Veteran playback singer S Janaki, fondly known as the nightingale of South India, passed away at the age of 88. She died at Apollo Hospitals in Mysore after battling age-related ailments. The legendary singer, popularly known as Janaki Amma, turned down India’s third-highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, in 2013, saying the recognition came too late. She also said that her decades-long contribution to Indian music deserves the “Bharat Ratna”, India’s highest civilian award. During his illustrious career, Janaki won 4 National Film Awards and an unprecedented 33 National Film Awards across multiple languages.Janaki began her illustrious playback singing career in 1957 and went on to become one of India’s most famous voices. Over the decades, she forged iconic collaborations with composer Ilaiyaraaja and legendary playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, creating countless timeless songs in multiple Indian languages. Throughout her career, she sang in more than 20 languages, but in recent years she has struggled with health issues.Her immense contribution to Indian music has earned her several prestigious honours, including the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award and Padmasambhava. The University of Mysore also awarded her an honorary doctorate in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of music.Janaki married V Ramaprasad in 1959. After the death of V Ramaprasad, she made Hyderabad her home and spent her later years there.
