Delayed entry into a song – a fascinating facet of Mohd Rafi’s songs
This article is written by Mrs Usha G Rao, a member of Baar Baar Rafi Fan Club.
Mohd Rafi
The myriad moods and emotions expressed by Rafi Sahab in his songs is not only awe inspiring but also a subject of discussion for music lovers in general and Rafi admirers in particular.
An aspect of his music that has always fascinated me is his duets. He has sung some of the most beautiful duets in Hindi films. Among them, some are light hearted, some soulful and others intensely romantic. A unique and interesting feature of some of his duets is the late entry of Rafi Sahab into the song.
A duet is generally made up of 2 or 3 verses or ‘antaras’. In some of the duets Rafi Sahab enters the song almost after the half way mark (after the opening lines and a verse have been sung by the female singer) and at once captures the imagination of the listener such is the impact of his rendition song. To illustrate this point let me give a few examples.
Mohd Rafi
The Asha – Rafi duet from the film Gehra daag – ‘Tumhe paa ke humne jahan paa liya hai‘. Ashaji sings the opening lines and the 1st antara. Rafi sahab glides ever so gently into the song in the 2nd antara with these lines – ‘Zamane pe ghum pyar mein dhal gaye hai, ummeedon ke lakhon diye jal gaye hai, ke jab se tumhe meherban paa liya hai‘. The mood is somber and contemplative. To understand the reason for this we have to delve briefly into the story of Gehra daag. The hero Rajendra kumar is convicted for murder and is shunned by the whole world. It is only the heroine (played by Mala sinha) who stands by him and professes her undying love for him. In this romantic duet the hero acknowledges her support through the 2 or 3 lines he sings. Grasping the mellow, reflective mood of the song, Rafi Sahab injects into it the right degree of sadness coupled with a sense of gratitude. One cannot but marrel at his genius!
The 2nd example is again a romantic Rafi-Asha duet from the film Nayi umar ki nayi fasal – ‘Aaj ki raat badi shokh badi natkhat hai, aaj toh tere bina neend nahi aayegi‘ It is a song that speaks of the eternal clash between love and call of duty. In the opening lines and the antara the heroine pines for her beloved and lovingly complains that he is not paying her enough attention ! It is then that, singing for the hero, Rafi Sahab enters the song with these lines – ‘par theher who jo wahan lete hai foot pathon par………… telling her in no uncertain terms that his first duty is to alleviate the sufferings of the down trodden and the weaker sections of society. Rafi Sahab’s voice is firm and unyielding till then but in the last line of the same antara, his voice suddenly melts as he sings ‘phir teri maang sitaron se bhari jaayegi. Assuming a soft romantic tone he reassures his lady love that once his duties are done, he is all hers! We gasp in admiration at this sudden transformation in his tone within in a couple of lines of the antara. That’s the magic of Rafi Sahab’s voice!
The 3rd and final example is a melodious Rafi – Lata duet from the film ‘Professor’ picturised on shammi kapoor and kalpana – ‘Aawaz deke hame tum bulao‘. The song speaks of the pain and sweet sorrow that love begets.
In the opening lines and the 1st antara the heroine laments about the seperation from her beloved and pleads with him not to inflict more suffering on her. That is when Rafi Sahab enters the song in the 2nd antara with the lines – ‘Main Saanson ka her taar main chhup raha hun…’ reassuring her that he is there in every heart beat and every breath that she takes ! the tenderness, the care that Rafi Sahab bestows on these lines is a balm to any wounded heart !
Well, one can write volumes about Rafi Sahab’s music but for now suffice it to say ‘Mohd Rafi, you are the king of melodies!’.
shamma-e-rafi ke parwano!
aaj ek baar phir wohi maqaam aaya hai jisse guzarna hamaray dilon pe khanjar chalne se kam nahi, wohi manhoos 31 july,wohi din jis ne hum se hamare sooraj ko chheen liya aur music ki duniya mein taareeki phailadi. sach kahoon to ab mausiqui ki duniya mein sewa andheron ke aur kuchh bhi nahi aise mein kuchh hai to is andheron ke parde ko chheerti hui wohi noorani aawaz hai jo aaj bhi apne naghmon ke zaria hamare dilon ke andhere door kar rahi hai. kaash aisa ho paata ke allah hum jaise chund logon ki zindagi ke aiyyaam bhi rafi saheb ki zindagi mein jod deta,to aaj hum uss farishte uss aawaz ke khuda se mahroom to na hotay. naghmon ka safar to aaj bhi jaari hai, lekin woh raah-numa ab kahan??
