Disappointing Sonu Nigam at London on Rafi songs
This article is written by Mr. K.S. Ramachandran
Sonu Nigam, much to my expectations, sang Rafi songs very normally. In fact, I would rate him much much lower than what he used to sing when he came in about 13years ago through Saregama. His voice has conspicuously deteriorated with his singing all types of medlee/Hindi pop songs and of that sort.
He was always a fast singer and now-a-days with his singing Hindi pop and medlees, he is even faster. His first song Yaad Na Jaaye from Dil Ek Mandir was like traveling in Nilgiri Express, while the original song by Rafi is slow deep expressive and extremely emotional. This was the general pattern in which Sonu has been singing these days with his impatient attitude to sing slow numbers very fast is very painful. “Muje Teri Mohabbat Ka” from Aap Aaye bahar Aaye” was again a deep number with full of rhythm and Sonu sang like a breeze..
Rafi songs are predominantly slow with rhythm and with so much of labour in his singing – be it depth, dard, range, voice modulation, expression, emotion and what have you.
I was however amazed with the orchestral excellence with the british national giving interlude music to the T. The 75 piece orchestra was par excellence and I could not find anything different from the original music by the composers. Indian orchestra bands doing shows should take this as an example to see how well the symphony was directed and delivered. Another wonderful experience – nothing like original and natural instruments – playing with a 30 team violin for the right interlude music was way way ahead of playing the same tunes today on a key board.
I thoroughly enjoyed the orchestra and was really a treat.
Sonu Niagaaa??mm is a clown and his (?western) stylised singing is a pain in the neck ….his voice is weak and forever changing..absolutely lacks originality and he struggles at higher notes…..a very ordinary singer
you guys are right. sonu nigam sucks. he is just a hyped by the media. he neither has a good voice quality nor singing ability
Romit,
you need to listen more to music and understand music to understand rafi. I agree, it is not easy to grasp Rafi without having a deep understanding or appreciation of music. With time passing by, you will learn to appreciate things in right manner. May god give you music as early as possible.
All the best
sonu nigam makes a fool of himself yet again. this time he is trying to ape michael jackson. can you believe sonu n attempting to sing michael jackson numbers? its like some donkey grunting loud enough hoping to sing like a nightingale bird.
snd 1 more thing….rafi and sonu are not the only singers in india….there are many..many south indian singers as i mentioned above YESUDAS,SPB etc may not be famous in north india,but they’re legends here in S.INDIA…as they were not born in north,they were not that famous..language was also a problem 4 them..had they been born in north india they would have been famous as rafi ji or kishore da or even more…
1 incident i would like to mention…there is a film called tansen…and there is a very tough song in that movie…i dont remember the name of song…rafi was approached to sing that song…u know what he said…a human being cannot sing this song..it’s that tough…the music director then approached Yesudas sir…he has sung that song without any cuts…superbly…
@ Rafifan1=>
what u commented is a real BLUFFF!!i admit sonu nigam is a great singer…but he;s not @all comparable with many other singers born in india..u might not have heard about singers like YESUDAS,SP BALASUBRAHMANIAN,etc…they’re all beyond comparison with sonu…these are singers from south india…sonu has not got that much talent to be on par with these singers…they are avatars of music…too much classically trained,and can sing any type of songs…especially YESUDAS..the singer who has got maximum number of national awards for singing..sonu cannot even attempt many of his songs…they’re all that much difficult to sing..they’ve sung that without any cuts decades ago..now ,even with this technology he cannot match with them…so mr Rafifan1 pls hear the songs recorded by other singers of different languages before making any such comments…ok…?thnk u!
sonu nigam is a very ordinary singer. i do not like his voice at all.
Sonu Nigam is currently THE BEST singer in the bollywood or even in the world…..perhaps any one will disagree …if any……!!!!Only Sonu can sing Rafi Saab’s song with its full justification as i have seen many other singers who also tried to sing the legend’s song but went down……Yet it will be a childish talk to compare between Rafi saab and Sonu…..Al egend is a legend and a follower is a follower….but still Sonu is currently THE BEST…!!!!I wish him alll the best….Gud luck Sonu…..!!!!
sonu is an average singer. i mean, he does not sound exactly like a bathroom singer, so could be a good choice for singing in an orchestra or private party. he must really thank his stars for getting an opportunity to sing in movies. people who think that he can be compared to legends have lost their mind. they are comparing chocolate cake with cowdung.
