Asha Bhosle, the Bollywood singing icon that recorded with Gorillaz and was the inspiration for Cornershop’s ‘Brimful Of Asha’, has died aged 92.
The news was confirmed by her family earlier today (April 12), who said she passed away after being admitted to hospital in Mumbai after suffering from extreme exhaustion and a chest infection.
In a long and storied career, she recorded more than 12,000 songs and was one of the most celebrated Indian singers of all time, becoming synonymous with the role of playback singing – where she would record the tracks that actors would later lip-sync on film.
In addition to a glittering career in Bollywood, where she came to be known as ‘Sadi rani’ (Punjabi for “our queen”), she also became familiar to western audiences through her 1991 collaboration with Boy George, ‘Bow Down Mister’, and her recent appearance on Gorillaz’ album ‘The Mountain’.
She was also the inspiration for Cornershop’s 1997 track ‘Brimful Of Asha’, which was remixed by Fatboy Slim the following year and became a huge Number One hit in the UK. The song celebrated Indian film culture and the playback singers in particular, singling Bhosle out as the quintessential example.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has paid tribute: “Her extraordinary musical journey, spanning decades, enriched our cultural heritage and touched countless hearts across the world,” he said. “She will continue to inspire generations and her songs will forever echo in people’s lives.”
The Indian composer A.R. Rahman, an Oscar-winner for his work on Slumdog Millionaire, also honoured her with an Instagram post that read: “She lives forever with her voice and aura…What an artist.”
Born in Goar, Maharashtra in 1933, she was recording music by the time she was 10 years old, debuting in the film Majha Bal. She became all-powerful in Indian cinema in the ‘50s and ‘60s, performing in a range of genres, from qawwali to pop, and singing with the likes of Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar.
In later life, Bhosle also launched her own restaurant chain, with establishments in Dubai and the UK. She received two Grammy nominations in her career, and was awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke prize in 2000.
