/> It was an evening that the two Voice Of India (VOI) finalists wouldn't be able to forget in a hurry.

On Monday evening Asia's Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar invited the VOI finalists Harshit Saxena and Ishmeet Singh to her residence in Peddar Road for an informal chat which lasted for nearly an hour....quite a long duration of guest entertainment for the progressively-reclusive Nightingale.

"They're very talented boys, and the reason why I've agreed to be on the finals is because of their enthusiasm and dedication," says the Nightingale who has recently released two non-film albums of Ghazals and Ganpati bhajans composed her protégé Mayuresh Pai.

"It's always good to encourage new talent. I've supported talented composers and singers all my career," says the Nightingale softly.

Lataji is steering away from film songs these days. The scarcity of innovation in film music, she feels, can only be bridged by the influx of new talent that has a knowledge of classical music.

Ishmit and Harshit sang songs by Kishore Kumar, Mohd Rafi and Hemant Kumar selected by the Nightingale.

"We had never imagined Lata Didi would be so friendly! She made us sit close to her and sing her favourite songs. She served us samosas with her own hands, joked, laughed and made us feel comfortable," says Ishmit.

Adds VOI producer Gajendra Singh, "What I couldn't achieve after 18 years in the music business these two boys have done in no time at all. They sat for more than a hour with India's most amazing singer, sang for her, while she regaled them with childlike enthusiasm and vivacity."

Laughs the Nightingale, "We had a gala time.When I got to know that Harshit is a Kishoreda bhakt and Ishmit a bhakt of Rafi Saab I picked my own favourite songs by my male colleagues like Mere naina sawan bhadow, Musafir ho yaaron (Kishore) and Tere mere sapne and Man re to kahe na dheer (Mohd Rafi) for Harshit and Ismeet to sing.

They did a fine job of it. But the real challenge for these talented singers who emerge from these music contests is to sing original songs, not just be good replicas."

Lataji won't only be doing what he calls the "heartbreaking job" of choosing one of the two finalists as the winner at the VOI finals on November 24, she'd also be presenting Ishmit and Harshit with diamond and gold – studded hand-made watches.