Legendary playback singer S Janaki passed away at the age of 88. Fondly known as Janaki Amma, she was revered as the ‘Nightingale of South India’ for her immense contribution to Indian music. A stalwart of Indian cinema, Janaki enjoyed a career spanning over six decades and recorded more than 20,000 songs across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi, making her one of the most prolific playback singers in the country. She was best known for timeless tracks such as “Senthoora Poove” (16 Vayathinile), “Sundari Neeyum Sundaran Naanum” (Michael Madana Kama Rajan), “Mounamelanoyi” (Sagara Sangamam), “Om Namaha” (Geethanjali), “Inji Iduppazhagi” (Thevar Magan), along with Hindi hits “Bol Baby Bol Rock ‘n’ Roll” (Meri Jung) and “Yaar Bina Chain Kahan Re” (Saaheb). Her extraordinary versatility and emotive voice earned her four National Film Awards, besides numerous state honours and lifetime achievement accolades.