By Raju Korti

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By Achal Rangaswamy

This time I am not going to fantasise. No stories about concerts in heaven, no tales of dreams that I saw. No narration of a motorcycle journey reminiscing a hundred songs.

I just want to share with you all why I consider Rafi Sahab to be the ultimate role model, for anybody. (more…)

By Ram

What makes Rafi Saheb the ONE and ONLY is a question I have been asking myself all these years.

Probing and guessing galore ! Is it his inimitable voice ? His range – from the deepest bass to the highest octave defying pitch ? His ability to harness the right feelings for the right score ? His effortless ability to emote his voice to suit the personality of on-screen characters? (more…)

By Irshad Ansari

मो. रफ़ी संगीत जगत के ऐसे अनमोल सख्शियत हैं। जिनका दूसरा कोई सानी नही. आज हम उनकी 90वा जन्मदिवस मना रहे हैं।
उनके आवाज़ की जादू और मधुरता बेमिसाल है। क़रीब 4 दशकों तक रफ़ी साहब ने शीर्ष पुरुष अभिनेताओं के लिए आवाज़ की जादू बेखेरी। आपने उस्ताद बड़े गुलाम अली खान, उस्ताद अब्दुल वाहिद खान, पंडित जीवनलाल मत्तो और फ़िरोज़ निज़ामी जैसे महान संगीतकारों से संगीत शिक्षा प्राप्त किया। (more…)

By Kamlesh Narang

By MEHTAB-UD-DIN

Mohali (Punjab, India): Bollywood’s famous playback singer Usha Timothy has said that ‘Royalty was not the main cause of 1960’s Rafi-Lata dispute.  Actually its reason was another one.’  It is the first time that Bollywood’s any renowned personality has expressed such a claim.  During telephonic conversation (which is now available upon YouTube also at this link:  http://youtu.be/CSaoeIqLagE ) from Mumbai Ms. Usha Timothy told Mehtab-Ud-Din, a Writer & Journalist of the Punjab,”Mohd. Rafi Sahib was really a nice person, the Bollywood had.  He always supported the new singers just like me and Suman Kalyanpur.  Lata ji might have not liked Rafi Sahib’s such type of gestures.  That’s why, they were not in the speaking terms for some years.” Ms. Usha Timothy even alleged,” I think, Lata ji had lost her mental balance that she created an unwanted issue with the Great Rafi Sahib.  Royalty was merely an excuse.  (more…)

By Shekhar Bopardikar (Visit site)

Only recently the ‘Nightingale of India’ the living legend of Indian music turned 85 , she was felicitated at a grand function at Shanmukhananda Hall- Mumbai , albeit she avoided due to ill-health & her youngest sister attending on her behalf , when Lataji was connected live via phone call she happened to say while thanking all music lovers …..”I never criticized anyone nor ruined other’s livelihood to get ahead in my career”, it was an antithesis of affirmation. (more…)

By Dr. Souvik Chatterji

Laxmikant Pyarelal faced the greatest challenge in establishing their career in Bollywood films in the 1960s. There were a number of reason for that. Firstly a huge number of legendary composers were dominating Bollywood films in the 1960s ranging from Shankar Jaikishan to Naushad Ali, Madan Mohan Kohli to Roshanlal Nagrath, C Ramchandran to OP Nayyar, Salil Choudhury to SD Burman, Vasant Desai to Kalyanji Anandji, to name a few. The list just goes on. (more…)

By Ahamed Kutty

Up to June 1978 there was no electricity in our village. We finished electrical wiring and were waiting for the connection. Atlast on a Saturday we got the connection and I was very particular that the first thing to be operated with the electricity would be the small two in one set with the audio cassette of Mohammed Rafi Saab. As far as Rafi Saab is concerned I had full freedom in my home. (more…)

By K.V.Ramesh

Over the course of human history, Man has discovered a variety of substances and spirits whose sheer variety boggles the mind. But one kind of spirit gives a kick that surpasses any such substance is some special brand of music that was produced by wonderful combo – the musical combination of S.D.Burman as Music Director and Mohammed Rafi as the singer Like many of his contemporaries SD Burman started out with his scores dominated by female voices. Shamshad Begum and Geeta Roy / Dutt were the two earlier voices usually associated with Dada Burman. SD Burman’s “Lota” had still to make her presence felt, though the eternal magic of ‘Thandi hawayen’ was just around the corner. The trend for male voices was seemingly straight forward – to replace Saigal Rafi sang his first song for S.D.Burman in ‘Do Bhai’. (more…)