Mohammed Rafi draws packed house, 28 years after death
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008Mumbai, May 19 (IANS) article was posted on yahoo news.
Songs by legendary singer Mohammed Rafi drew a packed house here 28 years after his death, and audiences were in for a surprise as an evergreen voice from the yore took the stage again, rekindling memories and melodies of an era gone by. ‘Mujhko apne gale laga lo..‘ and ‘Thahariya hosh me aa loon‘, sung by the forgotten Mubarak Begum wafted across the lush green lawns of the Green Court Club on the city’s outskirts Sunday night. (more…)
Among the many boisterous fast songs sung by Mohd. Rafi Sahab, one song stands out as kingly as any can be. That song is the title song from the film RAAJKUMAR – Jaane Wale Zara Hoshiyar Yahan Ke Hum Hain Raajkumar. The song is picturised on the return of the prince to his kingdom from studies abroad and is so wonderfully picturised that one feels totally immersed in the sequence of events. Shammi Kapoor, the prince is atop a fully bedecked royal elephant, what with an entire band of trumpeteering band and scores of royal guards and aides in attendance. The setting is perfect for a royal entourage – the costumes, the glittering ornaments, the perfect lyrics and the fast paced music. 
It was a CLASSIC rain song sung by Rafi Saheb with beautiful composition by Roshan Saheb on extraordinary lyrics by Sahir Ludhyanvi from the film Barsat Ki Raat with perfect lip harmonization by Bharat Bhushan on whom good numbers of Rafi gems had been picturized and who came to spotlight of stardom with golden voice of Rafi Saheb. The said song was twice in the film, one solo by Rafi Saheb and one duet by RafI-Lata picturised on Bharat Bhushan and Madhubala. There was another classical rain song in the film “Garjat Barsat Sawan Aayo Re†which was sung by Suman Kalyanpur and Kamal Barot. 
MUSIC, Melody and Mohd Rafi begs to be said in the same breath say ardent Mohd Rafi fans who have formed the Rafi Foundation – a platform to bring Rafi lovers of the world together and take forward the unparalled singers ‘great works of art’ to the next generation of music lovers. Mr.Binu Nair, an NRI from Dubai formed the Rafi Foundation a year ago and within a year the unit has spread to many states in India and to cities like New York, London and the Gulf states. 
Mohammed Rafi Sahab has sung plenty of duets with many female Singers, but quantity-wise, duets with Asha and Lata stand out. It is gathered that Rafiji has sung about 903 duets with Asha and about 447 with Lata. The huge difference was perhaps due to Rafi-Lata’s rift for about three years and consequently the higher number of duets of Rafi- Asha during that period. One more reason was the preference of MDs like OPN to have only Rafi and Asha.
Songs in background in films are used to describe a special occasion in a film where either there is turning point in the story or a special message to be conveyed. Among all the singers a classic example would be the legendary composer S D Burman who never gave play back to any actor as a singer. He sang for only special occasions in many classics like Bandhni, Sujata, Guide, etc. All most every singer has contributed incredible songs sung in background. There are few gems contributed by Rafi Sahab as well. 
Mohammed Rafi Saheb had lent his golden voice in the above amusing song for romantic hero Biswajeet in Subodh Mukherjee’s APRIL FOOL (1964) under amazing composition by Shankar-Jaikishan in the lyrics of Hasrat Jaipuri and the song was picturised on Biswajeet and Saira Banu in the plot of April Fool. April Fools’ Day is a notable day celebrated in many countries on 1st April as a day marked by the charge of tricks and other practical jokes of varying cleverness on friends, enemies and neighbors or sending them on fools’ tasks with a aim to make uncomfortable the innocent. The history or origins of April fool’s Day custom are complex and a matter of much debate. It is likely a relic of the once common festivities held on the vernal equinox, which began on the 25th March, old New Year’s Day and ended on the 2nd April. However, the present thinking is that it began around 1582 in France with the reform of the calendar under Charles IX and New Year’s Day was moved from 25th March to 1st April. 
Aisa ghazal woh gaate rahe, aur hum sunte rahe. Truly, there are some songs that make you just stop and force you to pay attention. Ghazals belong to an era long gone by. The intensity and pure mastery required for this ghazals are sadly not present in today’s music. But true ghazal lovers will know that there is so much more than what the film industry has chosen to popularize – this is one medium which can do justice to romance, heart break and anger. 
Recently there were two articles in the web site on romantic songs of Rafiji. Ms. Chandni in the issue of 25th December, 2007 had written about the NISHAAN song “Haye Tabassum Tera†and Ms. Asha on March 5th, 2008 had written about “Ishq Ke Garmiye†from GAZAL, especially for ‘Ishq Karnewalon Ke Liye’. How true, in those days wooing was done with Rafiji’s songs unlike these days with SMS, mobile / telephone, e-mail, etc. Whenever any one fell for some body, if he were bold enough, he would always praise his sweetheart with a romantic song of Rafi Saab in most of the cases and even the lady would have been too glad to be praised with such melodious songs. 
A great man is one who has a great following. Several names of great human beings come up in our mind and the sheer following that they command is a true testimony to their greatness. Hindi film world and music has produced hundreds of such great men and women, who have been or are still household names and the country is proud of them all. And one such tall and towering personality is known by the name MOHAMMED RAFI SAHAB. Such is the aura attached to this great name that his name will rank first and foremost as long as music is discussed by all lovers of Hindi film music.