Rafi Saab, the legend of legends!
By KS Ramachandran
Even after thirty nine years of the demise of playback singer, Mohammad Rafi Saab (on 31st July 1980), his songs are still relevant today! His renditions are still so much “live” with his golden voice lingering in our hearts and ears.
The current generation finds his songs so melodious and lilting in their ears. We are close to five years to celebrate his birth centenary on 24th December 2024!
What are we really talking about? How can a singer’s voice be worshipped all over the world, consistently over these years? The craze for his songs and his quality renditions seem to grow exponentially, year after year! For example, when we listen to his rendition in “Main Soya Akhiyan Meeche” from the movie Phagun, we can easily visualise the situation, a late evening hour, when the hero literally whispers to his beloved, closing his eyes. The voice of Rafi in this whispering is just butter-like, smooth, silken and so tender. Even the percussion starts with his rendering, almost synonymously and softly!
Rafi Saab was possibly the only playback singer who had all the parameters of singing at its perfect levels, be it, range, depth, feel, emotion etc, duly aligning and adapting to various actors on the screen!
Much and more has been explained, discussed and written on the legend and we are still missing Rafi Saab and somehow still want to believe that he is still with us in body, mind and soul, with his songs which have been engraved in our “Aathma”.
Long live Rafi Saab and his golden songs!
Log Mere Khwabhon Ko Churakar, Dalenge Afsano Mein
Mujhko Mere Baad Zamana Dhundega
Ae meri ruhe ishq, meri jane shayari,
dil manata nahi ki tu, mujhse bichhad gayi
mayusiya hai phir bhi, mere dil ko aas hai,
mahsus ho raha hai, ke tu mere paas hai
samjhau kis tarah se, dile bekarar ko,
vapas kaha se lau, mai gujari bahar ko
majabur dil ke, sath badi ghat ho gayi,
lab tharathara rahe the, magar bat ho gayi
kal raat Zindagi se, mulakat ho gayi
koyee sagar dil ko bahalata nahee,
bekhudee me bhee karar aata nahee
Aisi hi rimajhim, aisi fuhaaren, aisi hi thi barasaat
Khud se juda aur jag se paraae, ham donon the saath
Phir se wo saawan ab kyon n ae?
Dil ke mere paas ho itani, fir bhi ho kitani dur
Tum mujhase, main dil se pareshaan, donon hain majabur
Aise men kis ko kaun manaae?
My heart breaks in singing Rafi Saab’s unreleased composition of Naushad Saab here. We will always miss you Rafi Saab!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqg5HDmKdzE
very true. The craze for his songs & the quality renditions grow exponentially.Rafi sahab brings Khuda in our hearts. Excellent write up.
He is the greatest playback singer we have ever seen
Long live Rafi Saab. The greatest playback singer of all time, the greatest amongst the greats. And, as the music director Naushad put it, Baadshaon ka Baadshah
Very soulful, Chandan. Since the time I have been conscious of the Rafi Saab aura, I’ve noticed how people grieve unconsolably, and in unison, every July 31st. His admirers worldwide forget their trivial mundane differences, and extol the magic of the Farishta. As an ardent devotee of Mohd. Rafi, you go into grief much before the actual day, singing his songs by the dozens, as though wishing to somehow bring him back to life. Your renditions always bring forth the pathos of the original songs, but it is during this period that your songs sound the fullest, the most ardent, each like an earnest prayer. To Rafi lovers worldwide, this is a period of intense pain, and of intense joy. Today we should pledge not just to sing his songs in his style, but also to live our lives like he did his, in complete love, peace, tolerance and harmony. That is the only way we can offer him our truest respects.