The Rafi-Kishore saga
The following article appeared in The Statesman,Calcutta, on Aug.7 th 2005. It will give more food for thought to the ongoing debate about the Rafi personality and magic – Mohan Flora .
Mohd. Rafi was the greatest playback singer, asserts Ranjan Das Gupta as he pays tribute on the melody kings 25th death anniversary. Rafi was a classically trained singer while Kishore was naturally endowed with excellent resonance. The latter was a versatile genius, singer, music director, actor, writer and director all rolled into one. Both were proficient singers but had separate individual styles.
In the 1950s Rafi literally ruled the roost. He was the most favoured singer for veteran composers like Naushad, S.D. Burman, Shanker Jaikishan, Madan Mohan while Kishore was preferred by S.D. Burman and Salil Choudhury who was playback mainly for Dev Anand and his own films. Rafi on the other hand could balance his melodious voice for diverse stars like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Guru Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Shammi Kapoor.
It is an astonishing fact that O.P. Nayar used Rafi to sing for Kishore Kumar the unforgettable tune Man Mora Bawra in Ragini in 1957. Shanker Jaikishan also had Rafi to sing Ajab Hai Dastan in Shararat in 1958. Says record museum owner Vinod Santhalia, It is simply amazing. Imagine Mohd. Rafi sang for Kishore Kumar in films Kishore himself acted.
Shanker Jaikishan commented, No doubt Kishore Kumar is a good singer. He sang beautifully for me in Rangoli. But Ajab Hai Dastan was simply not Kishores cup of tea. The mukhdas and antaras required a singer of Rafis range and classical background.
Although Kishore Kumar felt bad about this, he could only marvel at Rafis brilliant rendering of the two songs. Rafi characteristically remarked, No one else except Kishore could sing Dukhi Man Mera in Funtoosh so well.
Salil Choudhury was not favourably inclined towards Rafi at one point of time, but even he was compelled to use Rafi for the unforgettable Tootey Huey Khuabo Nay in Madhumati and Koi Soney Ke Dil Wala in Maya and confess that Rafi was indeed peerless.
It is generally known that Rafi and Kishore went through a bad patch in their relationship. Yet it is also true that both liked and respected each other. S.D. Burman openly admitted to Kishore that the three solos in Guide by Rafi could not be matched by any singer. On Dev Anands special request, he composed the Kishore-Lata super hit duet Gata Rahe Mera Dil for Guide. Similarly, Rafis numbers in Teen Deviyan and the haunting duet with Lata Mangeshkar in Jewel Thief were far superior to the Kishore numbers in these films.
In the late 60s when R.D. Burman composed the melody for Tum Bin Jaaun Kahan in Pyar Ka Mausam, he experimented the same solo with both Rafi and Kishore. True, Kishore sang this number by melodiously incorporating his inimitable yodelling. But in the romantic number, Rafi scored over Kishore in melody.
The 60s was also considered Rafis decade though Kishore matured considerably as a singer during this period. The Jungle Mein Mangal number Woh Din Ke Baat Sharan Karo had both Rafi and Kishore together but is somehow not remembered that well. But Shanker Jaikishans Hanste Gate Jahan Se Guzar in Andaz by Rafi quite eclipsed Kishores entire Zindagi Ek Safar in 1971.
Madan Mohan also used both Rafi and Kishore in the song Yu Na Sharma for Parwana in 1972. Kishore sang the happy rendition for hero Navin Nischal. But there was Rafi again to do full justice to the Are Hansnewale, the melancholic aspect of the same song for Amitabh Bachchan.
In the 1970s the Kishore Kumar wave took the Hindi film music by storm and was backed by R.D. Burman. Some critics felt R.D was partial to Kishore and avoided using Rafi. The Rafi Kishore duet Yaadon Ki Barat from the film with the same title in 1973 turned out to be a superhit. But it cannot be categorised either as an exclusive Rafi or a Kishore gem for both sang in perfect harmony.
Subsequently, R.D. Burman opted for Rafi again after four years as no other singer could have rendered so skillfully Chand Mera Dil and Kya Hua in Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin; that too in a film with many Kishore Kumar superhits like Mil Gaya and Aa Meri Jaan.
