24th Dec – A PERSONAL Tribute
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007This article is written by Mr. Mohammed Taj
My first memories of this golden and velvety voice coming to focus was around the age of 7 or 8. My uncle used to have an early version of what later would be termed the music centre. It was basically a Radio with a small Cabinet on the side that housed the record player. He had mostly the Short play records (SP) with Angel Label on them. These SP’s contained normally shortened version of the original songs so they would fit on the SP’s. I never asked him if he was Fan years later as he moved and we sort of lost touch but I guess he must have been as his record collection featured nearly all of the films where Rafi saab was prominant. Dosti, Neel Kamal, Susaral, Suraj and Arzoo. (more…)
I am sure that, you are the ardent fan of RAFI SAAB, because you are spending your valuable time on these lines right now. Yes, you must be a Rafiaan. I salute Rafi Saab and then to all of you , who love him so much. Needless to mention that, I am too an ardent fan of Rafi SAAB.
Rafi Saab has sung innumerable songs for top actors as well as other side actors, back-ground songs, etc. Rafiji also excelled in singing hit songs for Comedians. In fact, of all the Playback Singers, perhaps Rafiji has given the maximum hits to Comedians. 
When we were young, we used to frequently listen to “Chun Chun Karti Aayi Chidiya†from AB DILLI DOOR NAHIN which used to be played on the Radio almost daily. The other hit song in those days was “Nanne Munne Bachhe Teri†with Asha in BOOT POLISH. The later especially had good lyrics and moral lesson for young children. 
Rafi Naushad combination is the best thing that happened in the world of Hindi film Music.Rafi as the best playback singer ever and Naushad as the the best ever Music Director(sorry, if someone has objection in accepting him as best MD), and the combination of both resulting some of the best ever songs of HFM. This combination started their magic in 1944 with the song HINDUSTAN KE HUM HAI for the film Pahle Aap and climax was with the song JIS RAAT KE KHWAB AAYE in 1980 for the ever incomplete film Habba khatoon. 
This appeal is a chorus for The Voice of the sub continent, the singer of the millennium. A fervent, passionate appeal to correct what all his legion of admirers and devotees righteously feel is a historic wrong. 
If we talk about the legendry singer Mukesh, Raj Kapoor comes in picture. Similarly if we talk about Kishore Kumar the first thing that strikes our mind is Rajesh Khanna & Amitabh. Same is the case with Mahendra Kapoor, Manoj Kumar comes in picture immediately. Perhaps this is not at all the case with Rafi Saab. One cannot associate Rafi Saab with any actor or personality as such right from the beginning of his career till the end. Rafi Saab is every one’s voice. We have had a lot of discussions related to Rafi Saab with actors like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, etc. Here we will focus of songs pictured on unknown or small time actors sung by Rafi. This is another unique quality of this great personality called Mohd Rafi which needs to be explored. 
Playback singer of the sixties and seventies, Sharda, who shot into fame with her chartbuster hits, “Titli Udi†from the film Suraj, and “Duniya Ki Sair Karlo†from around the world was felicated at a grand concert titled ‘remembering Shanker- Jaikishen with Sharda’ which was held on 25th Aug, 2007 at Kolkata’s kalamandir auditorium. The programme was presented by ‘Rafi lovers circle’ – a group of music lovers dedicated to the revival of evergreen songs of mohd rafi from the golden era of hindi film sangeet. 
Seventies was the decade of experiments, the decade of change of guard and also the decade of Rafi Saab, again. The number of songs may be less but the singing quality of his songs was same as ever, even during the so called low phase i. e. 1971-1976. However the quaity is always more important thing and quantity always play the second fiddle.