Yesudas: I Like Mohd Rafi’s voice
Read the complete interview at http://www.chennaionline.com/chennaicitizen/2004/02kjyesudas.asp
South Indian singing sensation, Yesudas in one of his interviews posted on chennaionline.com today declared that:
I have worked with M S Viswanathan, Ilayaraja, Devarajan, Dhakshinamurthy, Baburaj… I like Mohammed Rafi’s voice. I got an opportunity to sing along with him but due to unavoidable circumstances it did not happen. He used to address me as his son, which made me feel proud. I have known Kishore Kumar also.
When singers like Mannada,Mahendra Kappor ji,Yesudas ji
and S P Bala Subramaniam ji say something about Rafi Saab
we should know the position of Rafi Saab.We are looking at
these veterans but they are looking at Rafi Saab.They know
what is a perfect singer and they are seeing the perfection
on Rafi Saab.
I used to watch Yesudas ji’s programmes as he used to say
something about Rafi Saab.In one programme he could not
complete the sentence when he was talking about Rafi Saab.
If they who know what is music are treating Rafi Saab where
we should keep him?
Two great giants in their own right, and of course it doesn’t surprise me that Yesudas had a lot of respect and appreciated Mohd Rafi’s talent. Many an artist over the years have spoken about how for them Mohd Rafi was their favourite singer whether it be Manna Dey, Mahendra Kapoor or Mukesh. At the end of the day when an artist like Mohd Rafi can touch so many hearts with his singing it is hardly surprising that his contemparies are bowled over too. He will always remain the undisputed king of playback singing for me and I can’t voice my outrage enough at the fact that he has deliberately been overlooked time after time for the Bharat Ratna.
Rafi Saab’s last song for Naushad Saab, for which he did not even tke any money, says Naushad Saab, ‘Jis Raat Ke Khwaab Aaye’, was sung in Malayalam by Yesudas – ‘Anuraga Lola Gaathri’.
Naushad Saab wanted to pay tribute to Rafi Saab. So when Naushad Saab was was called to do music in the Malayalam movie “Dhwani”, he wanted to redo the same song in memory of Rafi Saab. Yesudas has done justice and Ali Sardar Jafri’s Urdu lines were brought to life in Malayalam by Yusuf Ali Ketcheri.
One legend has spoken his admiration for another Legend! In fact, in an interview with Kairali TV on the occasion of Vijay Yesudas (Yesudas’s son) being awarded the Best Playback Singer Award (which coincidentally fell on Rafi Saab’s Anniversary), Yesudas is almost in tears as he recounts how he got one opportunity to meet his Idol… Yesudas says that he directly learnt a lot from his own father (who was also a renowned singer in the Theatre and Dramas) and by listening to Rafi Saab’s songs!
The talk is in Malayalam, but anyone can see the admiration and deep love Yesudas has for Rafi Saab! He has also sung a few words from ‘O Duniya Ke Rakhwale’, in the Video, as a Tribute to Rafi Saab
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC5J2OBta7I
In this context i would like to tell my view. Yesudas sir is one of the Greatest singer in the world. but every person is having some one idol, even after the lot of achivements they should respect the seniors like his guru, BMK MBS and Chembai this is shows his humbleness and admit his great qualities perhaps Rafi saab was a genious he was greatest singer in the world like Yesudas there is no lot of difference between Yesu and Rafi both are the different feathers in the same cock,but the time is differ he was in 50s’ 60s’ and 70s’ but Yesu sir is in 60’s 70s’80s’90s’and continued what Rafi saab achived in the beginning yesu sir achived later on both of them INDIAN GIFTS and Bliss of God Yesu das song one who heard and watch in the Malayalam no one can criticise or any other comment why because all old songs like rafisaab s’ hindi one who can understand the Language defenitely he becoming the Fan of yesu totally both of them were born in India we were lucky. just Nirth and simply South.
Thanking you
with warm regards
Datta
Absolutely right. I watched lot of Interview of Dr KJ Yesudas. He mentioned that he is a great fan of Mohammed Rafi from his child hood and Mohammed Rafi is one of his role model and Mohammed Rafi is Yesudas’s favorite singer.
I heard a story that in the film ‘Tansen’, Raveendra Jain composed a classical song ‘shadajne paya’ which was originally made for Mohammed Rafi but Mohammed Rafi suggested Jain to give that classical song to Yesudas.
Also I listened a song sung buy Yesudas, Kishore kumar and Lata Mangeshkar all together.