When Rafi sang Darde Dil for Laxmikant Pyarelal in Karz in1980 based on a single note, he proved melody was indeed God-gifted to him, remembers upcoming singer Sujan Bose. Kishores Ay Mere Umar Ke and Ek Hasina Thi could not touch that level. The same can be said for Rajesh Roshan’s Yarana where Rafi’s Aare Re Aisa Tarana completely surpassed Kishore’s Sara Zamana and Tere Jaisa.
Mohd. Rafi left for his heavenly abode on 31 July, 25 years ago. Remembers author Nabaran Bhattacharya, The photo of a silent, sad and grief-struck Kishore in the newspapers portrayed very well that no one except him understood what an irreparable loss had taken place in Indian film music.
As Kishore himself said when Jagjit Singh criticised the Rafi gharana, How dare these so-called ghazal singers criticise an icon that Manna Dey, Mukesh and I dare not criticise. Rafi was unique.
here is rajan parrikar’s page:
http://www.sawf.org/bin/tips.dll/gettip?user=Sawf&class=EZine&tipid=10571&pn=Contributors&arch=1
also, prashant, if u really know rajan, pls give me his contact address. i would like to get in touch with him.
also, anmol singh, if u have read his other posts, maybe you could post them here ? i’ve read almost every post of his back in 1996-1997 after which he stopped posting on RMIM/RMIC.
i know enough of him to say he has much more knowledge of music than you. u guys just argue foolishly without any basis for your arguments.
dear prashant veer and anmol singh,
unlike u, rajan parrikar is not biased. he’s very balanced when he talks about any singer.
also, unlike u he actually met kk, and knows him by person. he also met asha bhonsle personally.
perhaps u would care to look at the photos on this page (including the one with kk), and also listen to the clips.
dear anmol singh,
i’m disappointed. i thought at least u had some knowledge in classical singing. unfortunately, looks like u don’t. maybe u just claim to have some knowledge so u can argue with other illiterate people like us.
i’ve never mentioned pt. joshi or pt. jasraj in any of my posts.
Also, rajan parrikar is not musically uneducated like you. it was he who made these comments.
why don’t u got to the link that i posted in one of my posts above to see how much knowledge he has of classical music ? he put together a list of the more commonly used raga’s and even has rare clips of many classical singers and film singers.
disappointedly urs, shankar.
Hi Shankar,
If your postings are read by people like Pt Bhim Sen Joshi or Pt Jasraj, possibly they might commit suicide.
Dear Prashant,
Thanks for the tribute to have written about Rafi Saab’s humble nature. You indeed really feel music. You are really a KK fan, who enjoy’s his melody. Regarding KK classical based number, there is one more song from Sharabi ”Log Ketain hai Mein Sharabhi Hun”.
Hi Prashant,
There is no need to be too harsh on this person Rajan P. Parrikar. I have gone through his posts. He doesn’t favour any singer or artist as such. He just gives a diplomatic opinion.
Mr. Shankar,
Please don’t post nasty and meanless analysis on this website. I know this person Rajan P. Parrikar. He molds his statements as per the situation.
The following is the quote he has made about KK’s early days.
“An examination of Kishore’s development as a singer leads one to
interesting observations. Right from his early days, he showed a
proclivity for musical expression that was out of the ordinary. This he
combined with a natural flair for drama. Both Rafi and Mukesh had the
latter but Kishore outshone them in this department even then (today’s
dudes, Sanu et al., have squat of everything). But in the 50s, he was
young, his voice still boyish without the texture and bass that was to
coat it exquisitely in the years to come, and confined mostly to singing
the boomchikaa variety. The 1960s saw his voice come to fruition and
everything fell together quickly. SD Burman immediately recognised the
significance of it all and the rest is history. Notice the quality of
his voice during this time – Door Gagan ki Chaon Mein, Jhumroo, Aradhana and so on. RD Burman also seized on this resource and took it to its logical conclusion with Aandhi being the highlight of the 1970s.”
He says KK is fit to sing only boomchikaa songs in the 50s. Absolute BULLSHIT. Being a KK fan, I am terribly disturbed by this nasty comment.
I request you not to portray KK’s superiorty on Rafi, by giving such stupid and meaning less posts.
