MUMBAI: Renowned Hindustani vocalist Lalita Shivaram Ubhayaker passed away yesterday at her Palace Road residence in Bangalore.

Aged 84, Ubhayaker was the first Hindustani classical female vocalist to perform in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden and Italy. She spent her life as a patron of the arts, social activist and philanthropist.

In a musical career that lasted around 70 years, the legend held sway over the connoisseurs of the music with her unique voice and renditions. She was also a recipient of several awards, including a citation by the Karnataka Ganakala Parishad for her contribution to music (1990), the Rajyotsava Award (1992) and the Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Academy Award.

Ubhayaker rose to illustrious heights in her career. Her first concert was in 1950, through the Bangalore Sangeetha Sabha and she went on to perform in many more including the Tansen Festival (Kolkata), Gandharva Vidyalaya National Musical Conference (Hyderabad), the national programmes of All India Radio and more.