I am not able to understand how can anybody like Sonu Nigam’s voice? It is so distasteful, even Abhijeet Sawant is better than him. I really miss Kishoreda and Rafi.
It is a personal choice. Some people feel Sonu Nigam is a good singer while others feel that he is a plain crap.
But it sounds odd to me to compare him with the great Mohd. Rafi.
Its obvious that Rafi saab was a great Singer while Sonu is his cheap immitation.
hello guys,
sorry for replying this late, but i just read this post and comments now.
But i’m also a die hard fan of sonu ji, so i can’t refuse that rafi saab is the best singer of india and no one as talented as him will be born in this universe, as sonu ji has admitted this himself. But of course, that doesn’t implies sonu ji is just a ok or ordinary singer. No singer of this generation can even compare to him…
I agree that rafisaab is and also will be the god of music forever. But next to rafi saab i only prefer sonu ji….
Now they r asking to give a song of sonu in this n that raga. Can they give me a fast trak in jagjit sahab’ voice. This is nothing but stupid. Commercial songs take nothing to b sung is a common misconception. They require equal efforts. May b not in terms of sur but expressions yes. Any barbed comments 4 sonu nigam hurt me.
I think guys r gone nuts over here comparing sonu n rafi sahab. The two who exist in two far seperated time spans. They judging their capabilities from wat they have sung. Rafi days were classical days. Songs were soft n touchy. It does not mean that rafi sir coudnt sing so many textures. Similarly sonu is singing when taste has changed. Songs r loud. But yet he is the only singer who can give classical touch to wildest songs like shabba shabba n lov u hamesha. So dont ever try to impose limitations to capabilities of any singer.
sonu nigam’s first official “attempt” towards classical music was his classically mild album in 2008 – What does that Speak ?
Romit ji,
OK let us have a fool proof and practical discussion on pure healthy lines regarding the versatality factor in your post. Kindly provide one song of sonu nigam ji in Bhilawal thaat or sankarabharanam rag in carnatic – this is the king of the ragas.
Romit –
“but i must tell ur filter options are great rather u can also refer classically mild”
So what does it speak ? There lies the answer and facts for our views. I appreciate you have accepted the truth of our post.
12 different voices – that does not prove anything it is only a mimicry and a mimicry artist is called as mimicry artist and not singer pl. I hope you understand that. Even small children of 4-5 years are singing songs today.
How many days today’s singers are remembered vis-a-vis singers from the golden era dear romit ji? The singers I have referred belong to a historical period of more than past 3 decades – they are as evergreen as they were earlier, even in this era their popularity remains on top. The discussion on various sites is evidence for that. In many of the current day programmes at the background, those legends photos are kept and the recognition continues with enhanced pomp. Does such recognition can be seen in the current scenario ?
binujee,
you will never find a single comment from side in this thread. the nature of your comment no.531 – prompted me to butt in and say a line in support of your concerned request.
i think one of these days we will have to put a personal mail to pradeepji and even talk to him over phone on the legalities of comments, language, abuse etc.
i just scrolled through quickly in this thread and found one common thing in all comments – one bashing the other personally – that too quite badly and pulling in famillies etc.
its becoming worser than the neighbouring site and i have a strong doubt it could be some elements from there itself who are continuously on a diatribe wanting to undermine the name of the singing avataar ” RAFI SAHAB “.
friends do not insult rafi sahab – if you want to have personal verbal exchanges which are unconected with rafi sahab please exchange email ID’s and comfortably do the same.
pradeepji – if you happen to read this comment from me and binuji – kindly take stern steps to stop all this unwarranted comments seeing the light of print.
i feel it requires close monitoring and moderating – abuses and personal comments to be deleted forthwith.
ramesh narain kurpad.
Dear Friends,
Let us not fight in this most sacred forum…..
