Rafi Holiday
Written by N R Padmanabhan, President, Rafi Foundation, Hyderabad Chapter.
PROLOGUE : “ …..in July this year, we had thought of making such musical get-togethers with Rafi bhakts from other centres to join us. Instant response from all our members gave us the idea to talk to our friends in Chennai and Bangalore and spend two days in the company of all the known Rafi Bhakts at one central place – calling the meet as RAFI HOLIDAY. Go on a Holiday friends, take a RAFI HOLIDAY “.
Rafi Holiday
A rose is a rose is a rose……….
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet … Shakespeare.
Thus goes the phrase. Yet, when it was presented to each one of us at the Bangalore Railway Station, the inherent statement unfolded in the next two days only.
The seeds germinated from Hyderabad, where some of us were members of the e-groups in Bangalore and thru that interactive with members from Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Oman, Toronto and the USA etc. It was watered by them and finally bloomed in the garden city of Bangalore. We had thought of making such musical get-togethers with Rafi bhakts from other centres to join us. Instant response from all our members gave us the idea to talk to our friends in Chennai and Bangalore and spend two days in the company of all the known Rafi Bhakts at one central place – calling the meet as RAFI HOLIDAY.
One often wonders as to what takes any initiative to its logical conclusion: The idea? The planning? Untiring effort or focus approach of a select few? Or the implementation part? Each is significant individually but attains the momentum and direction only if it combines with all others in a complementing manner.
This Yatra was a bit different in the sense that it called for an interaction amongst people who thought they knew each other without ever having met! We did envisage a role for the hosts who had to undertake the pains of arranging everything. But at the same time, did not want the “guest” tag on ourselves for it would have impeded our sense of belonging to the cause dearest to all of us –
celebrating Rafi Saahab’s legacy. It is in this context that wholehearted participation became the most essential requisite for the success of the Yatra. That we became one during this sojourn is the key takeaway from this exercise. How often do you meet simple/ uncomplicated people espousing the same cause, not with fanfare but as a way of life?
I am not attempting here to prepare a reportage on the music-sessions. The accompanying photographs will give you a sense of camaraderie and revelry prevalent on that day. As amateurs and untrained in music we all have our limitations; but the passion with which we try to overcome these limitations to sing to an appreciative and understanding audience is the real fruit of our effort. That is the way we try to pay homage to the Maestros who gave us such melodious renditions. Music is all-pervasive and soul stirring. The deeper you go into it, it provides you unexplored insights. You do not read or just hear music; it cajoles and stirs your feelings, your abstract senses.
That is precisely what we were all looking forward to when we started with the “Yatra” idea, a confluence of like-minded lovers of retro music who are prepared to go that extra yard to understand each other, informally.
NOVEMBER 14, 2009 (Birth of RAFI HOLIDAY)
It is not always that groups lose their identities so soon. The way the antakshari was initiated through the random draw, ensured that there were no pre-formed groups. And the way individuals made their respective marks, was to be seen to be believed. The quiz too was keenly fought and a very thin line separated the victors from the vanquished.
The post lunch session devoted to singing, brought out the best. As a coherent and vibrant group, we knew so many people from a distance. But their live performances brought each one of us so close that it was real thrill just to be present in that ambience.
Venue:- Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore
Birth of Rafi Holiday - 14th November 2009
Portrait of Rafi Sahab Sketched & Laminated as a gift to Rafi Fans from outside Bangalore by Hemanth Sharma
AND THE VARIOUS MOODS OF RAFI BHAKTS – ANTAKSHRI, QUIZ, HOLIDAYING, LUNCHING, SINGING, celebrating the BIRTH OF RAFI HOLIDAY by cutting the cake, GREETING, DANCING – well almost everything that one can possibly do on a perfect holiday.
Antakshari
Antakshari
Antakshari
Quiz
Quiz
Holidaying
Holidaying
Singing - Radha Chandar
Singing - K.S.Ramachandran
Singing...
Singing - Alka Jain
The Dancing Duo – Krishnamurthy & Snigdha – Cynosure of all eyes
We missed out seeing the documentary of Rafi Sahab, as there simply was no more available time. We had to cut down on some of the songs of our singers too for this very reason. Nevertheless, the moment was celebrated also for the birth of the RAFI HOLIDAY on 14th November by cutting of a large cake, specially ordered, by Rafi Fans from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi. The evening was rung off by singing in rattling unison by everyone the BBR signature tune – BAAR BAAR DEKHO HAZAAR BAAR DEKHO YEH DEKHNE KI CHEEZ HAI HAMARA DILRUBA.
Our friend from New Delhi, Zareef Ahmed who flew in to Bangalore to cover the two day gala affair has uploaded some of the videos of this extraordinary get together of Rafi Bhakts – you can all see the different videos under this link :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In7gl2_4R7s&feature=player_embedded
NOVEMBER 15, 2009
Another day. Another group. But the same excitement. And that is exactly how it turned out to be. We are overwhelmed with the kind of support you afforded us. Let this Yatra continue. To bind us together, to negotiate together obstacles, if any and to make us more understanding towards fellow human beings. I know I am talking to an audience who gives weightage to such sentiments themselves. This realization itself is satisfying. No dearth of entertainment on the second day too. Singers had plenty to present by way of choicest of their songs, as today we did not play the Antakshri or the Quiz. Excellent and hi-tech arrangements were made by these ardent Rafi Bhakts too. Karaoke singing with newer tools (internet, audio CDs, Magic Sing Mike with built-in tunes, etc.). Sumptuous lunch too was arranged so that none had any reason to leave the venue even for a short time. Such was the impact of the get-together. An image is better than a thousand words, so here are some of the captivating photos of the second day too.
Solo Songs or Duets - Rafi Sahab all the way - Day 2
It is one thing to be captivated by an idea but quite another to implement that idea into a realizable dream. Bangalore, you have done that. You have opened newer vistas of possibilities. Each and every one of you has strived very hard to make this occasion so memorable. Thanking one and all appears grossly inadequate and a mere formality; we are overwhelmed and we are at complete loss to present our gratitude in words. Individuals do matter when you organize such events Yet, purposely I am not mentioning names because we feel that individuals will come and go but the “Yatra” would go on for ever.
