By Shashikant Dubey and Ahamed Kutty

Mohd Rafi

I am a huge fan of Rafi Saahab. When i was around 10 in the year 1993, the first song that I heard of his voice was ‘Yahoo!! Chahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe. At that time I did not knew who was Rafi, then I heard another gem of his and that was ‘Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai Bada‘. And then, I asked my father who is this singer and then he said its Mohd. Rafi, and then I started exploring his songs and the songs that came across was unbelievable.

I have around 400 – 500 songs of Rafi in My Collection. And each and everyday I try to find new gems of Rafi and I am able to do so.

One I was searching songs new songs on You Tube and I cam across a post which was once said by Kishore Kumar himself and he said ‘I only knew a couple of ways of singing a song but Rafi Saahab could sing the same song in 100 different ways.

Naushad Saahab said once that ‘If there would have been no Rafi, there would have been no Naushad’

Today I can say the same about Kishore Kumar, ‘If there would have been no Rahul Dev Burman, there would have been no Kishore Kumar’. The reason Rahul Dev Burman preferred Kishore Kumar because both were Bengalis and that’s the only thing that I can say that sid-lined Rafi’s carrer.

But still he gave some songs to Rafi because even he (RDB) knew that its only Rafi who could sing these songs and not even his favorite KK could sing these songs. These songs are Gulabi Aankhen, Kya Hua Tera Waada, Maine Poocha Chand Se, Dekhi Hazaron Mehfile, Pucho Na Yaar Kya Hua. And even RDB said once that there is no singer like Rafi, so I don’t understand why he always preferred KK over Rafi. Well that was his wish, but deep down inside who was the ultimate.

One Thing I can say about Rafi that its been 32 years that he is no more with us but every year going by He is Taking New Birth Every Year!!!!

The following is by Ahamed Kutty

In so many qualities Rafi Saab is the 8th WONDER OF THE WORLD. In India there is no other person either in Politics or Art or any other performing item, living or dead is being treated like this to commemorate by his/her fans. Rafi Saab’s fans are waiting for the 31st July and 24th December in each year. Fans are forgetting everything – even their own problems or family matters, their own children everything for the cause of Rafi Saab. For such an affection what we wiil call? I think the correct word for this is “RAFISAM”.

I heard so many times so many Rafians are telling that RaFi Saab is always with us. Rafi Saab is not only a singer but more than that.

This blog was published on Sunday, August 5th, 2012 at 8:58 pm and Last modified on Sunday, August 5th, 2012 at 10:05 pm and is filed under Meri Awaaz Suno. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.