Hi Avi,
Regarding the devotional song you are mentioning, possibly well LP should have given him a change. But I recall a film Dard-Ka-Rishta in which there are KK songs with Music Director RD Burman. There is one devotional song on Ganpati Visargan which is sung by Hari-Haran. I wonder RDB being KK loyalist didn’t choose him. Similarly LP use Mahendra Kapoor in Avtar for Rajesh Khanna in a devotional number. I think it is the other way round, may be KK is not comfortable with devotional songs.
The patriotic scoure by KK in Akraman in Good. But a patriotic song sung at low pitch doesn’t sound very appealling. This is perhaps Rafi’s and Mehendra’s area, since both can stay at very high range of singing for a longer time.
I have read the article ‘HUMAN PUZZLE’. It is not that people misunderstood him, rather it is KK who is not able to mold himself with time. Generally it is my perosnal experience that we should know what we are. The world doesn’t have time to understand us, rather we have to tell the world what we are and where we can fit our selfess. This was laking in KK. I will give to one example. I was once watching Naushad’s interview, he was mentioning about Rafi. He said that Rafi had no God Father to support him initial when he came to the film industry. He came to me with a recommendation letter of a person known to me…..Here the logic is that though Rafi was a trained singer, it was difficult to built a repo with established music directors at that time. On the contraty Mukesh had backing of Motilal + he was also trained he had Anil Biswas & Salil Choudhary on his side. Dispite both being Bengalis and KK having support of Ashok Kumar, they don’t favour KK at all. Because KK doesn’t fullfill their criteria (seeking proper training). Plus KK wants music directors to make tunes as per his criteria, which I think only SD Burman did in those days. In my opinoin KK’s voice in the 50s is far superior than Mukesh, but not developed.
Coming to Rafi he fullfills the criteria of most music directors of that time. He doesn’t question the Music directors on their compositions. The result of which he is favored by most music directors in 50s & 60s. The logic is though he may not be perfect initally, but by singing without questioning any music director his voice is exploited to the maximum in every possible area + he doesn’t restricte himself to sing only certain type of songs. For example Shammi Kapoor who was called ‘Monkey’ by the media, Rafi fullfills every possible demand he made. Still Rafi gives tribute to Shammi, stating because of Shammi I got work. Because of his humble nature is scoures over every one.
When I listened to KK singing ‘Ap Ke Anorodh Mein’, I was just thrilled. I sat for a moment and thought why KK did not learn classical singing. Then there is another song ‘Salaame Eshk’. KK is too good in this. Most of these Bengali Music Directors never brought the best out of him like LP or Rajesh Roshan or KA or SJ. Even OP Nayyar gave him some nice numbers along with Shamshad Begum & in Ek Baar Muskurado. I am of the opinon that though SD Burman was his mentor, he should have forced KK to sing classical based songs in the 50s & 60s like what Naushad did with Rafi. SD gave all such songs to Rafi and Manna Dey. The result of which KKs true potential remains under utilized till date.
I don’t like RDB though his composition are good, because way have in doordarshan in mid 80s in an interview with Tabassum he made a very nasty and irresposible remark ‘Raag Waag To Mujhe Aate Nahi’. Compared to RD , Bappi Lahiri is just horrible. He composes absolute SHIT. Please forgive me for using such words.
Dear Rashid bhai,
Very good very well said. This Avi & Shankar should leave this site. They are citing rubbish examples and idotic song of KK to proof that he is superior to Rafi. No singer is superior than Rafi Saheb.
Rgds
Suhail
Hi Avi,
You should take some intelligence from Mr. Prashant Veer. I just can’t understand how to explain you and how to convince you about Rafi superiority over KK. You are just a fanatic fans of KK and nothing else. Why are you coming to Rafi forums you should express your views in Kishore forums. You are just expoiling Rafi Saheb fans image. Why you want us to accept that there are many good singers apart from Rafi. We know that there are many good singer but the fact is that no one is best than Rafi Saheb. Other singer including KK are good but Rafi is better and best. This fact you should also accept. Mear yodelling is not the sign of proficiency. It is like a barking dog. Every time you come with some examples of songs why you need to compare idiotic KK songs with Rafi Saheb. I really tell you that you are not a real KK fan because you don’t know his heart touching number. Some one has said about you that you are teenager I think really you are teenager. You have childish behaviour.
Today you accept one fact that had Rafi Saheb been alived for two more years KK would have been eliminated entirely. It is a great tragedy that Rafi Saheb parted in 1980.