Romit you are a die hard fan of Sonu Nigam who considers that Rafi Sahab is his singing guru and God….
Hence Romit why you are getting pissed off and try to irritate Rafi devotees by wrong comments…
Your idol Sonu Nigam is very close to me and my family and Iam sure he will be very upset with ur comments..
So kindly refrain from making such eronous observation on Sonu’s only God of singing Rafi sahab..
Sonu has kept a big drawn potrait of his god Rafi sahab in his pooja room and without taking the blessings he doesnt commence any new venture…
Huseeinbhai…
Sorry that you and others would have got irritated by Romit and some of the young Sonu fans who dont have knowledge of the 50 n 60s….
pl pardon them and we should give full credit to Sonu nigam for doing great service to all young music lovers by keeping the flag of sweet memories of Rafi sahab’s songs alive and fresh…
Even a 6 year old kid today can relate to Rafi song thru Sonu…
thats all
Jai Rafi Sahab
Rajan Iyer
the time has come to delete some posts and articles which are personal, which lacks facts or figures – from the mohd rafi website most urgently.
@Frustrated cheap Romit… atleast try to find your family and maybe you are not aware about your parents… try to find them… and you do not need to argue with me…. you are baseless, mindless and above all frustrated cheap chap who know to write bakwaas without thinking….
@ hussein –> don’t consider others as u and ur family are (frustrated, mindless cheap person and uneducated chap) 🙂 🙂
hope u understand this time, if not i will not going to argue with u any more coz “pagal ka koi ilaz nehi”, do argue with facts like rafifan does
@rafifan –> “range, scale and beauty ” kismat se tum and satrangi re
“only only only one song from a filmy classical angle where he can at least come near ghantasala of the south – the song should be filmy, classical and should be composed in entire 3 octaves” refer “http://mandeeppuri.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/shamir%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cnaman%E2%80%9D-to-india/” , “http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=38104”
Because the “fact is fact”
but i must tell ur filter options are great rather u can also refer classically mild
now can u give me only only only only(according to u ) one song which has been sung in 12 different voice, not only in studio but in front of live audience also
@Romit… no matter, God is with me, you are already frustrated and you are also mindless cheap person and above all uneducated chap…
@ hussein –> thanks for ur best of luck but i cant give best of luck to two dead persons,one from soul and the other from mind 🙂
Vitthal ji… you are right, paagal ka koi ilaaj nahin hai…
Post 521: Romit you are totally frustrated… Copycat is none other than you.
Btw, your tongue is stuck which need treatment… all the best to you and sonu… 🙂
Hussein sheik ji and rafi fan ji
A sincer request sir’s – Please stop arguing on “posts” which are just for “arguing” and not for proving facts.
romit –
You are simply arguing though you know the facts. Anyhow, I have nothing against your liking which of course cannot be taken as determining the true facts. I have seen sa re ga ma pa – judging – sorry to say even judges are faltering there – I was surprised to see in one programme.
Show me a song of sonu nigam ji on the range, scale and beauty and melody of yeh chaand sa roshan chehra, jo waada kiya woh of rafi.
Next, versatile than any other singer in india – just show me only only only one song from a filmy classical angle where he can at least come near ghantasala of the south – the song should be filmy, classical and should be composed in entire 3 octaves – this should be one classical example of versatility – specially for sonu nigam ji. My humble request, please be factual not argumentative -kindly prove with facts. If your reply is not factual, I am sorry I may not respond to your post pl.