kahan se laaoon woh woh lazzat gayi baharon ki…
tumharay saath gayi roshni chiraghon ki,
aayen hum sab uss paak rooh ki taskeen ke liye milkar dua karen kyun ke ab hamare haathon mein sewa dua karne ke aur kuchh bhi nahi jo us shakhs ko nazar kar saken.
tere geeton mein baaqi ab talak woh soz hai lekin
woh pehle phool barsaate thay,ab daman bhigote hain
mohd.rafi…..
hum tujhe yuuun bhula na payengay
jab kabhi bhi sunengay geet tere
sang sang hum bhi gungunaengay
jawaid naseem
09836540639
one song that i can think of is “dil todne waley” from son of india.
this is where rafi, to the best of my knowledge, makes a late entry with “dil mein to yeh hasrat hai tere paas main aaoon…”
wasnt this also an example of his famous late entry into the song. a lovely song indeed.
kaun kahta hai ke rafi sahab mar gaye vo to jinda hai hamesha hamare
sath-sath rehege apne geet ke zariye.
RAFI SAHAB AMAR RAHE………..
09466240494
KARNAL HARYANA INDIA
Anwar-ul-Haque sb.
thanks for your words,I am not a poet but these are the feelings of mine that converts into some ‘sher’.
mere jazbon ki zabaan jab samajh na paey koi
ek na ek sher ki soorat mein woh dhal jaate hain
aur
mere jazbon ki sadaaqat ka imtehaan na le
hum hain insaan nahi mausam jo badal jaate hain
rafi saheb ke liye mere jazbe hi meri unse muhabbat aur sadaaqat ka bayaan hain, apne tamaam rafians ki nazar rafi saheb ki shan mein arz karta hoon
uska kirdaar hai shaffaaf aaine ki tarah,
jo bhi dekhe ga usay khud mein sanwar jaega…
uska chehra bhi dil aawez hai sooraj ki tarah,
jis taraf dekhle woh noor bikher jaega
Ref. posts 47 & 49
Janab Jawaid Naseem Sahab,
AOA!
Your posts are really brilliant; but here I want to praise only one aspect of your posts. You have really very good poetic abilites. The two verses you have written in your posts are just wonderful.
“Tamam Shaer bohot aala hain aur misrae bhi wazan mein hain.”
Hope that you will continue to write such poetry in future and share the same with us by posting on this great web site.
Thanks and best regards.
Anwar-ul-Haque
anwarhq25@yahoo.com
Javed sayyed saheb,
mera naam jawaid naseem hai naseer nahi, aur aapke jazbon ko salam lekin mere bhai aap ne jis soch ki taraf ishara kiya hai na is soch pe hum jaise kuchh log practically kaam bhi kar rahe hain aur kuchh log dil-bardaashta ho ker kinaare bhi lag chukay hain. aap ko ek afsos ki baat bataoon ” hum log rafi saheb ke gaano ka lutf lete hain, unki azmat ka eteraaf karte hain lekin jab kuchh karne ki ya contribution ki baat aati hai to baghlen jhannkne lagte hain.” main salute karta hoon narayan ji ko, binu nair ji ko, hashim khan sb ko aur un tamam logon ko meri tarah rafi saaheb ke naam ko aagay lejaane ki koshishon mein lagay huey hain. Narayan ji khaas taur se mubarak baad ke mustahiq hain.
aur main is zaman mein ek hi baat kahoonga ke main un tamam logon ke saath hoon jo rafi sb ke liye kuchh karna chahte hain. khushi hai ke aap jaise log bhi is carvan mein saath saath hain.
RAFI WAS A GEM , ONE AMONG BILLIONS, HE WAS THE ULTIMATE SINGER WITH UNLIMITED MOODS OF FEELING AND ENERGY
HIS ABSENCE IS ALWAYS A PAIN, BUT HIS SONGS WILL ALWAYS BE A HEALING TO ALL MUSIC LOVERS. SOMETIMES IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT SUCH A VERSATILE SINGER EVER EXISTED. BUT YES HE EXISTED AND LEFT US WITH SADNESS. WE MISS RAFI
HE WILL BE ALWAYS LINGER FRESH IN OUR SOUL ………………….