From
Pranab Das
Hi Dear Shankar & Avi
My Dear Friends
we cannot tolerate you’ll anymore
Please you both quit from this site
As you all know let KK do any thing yoodle or anything
He cannot be compare with Rafi sahab,
if Kk will reborn again then also he cannot become Rafi sahab
why are you both Avi & Shankar simply fighting for your KK , beacuse whole world knows who is better for e.g.
Now recently there was Bollywood Music award and there 20 Hit songs in the list ,
among them 7 songs are of Rafi Sahab and hardly 1 or 2 of KK
and the juyr were Sonu Nigam , Himesh , Javed akhtar , Abhijieet.. etc….
On the First Position the Sonng was of Rafi sahab
1. Man re tu kahe na dheer dhare
2. Tere Mere sapne ab ek rang hai
and many more
If you don’t beleive Please go and take the Outlook Magazine for the month of June 06
So my dear friend Avi and Shankar , your both are simply fighting
So Please if you want to do comment for Kk , you go on Kk’s sight and do whatever you want
Please Quit from this site
You both know in this fight you are both going to loose
Regards
Pranab das
Rafi Sahab;s Fans
good show Shankar..
But i am sorry, Rafians will not understand it and they will come up with something irrelavant.
Here’s what the same Rajan P. Parrikar had to say in reply to a kk critic (which many of you here do as well):
>KK was a very good singer though only for light songs, fun-n-frolic variety
>or those requiring simple musical exposition and little vocal gymnastics.
>To his credit he sang with emotion and there was something about the timbre of
>his voice that made his songs find their way to our hearts. However, musically
>speaking none of his songs are such that they are not reproducible. I mean
>in the strictly technical sense. They may not have the same effect when sung
>by someone else but by no means were any of his songs difficult to sing.
Exactly the same could be said of any of the other film singers. To wit,
their songs are not very difficult to reproduce in the “strictly technical
sense”, on a note-for-note basis. Any reasonably-trained singer should be
able to accomplish this with a few iterations. The distinction of course is
in the delivery, in the originality and nuance of musical expression with
all that it entails. Seen in this light, Kishore Kumar is very hard to
replicate. For the spontaneity that lit his rendition cannot be acquired
through formal education or technical mastery. It has to be part of one’s
inherent personality. Furthermore, complexity in music is only one factor
and is neither necessary nor sufficient for it to be beautiful and/or
everlasting. The number of men who are really adept at something is very
small indeed. The number who are original is a very tiny minority. It is
primarily the latter attribute that recommends Kishore Kumar.
Hi all,
i’ve more technical stuff. For those of you who dismiss kk’s yodelling and think rafi can duplicate it easily are mostly speaking based on half-knowledge. Here’s what one guy on RMIM had to say on yodelling:
The yodel.
Now, it’s one thing to just make your voice crack all over the place,
which many people do and call it yodelling. Kishore Kumar, on the other
hand, had this absolutely UNCANNY ability to yodel with wonderful
precision – listen to (so many of his songs, but especially in) Jhumroo,
or his antara in “Chala Jaata Hoon…”
You know how people talk about basketball players and their ability to
“turn on a dime” referring to their ability to maneuver and suddenly come
to a stop without losing control – that’s what I think of when I listen to
that. We talk about KK not having a classical base, but one of its most
important parts, knowledge of and mastery over “sur”, KK had. If you’re
going to yodel, you still need to do it in tune, without the pitch
spraying all over the place. The fact is that the songs he was given to
sing by and large do NOT generally reflect any necessity of classical
training.
When you yodel, you basically are crossing registers, from full voice to
falsetto. For this yodel to really have the “popping” effect, you need a
particular type of voice, with a decent amount of separation between
registers. Kishore as a baritone was (extremely) successful with this; my
guess is that Rafi as a tenor, had a smoother “break” between registers
and would not be as successful.
hi all,
well, well, looks like the debate has no signs of subsiding. i’ve been going through similar debates on RMIM, and it’s disappointing to see people with no knowledge of music actually arguing foolishly without any basis to back-up their statements.
This is an excellent post written by Rajan Parrikar, who is very knowledgeable in Hindustani Classical Music and who actually accompanied Ali Akbar Khan to many concerts. You can see his excellent music page here:
http://www.sawf.org/bin/tips.dll/getcontributions?user=Sawf&contributor=Rajan+P.+Parrikar&class=EZine&subclass=EZine&pn=Contributors
Here’s what he had to say about playback singing and KK:
The essence of a good rendition of a film song, over and above technique
(by which I mean a strong adherence to the principles of swara or shruti) is the delineation of the
emotional content.