@ hussein–>mr copycat
i said previously that Sonu Ji is the best singer
i think u dont understand english also
no need to prove ur weak database with those names 🙂 🙂
again a time waste for us to make you understand
hope it will not happen again
@Romit… Your database is NIL of which is proved. he’s just an ok singer… Good singers are Rafi Saheb, Mukesh Ji, Manna Da, Kishore Da…, but not this Sonu. Btw stupid and baseless comments are from your side only… so better do not waste my and your time as well… all the best for Sonu in future 🙂
@ hussein–> your database is too weak i can only say that
he never try to prove that he is a good singer coz the simple fact is that he is the best singer
“if you hear his songs closely, you will find his voice shiver” again a joke. u r so jokey. really
ya no more discussion on your stupid jokes 🙂
its really a waste of time for us
@Romit… He’s lost and fact is he’s now not getting offers in singing more songs… he miserably failed to prove that he’s a good singer… if you hear his songs closely, you will find his voice shiver… no more discussion, it’s a waste of time… he is just an ok singer… nothing great…
@ hussein–>just search the internet and you will come to know where he is. He limited his singing to hindi film songs and he is not trying to sing English songs but actually he is singing English songs not only that he is singing in marathi, telegu, tamil, bengali, panjabi. A year ego he is judging sa re ga ma pa also. hope you are not aware. He for the last 3 years limited his singing but always giving us quality songs, hope not to describe those songs but his limitation doesn’t mean that he is disappearing from the industry or cant compete with the exiting singers like his “GURU in the 70s 80s”.
Thats why we call him the “GOD of MUSIC”
Post 515: To me Sonu is just an ordinary singer and by the way, where is he now? Fact is Sonu failed to sing Hindi songs, now he’s trying in English… lol… He also tried to act in few movies but in vain… BUT yes, I enjoyed Sonu in Sa Re Ga Ma years ago… rest is history… 🙂
it seems that for you people its very tough to accept the fact
yes its TRUE that
rafi is rafi
rafi is emperor
rafi is sonu jis guru
rafi is legend
but when it comes to the comparison out of 100
sonu 51
rafi 49
Because “the fact is fact”
@ali–> correctly said about this particular website –> but why this type of post (Disappointing Sonu Nigam at London on Rafi songs), why people starts comparing ,why people abusing and if it continues
people will say and must say
Because “the fact is fact”
@hussein –> I think u love reading about lata dis comment
also read lata dis comment about sonu ji, it will be self explained
@rafifan –> Again i am saying that sonu nigam is much more matured, trained, versatile singer than anyone ever born in India
@sriram –> yes its true and i also admit that rafi sahab is the god of voice
but remember sonu ji is the god of music
Because “the fact is fact”
Romit sahab – 506
“sonu nigam is much more matured, trained, versatile singer than anyone ever born in India”
It would have been really perhaps great, if the same would have been true, but really sorry sir, that is not the case at all – sorry if I have offended you, but the fact is fact. Sonu nigam ji is one of the nice singers of this era.
In my experience, mohd rafi from hindi and ghantasala from the south are the greatest ever versatile legends born in indian playback singing – there is no turning back on this point. Even the influence they have left on the music world is immeasureable. Almost all the possible genres available in playback singing have been explored by these legends. If these legends are compared (as has happened which should not be done really as both were two different unique poles) it is just like comparing the diameter of trunks of two giant elephants – at some area the trunk may be wider or has more breadth – but the fact is both remain giant elephants.
I agree with hussein sheikh ji’s post not in that way but in a more positive way i.e the emperor remains always an emperor in history -that exactly applies to the legends mentioned above.
Post 510 :@ Romit gangu teli… please do not worry about my date of birth, but try to find your date of birth instead…. only a fool will say sonu is better than Rafi Saheb… it seems you have more knowledge of music than Lata ji… you must read Lata ji’s recent interview on legend of all legends…
Sir Romit,
I agree that I have zero knowledge about Music but The thing that even we dont listen the people who got the knowledge that is the real problem, I dont think any of us got more knowledge than Mannay Da or Madan Mohan or Naushand Ji or OPN,what said about Mohd Rafi from people who got knowledge of Music I think all these names they got knowledge about music more than any one on this site…If u dont know what these people said about mohd rafi so I will tellyou if u want,Mannay Da said I need to be born again be sing like mohd Rafi and said that from 1 to 10 is mohd Rafi,OPN said if there was no Mohd Rafi there was no OPN,Madan Mohan I should not be pay when Mohd Rafi give playback to me because I have nothing to do but that is mohd Rafi voice magic to make song hit.
I dont know about music but I can understant what said about mohd Rafi by great names in music world..