The stupendous success of RAFI HOLIDAY leads us to believe that we can have such events year after year and at many more centres in the country. Rafi Fans in other cities who get to read these may be interested in organizing such events within their area, so why not start now ? In the coming years we will be visiting you and also inviting you to be with us all. The concept of RAFI HOLIDAY is simple. It will be a congress of all the Rafi Bhakts with the sole intention of enjoying their holiday sinking in the depth of the most melodious of songs of Rafi Sahab. No speeches, no official functions, no garlands. All the Rafi Bhakts are born equal and will remain so. That will be the founding principle on which such an exercise will be undertaken.
The world is a small place these days; it just became that much smaller. It is also said that you can not stop an idea from fructifying whose time has come. It is now for all of us to contribute to this fledgling concept to give it, its wings. We will give possibility a chance.
Shakespeare saahab, aap saraasar ghalat tthe….. Jab aapne a rose is a rose…..kahaa ttha tab Bangalore walon ke josh sey nawaakif tthe aap. Gulab khoobsoorat hota hai….. usme khushboo bhi hoti hai …….aur us khushboo mein poore maahaul ko sugandhit karne ki taakat bhi hoti hai. Agle janam mein Bangalore zaroor aayiyega !
Aadab Rafi.
EPILOGUE : The Rafi Holiday is now here to stay. Friends, each year we have vowed to tke the trip to RAFI HOLIDAY to other centres, to meet other Rafi Bhakts, to expand our horizon and to make lasting bondage. As this new concept unfolded, a staunch Rafi fan remarked that perhaps fans of no other legend would have come up with such a remarkable and unique concept. Well !! We Rafi Bhakts not only do different things, we also do them differently. Do join us therefore, year after year, in celebrating Rafi Sahab.
welcome back mohanfloraji. good to see you come back with a bang and i remember your various posts on the old articles. glad that you liked the concept of ‘rafi holiday’.
padmajaji, thanks for your post. you have been an active member of rafi foundtion hyderabad chapter and next time when we host the ‘rafi holiday’ we all will have many tasks to perform and also enjoy doing them.
madangopalji, i will get in touch with you shortly, my mobile number is with ramakrishna.
a s murty
secretary
rafi foundation,
hyderabad chapter.
Dear Mr AS MURTHYgaru
I was informed that Mr.Ramakrishna has informed you about 27.12.2009 Rafi programme in Hyderabad at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram. My no.9603161605.
Hope to hear from you.
NRP sir!,Thank you for the wonderful post.
I read it over and over, the description of the events on The RAFI HOLIDAY by you was simply excellent. I always appreciate your write -ups, they are very touching and excellent. i am so very lucky and happy to be a member of Rafi foundation Hyderabad and having met wonderful ppl like you and everyone in this foundation.
Though I was not able to atend the Rafi Holiday in bangalore I felt I was there by reading the write ups.Thanks once again and Regards
padmaja
Padmanabhan saab,adaab rafi,, awesome, you guys are great. I was a visitor to this site for quite sometime but professional compulsions overtook and I sort of disappeared even tho I browsed thru occasionally as timepass! Reading thru what you guys are doing and enjoying I feel envious and will try my best to have the next RAFI HOLIDAY. Earlier I used to mail Rafisaab songs, so if any one wants any particular song please mail me at moeflora@gmail.com and I will surely send it or reply. Hats off to you all guys there. Luv you all !
adabrafi jaybhai. i fully agree with your views and hopefully the future will bring more closeness amongst all rafi bhakts. we will have similar exercises in future too.
Thank you NRPji and Murthyji for giving us the minute by minute description of your days in Bangalore. I am sorry I could not be there as I was in Pune. But you made me feel that i was there with your writeup. Hopefully there will be more occasions like this where i can participate. One thing really makes me feel sad though. That not all of us in Bangalore were together for this event. That would have made this lot more enjoyable and memorable. I have great friends both sides. Let us all forget all differences and learn to get along. Music that is supposed to bring us all together should be lot more important. Let us not act like our politicians. Thanks again.
Jay
dearest murtygaru, ( post 33 )
though you have so very beautifully described both the events of 14th and 15th november 2009, you have yet requested me and ravibhai to write the bangalore paricipants which you think you may have missed out.
hence, i am copy pasting below, what i had sent to zareefbhai’s webiste
” http://www.rafi.co.in “, which should cover all the participants of the 15th.
however it would be apleasure to read what ravibhai has to write.
_______________________________________________________________
At the outset, I wish to emphasise, on a fact that my thoughts as they come forth would be expressed here and or no particular order followed with the events as they happened on this memorable day.
Names of rafi bhakts ( our esteemed guests ) may be a bit difficult to remember and mention, hence please excuse.
The time available with us was murderously to little to aquaint, interact and convert it into a great remembrance, however, rafi bhakts as we all were, gelled beautifully from the word go and by the dawn of the evening ( shockingly wound up at 1630 hours – due to the guests train schedule at 1820 hours ).
The time factor was so much playing upon my personal mind that, I for one could not interact with all the people gathered, so much so that after the initial greet of hi hello – there never was another moment we could exchange a word accepting a smile.
Rafi Bhakts are just Rafi Bhakts wherever you go ( simple at heart – lovers of music ) and our dear rafi sahab has taught us in his own way that we should play it simple and be truthful whenever we meet music lovers especially rafi bhakts.
With this short ( self styled ) introduction, I will now try to arrange my jumbled mind to put down some of my impressions of the lovely get together.
As if I was Emperor Ashok, I sprang to the microphone to utter “ A classic example of National Integration “ after the spell binding rendition of the famous song of Shankara Bharanam by none other than “ Ilyaasbhai “ ( rf-hyderabad ). I actually felt it was rafi sahab who has come down and sang this song for us ( being a muslim he gave us some of the best bhajans ) and the next thing that spontaneously came out from me – “ Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavantu “.