There is here an interplay of both verse/lyrics and music, the latter
serving to aggravate the idea and feeling contained in the former. A bare
tune can be likened to a bare path running through a nature park. You can
drive through it in and out plainly, which is the equivalent of what most
singers, even technically accomplished ones, typically do. A great artiste,
on the other hand, treats it like an adventure and has you share in the drama,
stopping about to take in the panaroma, pointing to the great peaks, the verdant
valleys, the cascades and other quaint sights. This latter approach is what we mean by
ornamentation and nuance in music. They have elements such as inflection of
the voice, change in its texture, punctuation which involves proper placement
of gaps in adjacent words, tailing off of the tone and so on. The best men
of music display all these skills to a very high degree, so much so that
their mere speech can assume a musical temper. Men like K.L. Saigal and
Kishore Kumar were abundantly blessed with these gifts by which they could
elevate even the most pedestrian of tunes and lyrics to the status of high
art. The simple was made extraordinary by their natural ingenuity.
It is not just “light” musicians that have use for such ornamentation and
it is worthwhile to mention Ali Akbar Khan in this context. Anyone who
has heard him speak recognises that his voice sounds like that of a frog
with a sore throat. But if you have the opportunity to hear that same
voice demonstrate a bandish without the aid of any accompaniment and you are
not moved to a state of wonder, you have no soul. One sees in a great master
such as this, the wholeness of music. All the elements listed above flow and
converge most effortlessly. It looks deceptively easy, but reproduction is
hard (as even a phenomenal talent like Asha Bhonsle, for instance,
quickly found out). When Ali Akbar Khan
vocalises, one gets the feeling that this is not just a great way to treat
the bandish but that it is the ONLY way to do it. One comes to see
beyond mere technique here, to experience the non-measurable in music. I do
not mean to suggest that only the naturally gifted possess these skills. Most
of the accomplished masters are not as naturally gifted but acquire it
through keen observation and hard work.
The above detours were taken to outline what it is that separates a good playback singer
from the high priests. In a word, it is the delivery. The bare tune has
to emerge embodied and enriched from the hands of an artiste, embossed with
an original personality. The artiste has to add to the skeletal tune and pass
on more than what was received from the composer. Mere technique can never
substitute for it. One has to supply a lot of musical imagination.
Most singers rarely raised a tune beyond its basic datum
level. Many singers stick pretty well to the basic swara and are decent enough in their taans, but
they lack or they don’t have enough of the aesthetic quality. Even in the classical realm, we have
a respectable number of musicians today who display great technical power
on the instrument or with their voice but who lack or are indifferent to the
essential aesthetic spirit.
Dear Prashant Veer,
First, Let me congratulate u on ur research. Its good though i am not 100% agree but it is nice.
I think Kishore would have done more justice to devotional song in Manchali “Tan Mann Dhan Sab hai tera”..
He was misundrstood by many people. There is article onhim “HUMAn PUZZLE”, pls. read it.
Earlier people used to say KK could not sing in Saptak. I have already mentioned few songs where he sang brilliantly.
I am sure he could have done more justice to devotional songs if it would have given to him. I don’t have doubt.
Prashant, Personally i like his song in AAKRAMAN, “Dekho veer jawano apne khoon pe iljaam na aaye”. Though it was not very famous but it is fantastic.
Yes what you said abt Lata and Madan Mohan relationship, its 100% true.
If you take Lata’s 10 best songs then Madan Mohan conmposition will be on top. She has done remarkable work for him. She has same relationship with Mukesh also.
Hi Sagar,
What you have written about Lata, may not be very true I believe. She has hassles with SD Burman for many years. Lata was the most close to Madan Mohan more then any Music director. Madan Mohan has exploited Lata the Best apart Naushad. I read one article written by his son, Sanjeev Kohli that after their’s father’s death in 1975, she took the responsiblity of their family. Rather she took care of them like her own children. Lata regarded Madan Mohan as brother. During the recording of the songs for Veer Jaara she indeed become very emotional while singing. Veer Jaara songs are unreleased tunes of Madan Mohan. Full marks to Yash Chopra for maintaining melody to todays time.
