Bangalore ( AsiaNews / AsiaNews) - All of India is in mourning for the death of legendary Bollywood singer Manna Dey. He died this morning at age 94 after a long illness . He had been hospitalized in Narayana Hrudayalaya , a private clinic in Bangalore ( Karnataka ) , since July for a lung infection . The funeral will be held in the evening at the Hebbal crematory, in the northwest of the city .
Born in 1919 with the name Prabodh Chandra Dey, he became famous as Manna . His career in Bollywood began in 1943 and he has preformed more than 3500 songs. A polyglot, Dey is known for having sung in Hindi, Bengali, Assamese , Marathi , Kannada , Punjabi and Bhojpuri ( some of the languages recognized as official in India , ed.) He received numerous awards and recognitions for his contribution to music.
In recent years, Manna Dey had decided to withdraw to a private life. In 2012 his wife died of cancer. His eldest daughter, Rama, assisted him in his last hours of his life. Sumita , the youngest , lives in the United States .