Ilyaasbhai made a lasting impression on all of us present and will never forget the way he sang and his sheer selection of the song. It speaks a lot in the present times and the lesser said – impact would be telling.
Iyaasbhai, was an instant hit in our minds just by his personality and mannerisms.
R.Padmanabhan, has a beautiful voice and can really sing very well. With every occasion, he is bound to improve and make people happy as he did on this day.
Mrs & Mr.Chander, make a very good singing couple and do present themselves in a duet as a composite package. Both have a very good voice quality and can sing really well. Their song selections were very good and in a way a good talent from rf-hyd.
Now coming to my dearest friend, NRP bhai, ( invest with padmanabhan ). Another interesting person who speaks chaste hindi with a north ascent and immaculate hold on the English language.
Nrpbhai, really impressed me in particular with his smooth voice, selecting some delectable songs of talat mahmood and hemant kumar Mukherjee. The last one he sang with the computer ( I think hemant song ) was so perfect and extremely well sung, he kept me spell bound.
Nrpbhai, is a huge “ Chupaa Rustom “. A man full of surprises – ( still waters run deep )
Nrpbhai – is there anything you cant do ? – I sincerely doubt it.
He is an asset to rf-hyd and any where he chooses to associate. A hallmark of a successful banker.
I can now safely repeat loudly : investwithpadmanabhan – bravo sahab – tussi great ho – merey liye. I am your fan from bengaluru.
Now coming to my next friend from rf-hyd none other than the Sutradhaar – a man behind the entire rafi holiday in its entirety starting from the embryo stage to its finish
None other than the erstwhile “ Murthygaru “ ( as we fondly address him ). His baritone voice and lithe personality brings him close to how the big b appeared in his early days.
Murthygaru’s voice tonal quality itself is a great plus when he sings and boy does he sing well – an understatement.
I will require to write a few pages to cover murthygaru, hence, at this juncture, I would stop myself to say, you were very much in control of the entire proceedings helping us in your own way for celebrating the day in a nice way. My special thanks to you for bringing rafi bhakts from various places.
Sreenivsan – a sauve – sleek – and a smooth singer – great voice quality – sings with all the emotions – the greatest high point is his “ song selection and his rendition “ makes one very happy contented and applaud sincerely. Rafi bhakts like sreenivassan are an asset considering their age and involvement in retro music – its quite heartening. I took an instant liking to his levels – class and style of singing. Gifted.
Sivaram – and family – really a great contribution by their sheer presence – what an interest even at this age. He is highly talented, has a great control over his voice, his kishore renditions were truly sincere and correct, enjoyable and inspirational. His daughter sang a very soothing song ( humko manki shaktee dena ) which brought me to tears.
Now, I, would be doing a great dis-service to the whole gathering and the event if I do mention the name of a gentleman called “ Jagat Tarkas “ who “ whistles “ his way through to steal our hearts with rafi songs. Try doing it – it will screw the winds out of you. It was a rare privilege to hear him in person. Otherwise normally such performances one has to pay and hear them professionally. An artist really worthy of what he has achieved and truly simple and most unassuming with a large smile.
Yet another great talent.
I may be missing out on many names as my memory may not help me and I am sure ravibhai, sumanbhai and anoopbhai will cover me up on that count.
Now coming to the local talent, madame shailaja, sings like a “pro” and she regaled us with her songs. I personally feel, she should attend all functions, snatch the mike and sing many songs, as permitted. I may sound a bit different, but, I felt we definitely would have wanted to hear more of her – had we had, time on our side. Keep it up madame, you have it in you and will make a great singer for all occassions.
Mahaveer Nahaar and family – a simple, sauve and serene family but a bundle of talent in the father and son duo. Gifted with a natural voice suitable for singing and sing really well.
Mahaveer’s great sense of timing and mere mention of a song made him momentarily loose his “ suddh buddh “ and got into impromptu ( leaving all of us in awe and open mouthed ) – the great song from Chengiz khan was responsible for this.
Mahaveer sahab you were a picture of perfection considering your preparedness and tonal quality. I am given to understand that you sing in all forums and are quite popular – keep it up sir. You can really impress an audience with your presentation style.
Nikhra Deshpati ( sahab I feel – you have some very close connection with rafi sahab )
A one time pro ( as per his own admission – used to sing in his own orchestra – long long back ) – I truly admire his choice of songs. Being a pro long time back is one thing – but – to retain the old charm even now and keep us spell bound is yet another gift of the god.
Nikhra sahab – you are an asset to any musical evening – what with your small but meaningful speeches with anecdotes – advises on singing etc.
It would be apt to say here that many of our guests too required to share the mike for many more songs with their kind talent. Time was the spoil sport on 15th. If we could conclude say by 2000 hours we could do full justice to the entire gathering.
Ravibhai, ( I am his fan ) I know has a good voice, but his song of invocation had me close my eyes an concentrate as it was truly divine. What a nice gesture on his part to select such a lovely song and fitting welcome to all the guests. Ravibhai is a Pandora;s box, probably he himself does not know his capabilities. Ravibhai, please get into some serious singing in every get to gethers – as atleast, I would like to hear you sing, just because of the simplicity of your presentation.
Sumanbhai was very graceful and sang a song for all of us. A doctor by profession but never makes anyone feel his weight in terms magnanimity. Thanks a lot sumanbhai for the momentos you personally arranged for our guests from other cities. Sumanbhai is always found to be quiet, a man of few words ( like nrpbhai-rf hyd ) but a highly resourceful doctor with a zeal to serve the underprivileged. CCK says a lot.
Now coming to our own charming, flamboyant, silky voiced, software engineer ( the chief host, moderator and a singer par excellence ) ANOOP KULKARNI.