Hi Avi,
I have not mentioned that Mahendra Kapoor is a better singer than KK. The question is whether KK is fit to sing devotional songs or not? The answers is NO. There is another film Manchalli, in which is KK is remarkable under LP. But for one devotional song they choose Mukesh…..Tann Mann Dhann Sab Hai Teraa
Milan indeed was a favour to Mukesh….this was stated by Pyaarel in one interview. Mukesh was in financial crises at that time. Rafi indeed would sing it much better than Mukesh…but Mukesh was also good. Full marks to LP.
Hello Avi,
I think Prashant has explained every thing quiet well. I like his analysis of KK’s early years.
Thanks Prashant for providing me information of Mukesh’s Gurus.
Kudrat was released in 1981 and was a silver jubliee at that time. Apart from that ‘Thodi Se Bewafai’ in 1980 was also a silver jubliee. KK gets an award for ‘Hazaar Rahen’.
For filmfare award nominatons the films success is also taken into account. ‘Agar Tum Na Hote’ if I recall it did average business but was not a flop at all.
Hi Sagar,
KK is himself responsible for the early set back in his career. Being a KK fan I have carried out a lot a research on his career profile. He was OK till late 40s singing under Khemchand Prakash as a K L Saigal clone. Possibly at this juncture he should have undergone thorough training under renouned Ustads & Pandits, which most singers did. But instead of that he molds himself into westernized style of singing ‘Yoodeling’, plus doing all sorts of comical things. By doing all this he allows himself to be taken for granded by renouned music composers like Naushad, Madan Mohan, Salil Chaudhury, Ravi, C Ramchander, etc. Plus SD Burman who has been KKs mentor gives him songs as per the image he built for himself. But the best songs he kept for Rafi. Possibly he was justified in doing so. Why a music director will risk his career for a singer who doesn’t take himself seriously.
I went through Mukesh’s profile on how he became a singer. He was a relative of Actor Motilal, who brought him to Bombay. The first thing he did was to get him trained under Pt. Jaganath Pasad. This helped Mukesh in building a repo with music directors like Anil Biswas & Salil Chaudhury. Later with Naushad he could gain his original style. Comparitive to Mukesh, KK was a far superior singer but chooses the other was round. Later getting involved with Madhubala he puts himself in bigger mess. The result of which misses the prime years of melody i.e. 50s & 60s.
In 70s when he gets his due it is the last phase of melody i.e. the Rajesh Khanna era. Later with Amitabh’s success films like Deewar, Sholay come into limelight. Dailoges like ‘Mere Paas Maa Hai’, ‘Kitne Aadme The’, ‘Tera Kya Hogaa Kalia’ superseeding music, saw the gradually down fall of music. The reason is voilence and melody cannot go together. This was the era in which KK prospered i.e. 70s and 80s, for which most fans feel proud. In the 70s and 80s KK did sing very good numbers but majority substandard songs, for which KK himself is responsible for not undergoing proper training. During the 70s for good numbers music directors opted for Rafi, Mukesh, Mahendra Kapoor & the then new comer Yesudas. Most of these singers sang few songs compared to KK, but sang sensible ones only.
RD Burman as a music director is highly over rated, plus had a lot of backing from his father SD Burman. More commonly known as Pancham by the media. An award in his name by film fair is a disgrade to music. It should be SJ or Naushad or SD Burman or Madan Mohan.
I appreciate KK for the songs which he has sung under LP. It brings out the Indianess in his voice. Plus LP exploied KK’s true potential as comperad to RD. Seeing the Indianess in his voice I believe he should have never adopted westernized singing style in 50s. One can’t say who guided him to do so.
If he could have followed the same path what other singers did, he could have certainly been a better singer then Mukesh, Mahendra Kapoor, Hemant Kumar in the 50s & 60s. But certaily he could have never reached the level of Rafi. Rafi is too accurate, no wonder Naushad gave him most of the songs. I remember Yesudas once said ‘God has been too partial with Rafi’. I am also of the same opition, since he sings every thing with real perfection. Therefore it makes no sense in comparing KK with Rafi.
Dear Suhail,
Rafians langoor fans ( for u Suhail Ahmed Ansari, ) think Rafi is only great which is not at all true as there are many greats in indian music world.
