By Souvik Chatterji

Rafi Sahab with Shankar and Shammi

Rafi had sung 341 songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan during his illustrious career with 216 solos. Very significantly 3 of the filmfare awards that Rafi received during 60s had been composed by Shankar Jaikishan. They included “teri pyari pyari surat ko kiski nazar na lage” from the film Sasural, “baharon phool barsao” from the film Suraj and “dilke jharoke me mujhko bithaker” from the film Brahmchari.

But in the list of songs sung by Rafi and composed by Shankar Jaikishan, at least half of the total sungs were composed for Shammi Kapoor. Shammi Kapoor and Shankar Jaikishan worked together for around 22 films, most of which did great business in the 60s. (more…)

By: H.A.K. Walijah

Mohd Rafi

This write-up is definitely in continuation to the Side-B  of Devotional Rafi, an article written by Mr. Biman Baura on August 2009 in this Rafi Forum.  I would like to continue the topic but in different perspective of Sufi songs which again classified into two sections: a) philosophical; b) qawwali songs. These songs played a very important role in Hindi cinema moving the storyline and displaying the characters various traits in-depth.

Rafi Saab was a genius who appears only once in a lifetime. His mystic voice still enchants all the music lovers and will continue to enchant them forever. Rafi Saab remains immortal through his voice.  I would also like to remind that when Rafi Saab was only 7 years old, ignoring the reprimands of his parents, his elder brother saw Rafi following a sufi saint. That sufi saint was singing some devotional number with his Ektara (an instrument with single string). And Rafi was humming the same number while he followed the saint. And to Rafi’s elder brother’s surprise, Rafi was able to reproduce every note (sur) of the devotional number very accurately. Rafi’s brother recognized the God given talent of Rafi  Saab who possessed extraordinary voice even though he was very young.  Rafi Saab’s  brother recognized the extraordinary musical gift that his brother possessed. (more…)

By J.K. Bhagchandani

Mohd Rafi

The name Mohammed Rafi is synonyms with versatility. This singing wonder has given us masterpiece songs of almost all genres. This write-up is dedicated to the patriotic songs sung by Rafi saab.

The patriotic songs even though considered as one genre, also have different moods, suiting to different situations and conditions that the nation is in. Rafi saab has sung patriotic songs all moods and situations.

‘Watan ki raah mein watan ke naujawan shahid ho……. (Shaheed- old version- Dilip Kumar starrer), Ae watan ae watan humko teri kasam…… (Shaheed- later version- Manoj Kumar starrer) are the great songs conceived to capture the time and moments of freedom movement. Rafi saab has sung Ghulam Mohammed and Prem Dhawan (respectively) composed songs so brilliantly that one gets the first hand account of a true freedom fighter. The ‘josh’, the conviction, the motivation to lay own life for the sake of motherland is craftily incorporated in the songs by the singer. Both songs have a second (and sad) part representing the moments before the execution of the death sentence of a freedom fighter. (more…)

By Hashim Khan

Remembering Madan Mohan with Sanjeev Kohli

To mark music icon Rafi Saab’s, 30th death anniversary, the Rafi Lovers Circle conferred their 6th Mohammed Rafi Award 2010, posthumously, to honour music composer Madan Mohanji, an an event in Kolkata on Sunday, 1st Aug 2010. Madanji’s eldest son, Sanjeev, and only grandson, Akshay, attended the event which was held at the prestigious Satyajit Ray Auditorium, Indian Council of Cultural Relations, in Kolkata.

Rafi Saab, the undisputed music icon and Madanji the legendary composer, created many memorable melodies together ( over 150 solos and duets ) ….many of them will be remembered forever. The event was titled Remembering Madan Mohan with Sanjeev Kohli, and was organized with immense emotion and care to do justice to the statures of Madanji and Rafi Saab. The evening, compered impeccably by Shakeel Ansari, began with a visual tribute to Rafi Saab , including poignant shots of the saddest day in our lives, 31 July 1980, , and then panned to some stunnings footage showing Rafi Sahab live, including him singing a few uncommon songs in his inimitable style. (more…)

By Naveen Zalpuri

Mohd Rafi

Mohd Rafi’s clout as the most sought after male playback singer in the annals of Hindi Film world remains unparalleled. There hasn’t been any other male singer who has as impressive track record at the box office as Rafi Sahib had. Rafi started his career in Hindi film industry in early forties and continued to sing all the way till his swan song in 1980. In the following article I have highlighted the top 30 films of the decades from forties through eighties. The data for decade-wise top 30 earners comes from www.boxofficeindia.com. For the sake for brevity I restrict the discussion to only top 30 grossing films from each decade.