Since the venue was his own dwelling and the entire arrangements with regard to seating arrangements, food and beverages and the entire works were his bastion – anoopbhai was weighed down heavily by these works and responsibilities. It was quite visible and unknowingly our guests too would have noticed that he never sat down even for a while, like the way we all did – in a relaxed manner and enjoyed ourselves.
Anoopbhai ( sorry – I could not be of much help to you that day – as you always asked me to relax and enjoy – now nice of you and it shows your good nature ) was all responsible and composed diligently carrying out all required works periodically.
The times he took up the mike and sang – it was sheer magic – and it left me saying – ramesh maangey more. Our guests ( like murtygsru/nrpbhai ) may have heard anoopbhai via midomi or through egroup you-tube etc. but we in bengaluru have the privilege of hearing him in person, whenever we wish to.
Anoopbhai – great show – great turn out – keep it up – play host all the time – especially the choice of venue according to me was the icing on the cake – ask me why – we all sat close to each other hosts and guests freely mixing all the time – and the event – marked off very well – etched in our memories – never to be forgotten – as happy experiences – meeting some fantastic rafi bhakts – highly talented.
We also had the proud company of our own encyclopedia “Gurujee”. A wizard in technical knowledge with regard to music, anecdotes, trivia and a many faceted man, simple and a star attraction in all our musical meets. A must for all musical gatherings as he has the capabilities in making such events a great success. Gurujee too chipped in and helped in transportation of our esteemed guests.
We also had the presence of Mr.Shreeshaa ( a hotel management consultant and a friend of murtygaru since 1977 ) amidst us and was a great help in looking after our guests and their transportation.
A special mention has to be made of Zareef Bhai, ( administrator of http://www.rafi.co.in ) from delhi, who used his personal equipment of handycam and captured the entire event, with a promise to send us all a copy after other formalities of editing etc. He is a bundle of “ quips “, chutkulas, slap stick comedy, one liners and generally regales the gathering with his sheroshayaris.
I felt the events as they unfolded would have been much better, had I not been pushed to the mike and making an a…e, jacking the proceedings. If I have succeeded in making people laugh by being the joke of the day, I am happy.
My wife Padmaja and yours truly were honored to have spent some quality time with truly sincere, simple and serene rafi bhakts on this day the 15th of November 2009.
May we have more such events frequently in all cities of India and even Overseas in time to come. Let this movement become a raging success and our get-together as the premier one.
Wishing all rafi bhakts, all the best, and closing with melodious regards,
Padmaja and Ramesh Kurpad.
______________________________________________________________
ramesh narain kurpad.
adabrafi friends. my two posts at 20 and 26 are the same. Continuing from where I left, the RAFI HOLIDAY presented to us some very interesting Rafi Bhakts. the new generation too has some of the staunch admirers of rafi sahab and we have known a dhaivat shukla (rajkot), a sachin deshpande (hyderabad) who are just of of their teens but amazingly are no less staunch rafi bhakts. then there some more ‘older’ rafi bhakts who were all born much after rafi sahab left this world and some as late as five years after that traumatic year of 1980. one of them is satyendra (Gorakhpur/Bangalore/Hyderabad – as he likes to introduce himself) who is a storehouse on the songs of Rafi Sahab. He would reel off names of movies, lyricists and the mds and more often than not, even the entire lyrics. he is passionate about rafi sahab and spends most of his spare time listening to these wonders in music. he was a find of the RAFI HOLIDAY just as we have known the likes of Gurumurthy, Vinatha, Bina (all from Bangalore) and Sanjay Deshpande, R Padmanabhan (from Hyderabad). Their memory on the songs of Rafi Sahab, and indeed on hfm, is astonishing. The singing was exceptional from many during the RAFI HOLIDAY. K S Ramachandran swept us all off our feets with his mindboggling renditions. He is one singer I look upto for presentation. Raji Hari mesmerized us all with her rendition of a Rafi-ghazal. Simply superb. Surendra, again a new find from Chennai (thanks to Chandanbhai) is a versatile singer. Chandanbhai who normally sings the unreleased MM composition “Kaise Kategi Zindagi Tere Bagair, Tere Bagair” asked Surender to render the same and he excelled in his presentation. Srinivasan Iyer from Chennai too is again a dedicated singer. Friends the reason that I am mentioning these Rafi Bhakts by name is only to inform that such meets present the latent talent amongst us. We do not have to go afar in search of committed and dedicated singers. They are all in our fraternity.
Anoop Kulkarni, himself an adept singer (just like Hemanth Sharma) made all the arrangements at his house on the second day – 15th November 2009. Still in his early thirties I presume, he is a versatile singer who can sing the songs of Rafi Sahab to Sonu Nigam at ease. Close to thirty Rafi Bhakts assembled at his house on the second day and everything was already in place. Other Rafi bhakts who could not be with us on the previous day – Ravishankar Sadashiv, Ramesh Kurpad and Padma Kurpad, Mahaveer Prasad, his son and wife were all too accomodative and were too hospitable for us to feel comfortably at home. Suman Gupta presented a set of 7 CDs of songs of Rafi Sahab to all present on the second day and he is one doctor who also indulges in various social and cultural activities. We could feel that Rafi Sahab is endowed with a fan following who are themselves men and women of high virtues. Zareef Ahmed covered the two days events on his photo camera and video and has been uploading all these on his website and youtube. The activity, though got over on the two days last month, still lingers with the same freshness and this holiday was worth a hundred outings that we have all indulged in all our lives. The Hyderabad Rafi Bhakts – S Chandr and Radha Chandar, the Sivarams (his wife and daughter Shanti), S K Elias, N R Padmanabhan and Swarnalatha Padmanabhan, etc. all gave perfect company to me and were active on all the events that we could relish to the optimum. Others from Hyderabad have been named by me elsewhere and I would request Ramesh Kurpad, Ravishankar and others to fill in more inputs as I may have missed out on some of the names of our friends from Bangalore.