I always replied after Rafians comments who says Rafi is only great and others are nowhere.
Dear Prashant veer, You gave example of ‘Kanyia’ where Mahendra Kapoor sang all songs, indirectly you wanted to say Mahendra kapoor was better than Kishore.
I am laughing, i would be happy if you could have seen it. 🙂
Boss, Why Mukesh sang in “Dharti kahe Pukar Ke” and “Milan”. I feel all songs in both movie suits Rafi’s voice. Does it mean Rafi is inferior to Mukesh?
Boss, Whatever i have written abt Mukesh is not my word, it is uttered by Mr. rajiv who has written a book on Mukesh.
Dear Anmol, Everyone knows that Amitabh is not musical here, for your information, except Rajendra Kumar and somextent Shammi Kapoor noone known as musical hero. Rajesh Khanna was known as romantic hero.
Nodoubt “Dekha Na hai Re” did not establish Amitabh as actor but he become more and more famous because of the same song. He got Zanzeer because Pran asked Prakash Mehra to watch him in the same movie.
Of course Rajesh Khanna had few hits in 80’s but 75 to 80, he was flopped but Kishore’s songs was still there on the top.
Kudrat released in 76-77 and it was flopped but known for Kishore’s songs.
Agar tum na hote was also flopped but RDB and KISHORE made this film immortal. Yes “Soutan” and “Avtaar” was hit.
Rajesh Khanna had many flopped in 80’s.
There is film names “Nazraana” super duper flopped but kishore’s song is still rememered. “ISS SE PEHLE KE AAJ Tu AAYE…MERI AANKHO ME PHIR LAHOO AAYE”..
dear Anmol, Pls. listen if you have a time.
Dear friends,
The following clip is from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/10/15/stories/2003101500620200.htm
IN THE 1960s, when legendary Bollywood singer Mohd. Rafi crooned Ramaiah vastavayya as the refrain for a Hindi song, the Telugus said Yeh dil maange more. So, he rendered a song for them — Naa madi ninnu pilichindi gaanamai venugaanamai… (Aaradhana). The impact was simply great. Nobody cared for the lyrics. Nor the accent. And then, he sang Haseena O Haseena (Anarkali) — that was it.
In the song RAMAIYA VASTAVAIYA when Mukesh enters the speed of the song had be lowered, since Mukesh was not good at fast songs. Plus Mukesh sings the sad part for Raj Kapoor, where as Rafi/Lata sing for unknown artists.
Dear KK Fans,
Several reasons why KK was preferred:
1.) RDB : Didn’t wanted to get overshadowed by a singers VOICE best
example is that TEESRI MANZIL was rendered by RAFI SAHAB
and later was realized as RDB’s Music. RDB realised this
and then he caught held of KK. We can check out RDB’S worst
decision in this song ” AAP KE KAMRE MEIN KOI RAHTA HAIN ”
TARIQ = KK Voice and after some ZEENAT = ASHA and after few
minutes VIJAY AURORA = Again KK voice ????? what nonsense
was that both actors removing same voice from their throat.
This shows RDB’s mentality and foolishness.
2.) Madan Mohan : Preferred KK only in film ADA that too for a funky
song , As we all know Madan Mohan was involved
only in HEART TOUCHING music , whenever he made
such funky numbers he used ” D ” grade singers like
KK. One more example Madan Mohan composed music
for film HAQEQAT we have a song HOKE MAJBOOR by
3 singers , KK is not there ??? now If KK fans call he is
the best then why didnt MADAN MOHAN preferred KK
instead of Bhupinder ?????
3.) LATA ” NIGHT TINGLING ” :- She had some bad habbits and she
had some stunts with RAFI SAHAB so she used KK as
a ” C*****M ” , RDB was also in that team.
4.) Why LATA preferred KK : Lata usually looked for scope in a song
which she hardly got any with RAFI
SAHAB.So again fear of getting
overshadowed she teamed up BENGALIS.
5.) Wise BENGALIS : Now FOOLISH BENGALIS preferred KK, but wise men
like S.D.Burman PREFERRED RAFI SAHAB at right
time and with right time shot ” TERI BINDIYA RE ”
song NOT given to KK , S.D. knew his capacity.
