2 min readJul 14, 2026 06:15 AM IST First published on: Jul 14, 2026 at 06:15 AM ISTPlayback singer S Janaki, who died on July 11 in Mysuru at 88, was an artiste whose career spanned successive generations of composers. As musical preferences and styles evolved and technology underwent revolutions, Janaki, lovingly called the “Nightingale of South India”, remained an enduring presence, singing over 40,000 songs in several languages for six decades. From composers like M S Viswanathan and K V Mahadevan to Ilaiyaraaja, Bappi Lahiri and A R Rahman, Janaki adapted to the changes with ease.Growing up in Pallapatla village in Andhra Pradesh, Janaki religiously listened to Lata Mangeshkar’s early songs on the family radio and tried to sing like her. With no formal training, she’d belt them out during intervals of plays organised by her uncle, a theatre artist. During one such performance, she caught the attention of filmmaker B R Panthulu and music director T G Lingappa, who, impressed by her bright soprano voice, invited her to Chennai, where she recorded her first song for the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu (1957). Despite being a Telugu speaker, her songs in Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada featured impeccable pronunciation. She’d study how words were spoken in daily life, understand their meaning and rehearse to align the edges.AdvertisementJanaki won four National Awards among numerous state honours. But she declined the Padma Bhushan, saying the recognition had come too late. The decision drew attention, especially because she demanded a Bharat Ratna, too, overshadowing an otherwise principled stand. For more than six decades, Janaki gave life to the songs she sang, filling many a day and night with their light.