The next RAFI HOLIDAY is slated for November 2010 but already our friends in Hyderabad/Chennai and Bangalore are suggesting that we have it as early as possible. Perhaps in the next edition of the RAFI HOLIDAY we will have Rafi Bhakts from other centres too join us. We will keep all informed on the plans for this as and when finalized through these very columns.
Perhaps we can re-name the RAFI HOLIDAY as the “RAFI DIVAS” to be celebrated across the globe on 14th November every year. How about it, friends. Do come out with your views on this.
A S MURTY
Secretary,
Rafi Foundation,
Hyderabad Chapter.
Madanbhai, thanks for the invitation. some of us will certainly come to your programme. in the meanwhile, we are going to conduct a programme at dhola ri dhani, on 25th december to commemorate rafi saahab’s 85th birthday. Do make it convenient to make it to the programme.
Post 30, this is really surprising but you will be astounded to hear that we have a member who was born 5 after rafi saahab breathed his last and is a virtual storehouse of everything raficentric. rafi saahab was an ageless/ timeless wonder. as elders, it is our bounden duty to see to it that the younger generation is exposed to such quality music and his virtuosity spreads.
Since you are in hyderabad, you may contact me on 9391003195 or mail me at rafinrp@yahoo.com. best regards,
Padmanabhan NR
rafi foundation, hyderabad chapter & baar baar rafi, bangalore.
madangopalji, our mutual friend ramakrishna sabnavis has already informed us about this musical event. please do give your mobile number too. I am sending a mail separately.
i wonder how many of the present generation know his songs. how many would like to hear and sing his songs.are there youngsters in this group? will his memory and songs fade away with us?madan919@yahoo.co.in
can i be a part of this ? we are conducting a rafi songs programme on 27.12.2009 at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram- bagh lingampally,Hyderabad under the Banner Swar Sangam. All of u are welcome to join us in this celebration.- MADAN GOPAL. madan919@yahoo.co.in
Sudarshan bhai, you are absolutely right. music does not recognize distance or boundaries. only thing you need is openness and a penchant to respect others’ viewpoints. it is smooth sailing thereafter.
Abbas sadiq saahab, tahe dil se aap ka bahut bahut shukriya.
Javed Sayyed saahab, aadab. Shukriya, janaab. this being our maiden attempt, even we were overwhelmed with such infective receptivity to a new idea. In future, whenever and wherever we hold such holidays, we will ensure that rafibhakts from allover india and abroad get adequate notice of such an event. let the yatra start from everywhere and converge to a single location.
Santoshji, thanks for your complements. Now that you have given your contact number, i am confident that people from ahmedabad and adjoining areas who frequent this site, will get in touch with you.
Guruji, very well said. the scale as well as intensity of operations would only grow with each passing year.
Narayan saahab, as always you have been a great friend and motivator bubbling with timely ideas. keep it up, bhai. we desperately need people of such uninhibited abilities.
Padmanabhan NR
Santoshbhai ref your post 16. we are very happy that you wish to start similar exercise in ahmedabad too. we too will send you details of rafi bhakts in and around ahmedabad city. narayanan sahab of bangalore too would be of great help. i too have friends in ahmedabad and will convey to you their names and contact numbers. please do give your email id too, your mobile number ks noted by me. my mobile number is 093912 67272 and email id is rafimurty@gmail.com
friends, the rafi bhakts in lucknow city have already met last sunday and formed the rafi foundation, lucknow chapter. hearty congratulations to them all.
adabrafi friends. the topic ‘rafi holiday’ is dear to me, for i have been a part of this project right from its inception. padmanabhan could not have possibly included the names of many rafi bhakts whose contribution for the success of this unique event is matchless. besides the members of rafi foundation, hyderabad chapter, we also thank all the members of rafi foundation chennai chapter, the ever sportive members of baar baar rafi fan club – bangalore and also two of our friends from new delhi. the article would have resembled a “who’s who” if such an attempt at naming all the rafi bhakts would have been resorted to by padmanabhan and the length of the article too would have gone beyond reasonable limits. that was the reason why he could not name anyone in his otherwise superb article.
foremost, i would salute some of the rafi bhakts from bangalore who made all the ground level arrangements. b g raj, president of baar baar rafi fan club (bbr in short), p narayanan (p.r.o), ashok dalmia (secretary), manish jagirdar, mukund pandurangi, bina krishna, asha vijay were leading from the front when it mattered most. bbr took care of everything that was needed.
during my conversations with all the above on several occasions, i could not convey much of what we at hyderabad had visualized. we had a dream and it was longing to be fulfilled. there were several areas that we had to discuss – antakshri, quiz, mike systems, venue, lunch/tea etc., programme content, etc. yet, the atmosphere that had to be created and as visualized by us was something that we could never either fully discuss or convey. we left it at that hoping that we will cross the bridge when we approach the river. but friends, let me surprise you all with the disclosure that whatever was in our minds here in hyderabad, could have possibly been read by our friends in bangalore. it was as if telepathy was at work (we even coined the word rafipathy) as 14th november 2009 unfolded with precision like similarity between our thoughts and actual happenings. we never had any reason to butt in or suggest alternatives. everything that we had wanted was happening. every half hour or so, some of our friends had asked me if all was fine and whether everything as we had visualized was taking shape. and each time, i was found repeating the same words to bg raj, manish, ashok, narayanan – that i was actually seeing our dream come true to the last detail.
we had known all along that we had very good singers amidst us – k s ramachandran (chandan to most of us), asha, alka, radha, etc. almost everyone who had attended the programme was a singer in his/her right and we enjoyed some of the finest renditions. we from hyderabad had not heard some rafi bhakts like m v devraj, raji hari, surender, srinivasan etc. almost all those who presented their songs on 14th november 2009 swept us off our feats. raji hari presented a very absorbing non film ghazal of rafi sahab. while on the topic of a female singing the songs of rafi sahab, the distaff rafi bhakts from bangalore all sang the songs of the legend. besides the best of renditions from almost all, i would like to point out the magnanimity of bbr in restraining their members from singing more and giving the maximum opportunity to rafi bhakts from other centres. so much so, that two very fine singers whom i had heard – manish jagirdar and ananya – did not sing at all. this despite my several requests to manish. this establishes the affection and care that bbr showers on rafi bhakts from yonder. this is highly creditable on their part.
