This article is by Mr. Rajinder Bhatia

Friends, While going through a box of some old books, I found a treasure – a couple of “Film Sangeet” magazines from 1970. This magazine used to be published by “Sangeet Karyalaya” from Hathras in UP and was actually run by Shri Prabhu Lal Garg, very famous for his humorous poetry under the name “Kaka Hathrasi.” (more…)

This article is written by Mr. Robin Bhat

July 31st is always a sad day for Hindi film music listeners. And again on this July 31, the pain of not hearing the living voice of Mohammed Rafi for 22 long years is as unbearable as it was in 1980. (more…)

This article is written by Mr. Robin Bhat

Dear Fellow Rafi Lovers at “Meri Awaaz Suno”, (c/o Pradeep)

Another July is upon us. A month of dark, ominous clouds, which conquer the cerulean skies, and for days on end, shut out the sun itself. A month of little light, depressing overcast and like the torrential waters, bringing a swirl of memories of older, better days.

To Hindi music lovers, July is a similarly somber period. A month when we lost not one, but two suns. At the time, an eclipse of somewhat frightening proportions, all the more because it was sudden and irreversible.

It was a black Monday in 1975, when on July 14, while planning for a movie named ‘Salim-Anarkali’ at his friend Chetan Anand’s place, the legendary Madan Mohan left us, to never come back. Or, to come back only briefly and haunt us with his two final gifts – Mausam and Laila Majnu.

One man who must have suffered a heavy blow at the loss of Madan Mohan was Rafi. So many towering ghazals, soft romantic classics, heartbreaking emotional songs and the many, splendid faster songs from this incredible team! How sad he must have been to listen to his classics of Laila Majnu without the company of their creator.

Here is a quote from an article by Sanjeev Kohli –

” Whenever we asked him to pose with the harmonium for a photograph, he would play and sing the song ‘tumhari zulf key saaye mein’ from Naunihal and keep telling me that this was his favourite and why it was such a brilliant composition. It was my first encounter at being told by somebody I worshipped, that my father was way above the others. He also told me that MM had given him a new lease of life with Laila Majnu.

“At the time, everybody, including the hero of the film, wanted Kishore Kumar to be the male lead singer for the film. Rafi Saheb was not at the peak of his performing career, yet my father put his foot down, adamant that only Rafi should sing the songs or he would leave the film.. Of course, after Laila Majnu, Rafi became Rishi Kapoor’s voice in films like Karz., Amar Akbar Anthony, etc., etc”…

—————

And five years after this fateful day, came that terrible, last Thursday and last day of July, 1980. No more Rafi !! To those of us who grew up in those wondrous times, it is still somewhat unbelievable that Rafi-saab is no more. Every time I hear a Rafi song, I feel that he is still with us. ….’tu kahin aas-paas hai, ae dost’…

Such is the permanence of this man’s voice.

Many charlatans have come, pretending to be like him. They have all been discarded into the dustbin of history. One has scampered up on the rungs of Rafi’s voice and may go far, but by his own admission, he is not a patch on the master. Dudh ka dudh aur paani ka paani hi rahega.

Long live Madan Mohan and Mohammed Rafi !!

As we go through July, we can think of them with these lines –

‘Tum jo mil gaye ho, to ye lagta hai, ke jahaan mil gaya..
Ek bhatke hue raahi ko, caravan mil gaya…
Tum kya jaano tum kya ho,
Ek surila nagma ho…

Best regards…..Robin

Song from the 1970s, Jaan Pehechan Ho is featured in Ghost World, a hollywood comedy movie.

Jaan Pehechan Ho, a song from 1965 movie Gumnaam (Prithvi Pictures, directed by Raja Navathe, music by Shankar Jaikishan, Lyrics by Shailender) has been included in the recently released movie Terry Zwigoff’s Ghost World. The film opens up with a woman dancing to this song. (more…)

This article is by Mr. Raghav

I as an avid listener of Hindi film music shudder to think of the possibility of life without Rafi. Though he is not amongst us today in physical form, the rich legacy and heritage of music he leaves behind is an everlasting treasure cherished every day by myriad of fans like me. (more…)

This article is by Ms. Nalini Ramji.

I am writing to share with you my story of how my deep love for Mohammed Rafi has affected my life. (more…)

Naushad Sahab’s interview telecast on Zee Cinema in August, 1999. Contributed by Mr. Kamal Mustafa on 9th November 2001.

Partial interview of Naushad Sahab telecast on Zee Cinema last year (unfortunately, I couldn’t record it full. I have tried to translate it from Hindi/Urdu, but obviously the charm is lost). (more…)

This is contributed by Mr. Sajjad Qadir.

Usmein Kewal, Usmein Classical Tazil, Indian Tazil Zyada Hote Hein, Sur Bhi Zyada Hein, Wording mein meaning ache hein, feelings zyada hein, mitaas bahut hein music mein, iske waste zyada popular rehta hai.

O Duniya Ke Rakhewalee…

By Mr. Zahir Amhed (pesystem@earthlink.net)

I was perhaps 10 years old when I first heard Rafi’s voice…..it was a song from the film JUGNU [1948] ……YAHAN BADLA WAFA KA……. This was a duet with Noor Jehan. It was a famous song at that time. Next I heard him in ANMOL GHADI … TERA KHILONA TOOTA…. I began to hum his songs and also sing them. His voice was a magic voice full of emotions and feelings. In this song, Rafi exactly depicted the feelings of the poor boy whose toy broke when his playmate girl was leaving for Bombay. (more…)

This article is written by Rajiv Vijayakar for screen india (http://www.screenindia.com/20010803/mcover1.html)

Mohammed Rafi’s most extraordinary quality was the almost miraculous way in which his voice seemed to fit every actor who expressed diverse emotions through his songs. (more…)