/> Lataji's devotees are in for a rare treat. A 17-year old private recording done specially for a temple has been unearthed by a strange quirk of fate.

Says a source, "It's divine intervention, no less. A devotional recording by Lataji in today's times seems like a miracle. A very old friend and a well-wisher of hers happened to locate a recording of holy shlokas done for a temple. There was just one tape containing that recording. It was rescued and made technically sound. Otherwise think of what Lataji's fans would've lost."

The Nightingale's throat is often said to be connected with divinity. Her devotional albums like Ram Ratan Dhan Payo, Chala Vahi Des and the Bhagavat Gita re perennial sellers. A new devotional album by Lataji and that too with the tracks composed by her immensely gifted brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar, is an experience her fans thought would never recur.

It has now been digitally cleared away of all signs of antiquity. The album entitled Sumiran is all set for an early-May release.

Says a source from HMV, "We want to give this album the marketing spin that would take it to all Lataji's millions of fans. This is a seventeen-year old gem that we've discovered. And Lataji sounds like a goddess rendering the mantras and shlokas."

Among all her recordings, the Nightingale has always been the fondest of her devotionals. And to sing for her brother is always a special challenge for her.

Says Lataji, "By God's grace all my albums with my brother have been perennially popular. My first non-film album with Hridayanath was Mogra Phulela 25 years ago. And that's still selling...It wasn't a conscious decision to not work together for so long.

Nothing materialized for one reason or another. He's a very learned musician. Hridayanath is very particular about the way I sing. And I like that. He makes me sing until I achieve the quality he desires.

Hridayanath always says, 'In a recording room there're only ten people to hear you. Once the song is recorded 10 crore people will hear it. So who loses face? People will say Lata doesn't sing the way she used to.' He's as particular with any singer, whether it's my sister Asha or Usha.

Happily Hridayanath has the knowledge to achieve a high quality in the recording. He not only has a sound base in classical music but also listens to the old songs of my father (Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar) and uses them as a foundation for some of his compositions.

I'm always on tenterhooks singing for him. My album of Meera Bhajans with my brother is my all-time favourite."