we had seen asha-vijay present some very interesting ‘antakshri’ bits in our egroup for sometime and she excelled once again in her presentations. manish and ashok dalmia assisted her and the hi-tech antakshri was a huge success.
vinatha is a powerhouse of knowledge of hfm and songs of rafi sahab. she prepared a very interesting tough looking quiz, again with the aid of audio/video clips and the laptop. bina took up the mantle to present the quiz and now mukund and manish were at her side assisting her and the various teams. once again a highly successful event for each of us to enjoy and relish for a very long time.
krishnamurthy is already a very famous man in music circles in bangalore. come a peppy number and he immediately would spring on his toes, tip-topping to make the best use of available space for his dancing skills. he is simply majestic to watch and can make one feel part of picturization of a shammi kapoor starrer movie. believe me friends, he is simply amazing and excels in his chosen means of entertainment. but that is not all. he can sing too and he presented a telugu song of rafi sahab, with all the mannerisms intact.
snigdha, the rj in a fm channel in bangalore matched step for step the tripudiation of krishnamurthy. fantastic sigth km and snigdha – this was the toast of the day.
the knowledge-gurus on rafi sahab : the omnipresent gurumurthy (readers would know him for his various in-depth articles on this website), bina, vinatha, km (again), sanjay deshpande, satyendra, r padmanabhan, chandan etc. we can pit these against the best in the country folks – make good use of such experts who are in the rafi fraternity.
friends, i will often write on this subject in this thread. there are many more aspects to the rafi holiday than i have discussed above that need to be narrated. all things considered however, we went to bangalore to meet some of our friends who we had met earlier, many whom we had never met but had known through emails, etc and to listen to their melodious singing. we did all of these and made everlasting friendship for the rest of our lives. that was the biggest gain for us. long live to the rafi fraternity.
A S MURTY
SECRETARY
RAFI FOUNDATION,
Hyderabad Chapter.
NRPji fine article which brought alive the great asssembly of bakts from 4 cities..
The bearded singer is R.G. Shasidhar who is a prof in Agricultural college..
Shiva sir post 1
Fully agree to ur views but we should congratulate Hindu, Deccan Herald, Indian Exp, Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi,Gujarat Samachar, Sakaal,Maharashtra times,Praja vani , Telegraph, Hindusthan Times, Statesman, Dainik Bhaskar, and many newspappers who feature Mohd Rafi sahab regularly and pay rich tributes.
One leading paper does it when they are gently prompted n reminded.
For their ids, for those who are interested please email to my id which is rafinarayan24@gmail.com and will be glad that collectively we can achieve.
Keyboard is mightier than the sword…
with melodious regards,
Narayan
09886779557
NRPji,
You have covered the two days in fair detail and in your own way. I am sure people who attended the program, would recall all those activities while reading the article and people who missed the program would lament for having missed the oppertunity.
I am looking foward to the day when Rafi Bhakts not only from Bangalore, Secunderabad, Chennai and Delhi, but all over India and elsewhere come together and celebrate ‘RAFI HOLIDAY’.
Dear Padmanbhan sir,
I am Santosh from Ahmedabad/
Great Article,I could feel as if I were present in the room as I read your article.I also thank you for the vedio clippings which made me jealous about all those present there.
I request that if any rafi fan from Ahmedabad is reading this article please contact me on 9374813604. I wish we could all get in touch and meet like rafi fans do in Bangalore.So please call me /Also dear all rafi fans from other part of the country if you know any rafifan from Ahmedabad please tell them to call me on 9374813604.I am sure we can also organise such programmes of rafi saab in Ahmedabad.
Hi mohan, thanks. start preparing. who knows the next yatra may find us in toronto, canada! the caveat is that it will have to be an extended holiday!!
Sivaram sir, thanks for the generous appreciation. as you have rightly said music is what has brought us together. let us create a melodious atmosphere wherein only music rules and our individual preferences become sub-servient to a larger cause.
Khaja aliuddin saahab, aadab aur shukriya. is safar ka aaghaaz murty saahab ki peshkash tthi. ham toh bas shuruaat sey hi shaamil bhar ho gaye. aise hi kuchh aur saathi bhi is caravan mein judte gaye aur dekhiye kaafila kitni jaldi bangalore tak pahunch bhi gaya! taajjub hota hai ki itne achhe log kya aaj ke zamaane bhi hain, jo fakat ek pukaar ke intezaar mein hain?!!
Vasudha, thanks for your comments. if it is a programme commemorating rafi saahab, the innate goodness of everyone will come to the fore. it is impossible to like his songs but not like his persona, his simplicity. that is what has seeped into everyone, maybe subconsciously. hence this bonhomie.
padmanabhan nr
Sivaji, this has already started; many from hyderabad, bangalore, chennai have started to write to newspapers/ periodicals to feature a special section on rafi saahab on 24th dec. we will be contacting tv channels also. we can write to letters to the editors column also of regional newspapers.
Devrajji, yes sir. we will all ensure that this yatra offers us to holiday together for many, many years.
Rameshbhai, thanks for your comments. as one who participated with unreserved enthusiasm, it further cements our belief that rafi bhakts anywhere and everywhere are the same well-meaning lot.
Ali saahab, shukriya. Agli baar shirkat keejiye naa!
Maheshbhai, we will give advance notice pan-india, maybe through mohdrafi.com also, of the dates, venue of the next yatra and holiday. Murty saahab has given you the delhi contact no., please contact them.
yes bina. it still echoes in our ears as a dream come true. yes, gratitude is the right word also. because for it to be a grand occasion, everybody’s whole hearted participation was expected. it is still a mystery how unconnected people could gell so beautifully as one cohesive unit!!
