I’m certainly not a person competent enough to judge a singer’s talent by his/her voiceMoreover, it’s highly subjective and purely a matter of personal choice. Anyway, I thought this is a nice place to exchange our views and opinions, so why not write about some gifted artistes whose voices we enjoy?

5)Alka Yagnik
Loved her voice right from the time I heard ’Gazab ka hai din..’ from QSQT. Has quite a sweet voice and is perfeclty suited for romantic numbers, which form the bulk of her repertoire,
Favourite song - ’Ghungat ki aad se..’’ from ’Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’.

4)Asha Bhonsle
I know many people might be shocked at this, but I personally feel Asha Bhonsle’s voice was great only under the batons of O.P.Nayyar (in fact, she sounds divine in some of his melodies) and S.D.Burman. I don’t find here voice particularly pleasing otherwise.
Favourite song - ’Jaiye aap kahan jaayenge...’ from ’Mere Sanam’.
Nevertheless, I’d like to reiterate that this is strictly my personal opinion.

3)Suraiya
I don’t find ’thick’ voices particularly pleasing to the ears. Suraiya’s voice is a notable exception. I find her voice brimming with emotion. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason, but her voice attracts me in a queer way, making me want to listen over and over again.
Favourite song - ’Yeh kaisi ajab dastaan ho rahi hai’ from ’Rustom Sohrab’.

2)Geeta Dutt
The first song of Geeta Dutt I heard was ’mera sundar sapna beet gaya’. I wasn’t particularly impressed(this song was her first hit though) with the voice. ’Tadbeer se bigdi hui taqdeer’ changed my view completely. ’Ae dil mujhe bata de’ and ’waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam’ (I’d say no singer can sing this one as soulfully as her) convinced me of her versatility and greatness. And I need look no further for cabaret numbers, when there are gems like ’Babuji dheere chalna’ and ’Mera naam chin chin choo’ amongst others. What a pity this talented singer’s life was cut short at 40, that too due to alcohol!
Favourite song - ’Ae dil mujhe bata de...’ from ’Bhai Bhai’.

1)Lata Mangeshkar
The sweetest, most exquisite voice I have ever heard. One of the first songs I heard in my life was ’Aayega aanewala’, followed by ’Thandi hawayen’. Enough to convince me who is numero uno. What amazes me is her longevity. Even at 70+, her voice sounds quite sweet(though the heavenly feel is missing - obviously due to old age).Not known as ’The Melody Queen’ for no reason.
Favourite song - ’Aayega Aanewala...’ from ’Mahal’.

I’d have loved to include Chitra in this list, as I find her voice extremely sweet and enchanting(after the incomparable Lata Mangeshkar), but didn’t solely due to the fact that she hasn’t been as prolific in Bollywood as she has been down south.
I’d like to reiterate that this is my personal opinion.Everyone has his/her own choices. I’d love to hear comments from you on my review.