It may be true that the top earning movies may not necessarily have been the best selling music of the time or vice-versa but the purpose of the article is not to consider the musical merit of the movies, it is simply to analyze and highlight Rafi’s contribution to the biggest box office successes across those years. I provide at least one Rafi song against the name of the listed movies that featured his voice. The choice of the song is random whenever there are multiple Rafi songs in a movie. (more…)

By Javid Raza

Mohd Rafi

Personally, I have heard hundreds of singers who try to copy, imitate or even try to absorb this legend’s type of singing. But they are not even close to Rafi Sahab. Because Rafi Sahab had a unique quality. He sang patriotic songs, ghazals, semi classical, classical, qawallis, sad songs, happy songs, devotional songs bhajans etc etc. They all had an outstanding quality. This itself shows that he was Blessed by the Almighty God.

I strongly feel that the faqeer whom Rafi Sahab (as  a child) used to follow him when he used to visit his house on Thursday (Shab-e-Jummah) and try to imitate his singing. That faqeer was not an ordinary man, he was an Angel. He must have given his blessings to Rafi Sahab. His songs are soulful, filled with roohaniyat. He used to regularly offer Namaaz-e-shab along with his regular five times of prayers. He used to fast for 30 days in Ramzaan. When he used to offer Jummah prayers at Bandra mosque, his sherwaani pockets were filled with bundles of 100 rupee bills. (more…)

Written by: H.A.K. Walijah

Mohd Rafi

Rafi saab had sung plenty of meaningful and philosophical songs, “ yeh zindagi ke mele”  is one of the gems out of those multitude of songs.  A song from “Mela” (1948) lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni and music by: Naushad.  The beauty of this song is simply superb. The vocals of Rafi Sahab  projected in this immortal song  is simply adroit and artful. The exuberance and freshness of his voice  is immaculate.

Three giant stalwarts  (Naushad, Shakeel and Rafi) of Hindi Film Music were joined hands together to create this masterpiece.  Well this song belongs to the early period of Rafi Saab’s career as playback singer. The voice looks so fresh and vibrant, the high and low musical scales are beautifully maintained and balanced, the rendition was marvelous & amazing. Even the musical instruments used in this song were kept to minimum.  Almost all of the songs rendered by Rafi Saab had been tremendous meaningful lyrics and profound gravity to human facets. A talented bunch of poets were alive and written most beautiful lyrics what  we termed that period – Golden Era of HFM,  that era had been definitely belonged to Rafi Saab. (more…)

By Binu Nair

Mohd Rafi

On July 31st hundreds of MOHD RAFI lovers and admirers will be arriving at Mumbai’s Juhu Mosque to pay homage to the volcano of talent and powerhouse of amazing versality IMMORTAL MOHD RAFI.

July 31 will never be the same for Mohd Rafi’s innumerable fans the world over. For on this day in 1980 Rafi Saab as he was fondly called, left for ever, succumbing to a massive heart attack at age 55.

Three days earlier, Rafi had recorded his last song for friend Dharmendra : “to kahin aas paas hai dost” from the movie Aas Paas. (more…)

By Achal Rangaswamy

Mohd Rafi

On Rafi Saab’s last death anniversary I mourned the passing away of a legend and the fact that we all miss him terribly. This time I want to say that I don’t miss him at all. Because Rafi Saab is always with us. In each and every moment that we turn on the radio or listen to young singers on reality shows on Television. I also don’t miss Rafi Saab any more because he accompanies me in the form of CDs in my car, my iPod when I travel long distance, and my computer at my workplace. Not just that, I have been blessed to have been seeing him in my dreams for months on end. His ever-smiling face and his soft spoken voice tell me that he will never be forgotten.

I celebrate the fact that we all were born in the same era as the Voice of the Millenium. And the fact that we bask in the glow of Rafi Saab’s great songs and his memorable persona. (more…)

By K.S. Ramachandran

Mohd Rafi

30 years have passed by and we still remember this great singing legend on this fateful day the 31st July, when Rafi Saab bid “Alvidaa” to all of us. Utmost dedication, devotion, sincerity, godliness, spiritual, are, in my opinion, some of the many attributes Rafi Sahab demonstrated in his singing and that too, so naturally! Rafi Sahab, by far, is the only singer who had that original and natural voice.

When Rafi Sahab sings, I honestly see nature in many forms – the smooth flow of a river or a waterfall, gentle swaying of leaves of a tree, the musical sounds of the birds, the blue sky and the gentle drizzling showers and so many other natural happenings that we see every day… (more…)