Murty, thanks. friends, I had deliberated omitted individual names from the article. but if there is one man who tirelessly worked for fulfilment of this objective, it is a s murty. Tahe dil sey shukriya, murty saahab.
Uttara, connected as we were through e-groups, it was a fascinating experience. we tend to visualize a person through the mails as in almost all cases we do not have a face to associate with. it was, therefore, a very pleasant experience for me to see those individuas in flesh and blood. And believe me, the perception and reality did not vary at all. To what will you attribute this to?
Sanjeevbhai, aap jaise bhakt toh kam hi hote hain. lucknow ke hain na, toh ek vishesh lagaav bhi ta-umr rahega aapsey. aapse ab lagaatar sampark mein rahenge. article chhap jaye toh zaroor forward kariyega. shukriya.
Padmanabhan NR
adabrafi friends. the topic ‘rafi holiday’ is dear to me, for i have been a part of this project right from its inception. padmanabhan could not have possibly included the names of many rafi bhakts whose contribution for the success of this unique event is matchless. besides the members of rafi foundation, hyderabad chapter, we also thank all the members of rafi foundation chennai chapter, the ever sportive members of baar baar rafi fan club – bangalore and also two of our friends from new delhi. the article would have resembled a “who’s who” if such an attempt at naming all the rafi bhakts would have been resorted to by padmanabhan and the length of the article too would have gone beyond reasonable limits. that was the reason why he could not name anyone in his otherwise superb article.
foremost, i would salute some of the rafi bhakts from bangalore who made all the ground level arrangements. b g raj, president of baar baar rafi fan club (bbr in short), p narayanan (p.r.o), ashok dalmia (secretary), manish jagirdar, mukund pandurangi, bina krishna, asha vijay were leading from the front when it mattered most. bbr took care of everything that was needed.
during my conversations with all the above on several occasions, i could not convey much of what we at hyderabad had visualized. we had a dream and it was longing to be fulfilled. there were several areas that we had to discuss – antakshri, quiz, mike systems, venue, lunch/tea etc., programme content, etc. yet, the atmosphere that had to be created and as visualized by us was something that we could never either fully discuss or convey. we left it at that hoping that we will cross the bridge when we approach the river. but friends, let me surprise you all with the disclosure that whatever was in our minds here in hyderabad, could have possibly been read by our friends in bangalore. it was as if telepathy was at work (we even coined the word rafipathy) as 14th november 2009 unfolded with precision like similarity between our thoughts and actual happenings. we never had any reason to butt in or suggest alternatives. everything that we had wanted was happening. every half hour or so, some of our friends had asked me if all was fine and whether everything as we had visualized was taking shape. and each time, i was found repeating the same words to bg raj, manish, ashok, narayanan – that i was actually seeing our dream come true to the last detail.
we had known all along that we had very good singers amidst us – k s ramachandran (chandan to most of us), asha, alka, radha, etc. almost everyone who had attended the programme was a singer in his/her right and we enjoyed some of the finest renditions. we from hyderabad had not heard some rafi bhakts like m v devraj, raji hari, surender, srinivasan etc. almost all those who presented their songs on 14th november 2009 swept us off our feats. raji hari presented a very absorbing non film ghazal of rafi sahab. while on the topic of a female singing the songs of rafi sahab, the distaff rafi bhakts from bangalore all sang the songs of the legend. besides the best of renditions from almost all, i would like to point out the magnanimity of bbr in restraining their members from singing more and giving the maximum opportunity to rafi bhakts from other centres. so much so, that two very fine singers whom i had heard – manish jagirdar and ananya – did not sing at all. this despite my several requests to manish. this establishes the affection and care that bbr showers on rafi bhakts from yonder. this is highly creditable on their part.
we had seen asha-vijay present some very interesting ‘antakshri’ bits in our egroup for sometime and she excelled once again in her presentations. manish and ashok dalmia assisted her and the hi-tech antakshri was a huge success.
vinatha is a powerhouse of knowledge of hfm and songs of rafi sahab. she prepared a very interesting tough looking quiz, again with the aid of audio/video clips and the laptop. bina took up the mantle to present the quiz and now mukund and manish were at her side assisting her and the various teams. once again a highly successful event for each of us to enjoy and relish for a very long time.
krishnamurthy is already a very famous man in music circles in bangalore. come a peppy number and he immediately would spring on his toes, tip-topping to make the best use of available space for his dancing skills. he is simply majestic to watch and can make one feel part of picturization of a shammi kapoor starrer movie. believe me friends, he is simply amazing and excels in his chosen means of entertainment. but that is not all. he can sing too and he presented a telugu song of rafi sahab, with all the mannerisms intact.
snigdha, the rj in a fm channel in bangalore matched step for step the tripudiation of krishnamurthy. fantastic sigth km and snigdha – this was the toast of the day.
the knowledge-gurus on rafi sahab : the omnipresent gurumurthy (readers would know him for his various in-depth articles on this website), bina, vinatha, km (again), sanjay deshpande, satyendra, r padmanabhan, chandan etc. we can pit these against the best in the country folks – make good use of such experts who are in the rafi fraternity.
friends, i will often write on this subject in this thread. there are many more aspects to the rafi holiday than i have discussed above that need to be narrated. all things considered however, we went to bangalore to meet some of our friends who we had met earlier, many whom we had never met but had known through emails, etc and to listen to their melodious singing. we did all of these and made everlasting friendship for the rest of our lives. that was the biggest gain for us. long live to the rafi fraternity.
A S MURTY
SECRETARY
RAFI FOUNDATION,
Hyderabad Chapter.
Siva sahab, can you please give your contact info like email id and mobile number ? some of us have also been thinking on the same lines and some action has already been initiated. my email id is rafimurty@gmail.com and mobile number is 093912 67272, do please get in touch with us. thanks.
sorry folks, this is not related directly to this topic on which i have much more to say and separately i will.
