Rafi’s day…
By K.S. Ramachandran
Mohd Rafi
30 years have passed by and we still remember this great singing legend on this fateful day the 31st July, when Rafi Saab bid “Alvidaa” to all of us. Utmost dedication, devotion, sincerity, godliness, spiritual, are, in my opinion, some of the many attributes Rafi Sahab demonstrated in his singing and that too, so naturally! Rafi Sahab, by far, is the only singer who had that original and natural voice.
When Rafi Sahab sings, I honestly see nature in many forms – the smooth flow of a river or a waterfall, gentle swaying of leaves of a tree, the musical sounds of the birds, the blue sky and the gentle drizzling showers and so many other natural happenings that we see every day…
The power of playback singing with almost all attributes was coming out of Rafi Saab’s voice so naturally and surprisingly, with much ease. It is often said that when he sang, he never even made an effort and he used to render with a smiling face with probably turning his fingers for some of the difficult “harkatens’ !
Many aspiring singers today earn their livelihood by singing his songs but fail to inherit the sterling qualities of Rafi Sahab’s humility, which made him the greatest singer this musical world has ever seen or would even see in the future. The expressions in Rafi Sahab’s voice was more effective only because it came from a great human being who never knew what it meant to be arrogant, selfish, tight lipped or the like. It is believed that he would never ever lift his head to speak to any person eye to eye and would always look down and speak. A person with few words, he was always ever smiling, radiating humility in every form.
It is a great and powerful lesson for all aspiring singers of today that to be a great singer one would not only need to have a good voice and also would need to be humble with unbounded selflessness and generosity to give away all that one would have with open arms! Such were some of the many sterling qualities of Rafi Sahab.
K.S.Ramachandran
May the world and especially the musical world, remember that there can be no other Rafi Sahab or even anyone in his vicinity to radiate melody in any and every form as long as music remains in this mother earth..
Long live Rafi Saab and his unexplainable contributions to the bollywood and other musical fraternity…
Hello Chandan,
what a glowing tribute! Yes, Rafi saab was known for his humility. There can never be another gentleman like him.
cheers
Utthara
beautifully said, chandan.
all greats human beings had one thing in common; they only gave and never asked. rafi saahab is an epitome of that symbol only. that humility and perpetual smile looks at you as if asking: mujh mein koi kami toh nahin hai? just like a rafi saahab song which ranged from yahoo…to man re tu kaahe na dheer dhare, it is you who becomes speechles at this naivete.
That is the power of humane-ness, of understanding, of caring and sharing.
he understood the different sentiments and submerged into it. that is why his songs appeal to us till this day. We can only hear others sing. but we see rafi saahab in his songs. he lived them and therefore we feel the loss.
thanks for taking us closer to rafi saahab.
padmanabhan nr
rafi foundation, hyderabad chapter and aadab rafi, bangalore
Singers will come and go, but Rafi Saheb will be on top as usual… long live Rafi Saheb.
Dear Mohan, MSV, Guruji
Thanks to you all for your appreciation of my singing. We had a good mehfil on 31st July from 6.30 PM to almost 11PM. The Rafi lovers did not want to leave but had to reluctantly.
The unique qualities of Rafi Saab’s singing besides his matchless singing abilities was discussed before each of his rendition and was a satisfying mehfil.
Thanks to all for your encouraging responses wrt this article!
Best regards
Chandan
Rafi Sahab was not a mere singer with a golden voice but much more than that. His songs of yore still toches the deep recesses of our heart and leaves us yearning for more of those soulful nectar. In this world of objectivity which only exists in the confines of Time and Space but his songs as if transcends the eternity for the real lovers of Hindi music.
On the ocassion of his 30th death anniversary our tributes to this immortal singer should not be confined to mere verbal praises and lip service to his greatness. But we should also take a firm resolve to promote only quality music of the past by maestros like S.D.Burman, Naushad ,Madan Mohan, Shanker Jaikishan, Chitragupta and a few others at the expense of present day’s pithless intrumental gimics.
The real tribute to him should be tribute to good music as he was not an individual but an intitution by himself. We adore him should in essence symbolize that we adore real music and not an individual.
“Andhiyan gum ki chalti hai chalne bhi de jal sake jab talak shamma jalne bhi de”
He would ever be our Kasti (canoe) who transports us into realm of soulful music and prestine world of aestheticism and culture. He is one of the strongest kadi of great Indian Culture and civility.
Rafi Sahab was a mere singer with a golden voice but much more than that. His songs of yore still toches the deep recesses of our heart and leaves us yearning for more of those soulful nectar. In this world of objectivity which only exists in the confines of Time and Space but his songs as if transcends the eternity for the real lovers of Hindi music.
On the ocassion of his 30th death anniversary our tributes to this immortal singer should not be confined to mere verbal praises and lip service to his greatness. But we should also take a firm resolve to promote only quality music of the past by maestros like S.D.Burman, Naushad ,Madan Mohan, Shanker Jaikishan, Chitragupta and a few others at the expense of present day’s pithless intrumental gimics.
The real tribute to him should be tribute to good music as he was not an individual but an intitution by himself. We adore him should in essence symbolize that we adore real music and not an individual.
“Andhiyan gum ki chalti hai chalne bhi de jal sake jab talak shamma jalne bhi de”
Rafi sahab was very soft spoken, even peoples had to listen carefully.I always wonder how a person, who was not romantic, very calm and shy,could sing so many memorable romantic and extremely contrast “YAHOOsss” from film “Junglee:. Truly he is AMAR
SHAAM PHIR KYUN UDAAS HAI,,,,,
Sir Hakeem jest I like to thanks Geo TV to remember Mohd rafi on 31th july, they have to care about Mohd rafi because mohd rafi is the best singer even in Pakistan as we know there are many who lost there home and life in Pakistan because of Rain but still Mohd rafi got place in the news…….
Ali Bhai, I don’t know what you mean by thanks to Geo TV of Pakistan. If Geo TV carried news about Rafi Saheb or about this web site, good for them. Rafi Saheb transcends all borders, cultures, languages.
Chandan:
A very nice tribute to the One? and Only, matchless Rafi Saab. He did not die on July 31st, 1980. He became immortal!
Bina
very well said chandan ji 🙂
Chandanji,
How true, unless a man is pure and good at heart, he will not be able to put his heart and soul into whatever he does, including singing. That was one of the reason, Rfai was a great singer. And that is one of the reason, Chandan is a good singer.
Chandan Sir,
The article was thought provoking and a lesson
to the present day singers and for those who aspire
for singing profession
Bahut khoob, Chandan Saheb,
Dr. Khaja Aliuddin
Brilliantly said, Chandan!!!!!
Singing is not apart from life, and unless you have the qualities that younso beautifully describe, it is not possible to be a great singer.
Maybe that’s why you sing ao well!!!!!
Cheers,
Mohan
True
Ya HE is the greatest singer
Today is the day we lost a singer who is still the top singer……..
I like to say as said by many that mohd Rafi voice is not his own voice it was God voice because jest look on his face when he was singing a song u will find smile even it sad song so that!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks to Geo Tv of Pakistan