I like many singers but I only listen to mohd rafi and I dont like to compare mohd rafi with others because there is no point to compare the sun light with the moon because end of the day the light which we see on the moon it from the Sun….I never used bad words to any singer or any person here and I will never going to use Inshallah,we here to know more about Mohd rafi because this site is for only Mohd Rafi so it is not far we speak about other singers(as I think)If any one feel that if any singer is better than Mohd rafi so no need to say it here because mostly people here mohd rafi so no need to say it here,I think jest visit that singer who u feel he is better than mohd rafi to his site maybe people with support u there,
I am sorry if any one mind what I said also sorry Mu english is not so good
@Hussein Sheikh –> dont aim to be a gangu teli in 2011 🙂 . Even dont dare to compare in your dreams also. It seems that ur birth is also a JOKE, sorry but i dont know the year. 🙂 🙂
@ Ali –> well said, it seems that you are only bound to a particular zone, the md rafi zone
so for u its very easy to decide anything regarding rafi sahab
but again only compare wen u hv enough experience and enough in depth knowledge
To all all those who support Sonu & not this post.
1. Sonu is an excellent singer & we all admit it.
2. Sonu is incomparable withrafi which he himself admits rafi is his guru. So no comparison with God of voices.
3. @Romit: Dont become a laughing stock here. People here atleast know who is rafi.
Rafi is Rafi.
Sir Romit,
Do you know who is Mohd Rafi?if you know you will never going to say that “can never sing the various texture songs like sonu sung in his career”
Sonu ji is great singer but not be compare with mohd rafi,Mohd Rafi sang these songs without cut and paste but today there is cut and paste even with cut and paste they are not able to give us as did by mohd rafi, I dont know about others but when Sonu sang mohd rafi song I know that he is Sonu ji but when he sang other singers songs I cant that maybe because I listen only mohd rafi…..
Man Mohan(film Maker) said if God have voice should be Mohd rafi voice.
Post 506: This is a worst joke of 2011…. Kahan gangu teli aur kahan raja bhoj…
Post 506: This is t
a real fact
Sonu Nigam, the living legend can sing Rafi jis song, maybe not like rafi
We can rate him above 80% in singing those songs, keeping the fact in mind that he performed in presence of lots of audience, not in a recording room
on the other side the fact is rafi ji , though a talented singer, can never sing the various texture songs like sonu sung in his career
sonu nigam is much more matured, trained, versatile singer than anyone ever born in India
Sonu Nigam has tried his best to sing rafi saab’s songs.
Though I will rate him just slightly below rafi saab, he sings rafi songs very nicely.
I have listened all the rafi songs sung by sonu.
He has performed well in Rafi Resurrected album. The best song of this album is ‘Tum jo mil gaye ho…’
I m busy now. I will post new comment soon
It still baffles me to think how sonu was ended up being a Rafi sahib’s avtar. He started singing cover versions of Attaullah Khan and at that time the rafi versions were by Debashish Dasgupta and vipin sachdeva. After the riots and bomb blasts of Mumbai the then numero uno and true Rafi version Mohammad Aziz (recall how Laxmikant-Pyarelal banished Bappi lahiri ghost only after getting Aziz singing for them 80%of their later year compositions) was made to vanish over night paving way for a Hindu boy to fill up that spot. Sonu’s proximity to a power brokering lady at that time also helped him as did his good looks besides his mediocre ability. Refer to April 1994 filmfare issue where sonu was described as a Mohammad Aziz clown!!!!!
I just went through other comments. I felt that others are straying from the topic to be discussed. They are divided into kishor and rafi fans and comparing there talents and greatness and have send sonu to background.
However it is embarrasing to having conflicts and debates because u r supporting diff. artists. Especially music teaches love ,friendlyness and not encourages conflicts. I love and respect all singers. They all are great and one should not insult them by comparing them with others.
I would like to admit first of all that anyone having less understanding of music than sonu himself does not have a right to criticise on sonu’s singing. He is the best in voice quality, technique, grip on classical,versatility,creativity and an endless list amongst his contemporaries. He who says his voice has deteriorated i think his hearing skills have deteriorated. If he sang RAFI’S song a bit faster may be it is because of today’s audience’s taste. It cant be taken as his disrespect to rafi sahab or music. He being a legend still keeps learning. Hats off to SONU NIGAM
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