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. 
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. 
What a combination it was, Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhonsle under the direction of O.P.Nayyar, Vintage Music in the fiftees and especially early sixties. Perhaps, OPN had special chemistry with Rafiji and Ashaji and the Singers also gave the maximum melodies under OPN’s baton. Otherwise we would not have got songs which we remember and rejoice even today after more than 30 years. 
Old is gold! So is the music of old Hindi movies. Many a singers’ names are written in golden letters in the history of Hindi music industry, at the same time, many were paid little or no heed at all in this world of fleeting success. But this industry has also created legends and they still rule our hearts with their melodious voice and soothing music. If you just take a peek at the music of the Hindi movies released in between 1940’s and 1970’s, you would notice the golden era of pure music. This music was far from any dilution or influence of western music as it is now, though we cannot really ignore today’s music, the older music is where our heart is still a prisoner. 
‘Usi ne ha lootaa, mazaa zindagi ka, mohabbat me jo ho gaya ho kisika‘. When it comes to the ‘lootaa…‘ part, an engrossed listener would feel as if there is a sudden spurt of intoxication after all the intensely peaceful imbibing that has been going on till then. We know the shift in gears that Rafi Sahib was uniquely capable of doing, yet we wonder how come there is still that bit extra every time he paired up with Shamsher Singh Kapoor, better known as Shammi Kapoor, the icon almost singularly responsible for changing the image of the lead actor to a rebellious lover brimming with confidence and charisma. It’s that era that we are going to focus on today. 
Mere Desh Premiyo ……………