Dear Mr NRP & all rafi fans,
Hearty congrats on org this tremendous emotional event with such success. the idea itself is very laudable & the zeal-exemplary. Such events must be org everywhere, even at regional level/state level. Only one regret-let all rafi fans who are on this site as also whose email/contact #s are avlb should be informed about all such plg & events schls. Let Max rafi fans be known & attempt to benefit.
Once again, a remarkable thought process & congrats for the success!!!
all rafi bhagts,
meri janib se sab ko bohat bohat bohat mubarakbad.
How thirst & hunger of sweet music with soulful voice can make strangers gather together to extract extreme pleasure to remember one’s idol……it is one of its example. It is really heartening see all of Rafi Lovers to enjoy the music. Even the report is such interesting that reader feels as if he is there with all who gathered on the joyous day.
I found it more important because one such gathering got held in Mumbai by Shankar-Jaikishen fans from India and abroad.
Dekhiye Yahaan Bhi Rafi aur SJ ne kamaal kar diya!
Music has such power, Rafi Sahab’s immortal voice instills energy into it.
Regards
http://shankarjaikishankiyaadein.wordpress.com
Dear NRP
Communication from the heart they say,is a true, deep expression of love.You have proved time and again that you are an outstanding writer and a man who can evoke feelings of oneness in hearts that thrive on friendship.Rafi saab is a binding factor-no doubt but that you and your friends were instumental in binding hearts that yearn for Rafi need no mention.Your simplicity and largesse made this event possible.Thanks a lot sir!
vasudha
Janab Padmanabhan Saheb, Congratulations, Great Job,
“Main akela hi chala tha jaanibe manzil magar
Log saath aathe gaye aur kaarwan bantha gaya”
Keep up the good work.
With regards,
Dr. Khaja Aliuddin
Wonderful is the one word comment for elucidating every detail. Comprehensive yet commendable for its presentation as well as its content leaving nothing for others except appreciation. Your articles speaks volumes of our love for the musician. Our inspiration lies in our broad mindedness to accommodate all singers. The greatness of Rafi sahab lies is in his appreciation and encouragement of all his fellow singers. Let us not forget this aspect in our love for this great musician. We would be doing a great disservice to his greatness.
Sivaram
Hi NRP,
You made those opf us who missed the event(s) feel like we were there….thank you for a superb write-up.
Mohan
very nice sir, this article should be publish in news papers.pl arrange these type of holidays in vacations so most of the RAFI fans could participate in it.
I posted an article on RAFI saab to the editors of 3 main news papers of lucknow for publish on 85th b’day of RAFI saab,written by me.see what will happen.
thanks.
sivaji many things for your post no. 1. yes we all should write to various newspapers, magazines, the visual media too so that the 85th birth anniversary of rafi sahab gets its due share in the media circles. friends, you may all also read the various posts, see the photos, videos etc on our sister website http://www.rafi.co.in too on this very topic. also, all the pics are available at this link :
http://picasaweb.google.com/rafiashok/RafiHoliday#
mahesh chandar ji, ref your post no. 5 you may contact zorawar chugani, the secretary of rafi foundation memorial society, new delhi at his mobile number : 098102 24991.
NRP, the thought, the plan, the action… yes, the dream coming true ___ Bangalore was fortunate to host all you Rafi fans.
You have given us a vivid picture of the fans’ joy, passion and togetherness. kabhi ajnabi the…par aaj bangaye dost.
Those of us who couldn’t make to the musical evenings now know how familiar strangers bonded beautifully..all through your fascinating write-up.
Regards
Utthara
Fantastic write-up Padmanabhan on a great event. You have presented the events as they unfolded on those two memorable days very vividly and picturized the excitement once again in your write up.
Adaab Rafi!
NRP: Fond memories of the RAFI HOLIDAY will remain as fresh as your writing in all our minds for years and years to come.
In this descriptive tribute to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi Rafi Bhakts, your article has the essence of gratitude and and the light of hope for all the fans of Rafi Saab ..
NRP, a truly great, descriptive and heartfelt writeup in your very unique and extremely fine way of writing..
Bina
Dear Mr. Padmanabhan,
Hello Sir, I am Mahesh Chander from Delhi. As a great fan of Rafi Sahib, I also want to participate in the programes orgainised by Rafi Foundation. Kindly inform whenever there is any program in Delhi region.
Regards,
Mahesh Chander
Great job sir
dearest nrpbhai,
you took my breath away ( not how it is normally taken away ) with your breath taking commentary.
waah, kyaa oratory, padh key mazaa ayaa aur seekh bhee rahaa hoon, ek acchhey likhney waaley kee khoobiyaan.
nrpbhai, i fully agree with your sentiments and views and rf-hyderabad should be given full points for the seed germination and bangalore for the culmination and we shall definitely go to other cities and countries for indoctrination of the very idea of rafi holiday and with rafi sahab looming large.
this will be more huge than the aussie bush fire only thing is that is destructive and ours is constructive and joyous.
rafi bhakts and music lovers would be reading our escapades from all over the globe and would be frantically waiting for the announcement of the next meet and wanting to enroll their participation.
jai ho jai ho jai ho – rafi sahab – tussi great ho.
ramesh.
NRP: Very well said, an idea whose time has come. Rafi Holiday is now a reality. Here is wishing more power, more enthusiasm, more devotion and more success to all future Rafi Holidays.
Best wishes.
M V Devraj
Congrats to the Hyderabad & Bangalore chapter of Rafi foundation for organising such a nice event. And thanks Mr Padmanabhan for sharing this with us. I suggest why not all of us “bombard” the mainstrean newspapers with articles/letters to the editor on the occassion of the 85th birthday of the Maestro falling on 24th Dec 2009. Every year on 31st July and 24th Dec I find that the mainstream media never writes anything much about the incomparable Rafi sahab. I am thinking of writing a letter to the editors of the major newspapers .Let us give Rafi sahab a fitting birtday gift by remembering him and his evergreen songs.