Mohammed Rafi’s Other Duets
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008This article is written by Mr.H.V.Guru Murthy
Mohammed Rafi Saab has sung more than four hundred duets with Lataji, more than 900 with Ashaji and around 100 duets with Suman Kalyanpur. These three talented Singers with Rafiji made most of these songs hits even though some of the songs were ordinary as for as lyrics or music or picturisation was concerned.
Rafiji has also sung innumerable duets with other well known / lesser known Singers and gave wonderful hummable hits. In fact, he never tried to overshadow any of these lesser known Singers and matched them perfectly. In fact, some of these Singers are known only by their duets with Rafiji. (more…)
(Rafi & Suman Kalyanpur – A Compatible Pair) Rafi Saab’s duets with Suman Kalyanpur have one unique characteristic. Both the singers seem to be completely at ease with each other, for Suman Kalyanpur always knew and accepted that she was singing with a distinctly superior male singer. This was so unlike the Rafi-Lata recordings, wherein the high ego of Lata often used to make the recording room intensely tense! 
After getting overwhelming response and appreciation, the first biography of great music legend Mohammad Rafi “Meri Awaz Suno†has come out with new look and more attractive features. The new edition of the book has more information, more pages and more photographs of Rafi Saheb. 
His image hasn’t faded a bit in the last six decades. It’s the most reproduced photo in the world. Music lovers have fallen in love with his “Godly” voice which has transcended many boundaries. People close to him say, he is the greatest singer “ever” but a greater human being too.
Rafi Sings For Kishore. We will continue the topic of Rafi Saab’s duets with other male singers in the subsequent parts. But, today, let us take up another theme! The one thing that puts die-hard Kishore Kumar fans instantly on the defensive is the fact that MDs had made Rafi Saab sing at least 6 songs for Kishore Kumar’s acting! This is quite a remarkable occurrence considering that Kishore too was an accomplished singer! 
Quite confusing title, considering that Rafiji was a known teetotaler. However, the innumerable Sharabi Songs which Rafiji has sung does not indicate this fact. Without drinking a pint, Rafiji could blabber and drag words like a real Sharabi. Some of the well-known such songs of Rafiji are listed below. 
Name of Rafi Saab is synonymous to the arena of playback singing and so long as there are music lovers in any nook and corner of the world, the name of this legendary singer and a saintly figure, who left for heavenly abode 27 years back in 1980 (31st July, 1980), can not be forgotten. In 1967, he was bestowed upon the Padma Shree by the Government of India in recognition to his contributions to the field of film music. To keep his memories alive, the Government of Maharashtra has named a road in Mumbai as “Padmshree Mohd. Rafi Chowk†also. 
We all know the famous song, “Saranga Teri Yaad Mein†from film:Saranga (1960) sung by Mukesh and composed by Sardar Malik, father of the present day’s leading MD:Anu Malik. But, not many of us are aware that there is also a shorter version (1:04) of this song, “Saranga Teri Yaad Mein†in the same Film:Saranga(1960), sung by Rafi Saab in a somewhat modified tune.