Alka Yagnik Genre: Pop/World/Reggae, Film/Bollywood, India Hometown: India
Alka Yagnik is the daughter of Shubha Yagnik (pronounced Yaaj – nik in
actuality) who is a trained classical singer who could not move ahead
professionally due to a throat problem. They are Gujaratis who were based in
Calcutta, and it was Alka’s mother’s wish that her daughter reach where she
could not. Alka too had a flair for music, and would need a radio to help her
sleep from the age of five or so. Alka thus underwent rigorous music training
from a very early age under a series of teachers. At the age of eight, Alka was
already an All India Radio artiste in Calcutta. She won a Sugam Sangeet
competition in Calcutta at the age of 11.
Alka’s mother brought her to Mumbai to try her luck in films as a child –
singer. Music directors Kalyanji and Anandji did take her under their wing but
advised them to wait till her voice matured and try for a career only as an
adult singer, as Alka was just ten then. On a subsequent visit, she got a letter
of introduction to Raj Kapoor from his Calcutta distributor. Raj heard the girl
and sent her with a letter to Laxmikant. Impressed, Laxmikant gave her two
alternatives – an immediate start as a dubbing artist, or a later break as a
full – fledged singer. The Yagniks settled for the latter.
