was also a pioneer in the use of synthesizers in Indian film music, and they were among the first Indian composers to use this technology in their work. They have trained many famous music directors and singers like Himesh Reshammiya, Anu Malik and Bappi Lahiri

So this Republic Day, enjoy patriotic symphonies created by these legendary artistes and many more on Saregama Carvaan Mini -Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, a special edition Carvaan to imbibe or revive the true essence of patriotism within all of us.