3.) BAPPI LAHIRI : Niece of KK obviously made use of KK because this
ELEPHANT was just BIG in shape he got all western
shit in INDIA and thus spoiled the classical atmosphere
KK supported him very well and then a long list of
MEDIOCRE,MEANINGLESS,SHIT,GARBAGE songs came
out of that ELEPHANT’S ASSS.
4.) RDB’S LOSS : When BAPPI came he use to give music for films using
same technique which RDB used and that too at low
cost …. What happened then RDB’S downfall
started then..again he had to come to the MAESTRO
to gain his lost position …MAESTRO means RAFI SAHAB
Total 80’s was a big loss to RDB due to BAPPI.
5.) LATA AGAIN : Well LATA was a shrewed lady, she didnt had any
compition she removed SUMAN TAI KALYANPUR long
ago so she was safe but then in 80’S she was leading
with KK in some MEDIOCRE SHIT SONGS for example :
” ANGREZI MAA BOLE TANE PREM KARU CHOOO. ”
6.) KK Unstable : KK AND RDB started giving MOODY songs to people.
But people never forgot ” DOSTI ” songs which were
meaningful songs ???????????
Can anyone explain me what the hell CHINGARI KOI BHADKE has speciality in it………The lyricist tried using RAJINDER KRISHAN’s style of
writing songs using reverse style but it was a big mess, that song when heard for 2-3 times feels boring..but listen to ” WOH BHULI DAASTAN ” by LATA ?????? RDB copied the style of music over there …..
7.) RDB blessed by S.D. : Till S.D. was alive RDB was in full flow may be
he must have used some back up tunes by
his father ??? who knows, because in his
career RDB has copied and inspired for all of
his songs ?? so was RDB like ANU MALIK in
yester years and just like ANU MALIK used
KUMAR SANU,BABUL SUPRIYO,ABHIJEET…
RDB used KK ( 4 IN 1 ) COMBO PACKAGE.
8.) KK great ??? : If KK fans say he is great then why did he sing only
1 damm song of patriotism?? he had LATA in his pocket
RDB in his buttocks he easily wud have forced them to
compose a good bhajan or patriotic song but why didnt
he do that ??????????????? KK was commercial it
proves.
9.) MUKESH better than RAFI SAHAB : Who is the FAGGOT here who says
this ????? Come front please… MUKESH had a trademark
on his voice and that was “SAD ” / HALF SAD / FULL MAD
and SAD….There are many songs of MUKESH which are
really good but out of way MUKESH was and had many
limitations.
RAMAIYA VASTAVAIYA this song is taken up by RAFI
SAHAB very well but afterwards check it out this NASAL
MUKESH has spoiled by making it dull …please relisten
it again. Remember film ANAND Mukesh was preferred
because RAJESH was extra sad in that film , then why
KK didnt got chance he had RISHIKESH MUKHERJEE
again a BENGALI directing that movie ………..KK surely
have done yodelling in that FILM ANAND….
There are many song which I can list here and ask KK fan to analyse and imagine whether KK, MUKESH can sing or not.But I also know that KK fans have DOG’S TAIL which will TURN AGAIN.
So KK fans stop barking and listen to any RAFI SAHAB’S NUMBER
Regards
Sagar
Hi all,
Bhagao, Bhagao, Bhagoa Avi langoor ko Bhagao.
Mr. Avi, you are insensitive and very fanatic fan of KK. You will never be able to understand the depth of music which Rafi Saheb has provided to Indian film industry. You are always giving examples of Rajesh Khanna & Amitabh Bachan, you don’t have any other artist in your list. Why, because you don’t have better understanding of music and you have got immune to listening absurd songs like Khaike Pan Banaras Wala; in this songs one line goes like this Khul Jaye Band Akal Ka Tala but your akal ka tala has not yet open. You are always critising Md. Rafi and his fans. I think you have come here with the intension of insulting Rafi Saheb and his fans.
You have given several examples of K.K. songs which you believe that these songs makes K.K. better than Rafi Saheb. Tell me one thing if K.K. is brilliant singer, which we Rafi fans believe that he really his but not better than Rafi, than why doesn’t he has sung devotional songs like Rafi Saheb and patriotic songs which Rafi Saheb voice have made immortal because KK doesn’t have that ability to mould his voice according to the demand and situation of songs which Rafi Saheb had.
It is better that you keep mum or else it will only expose the dark side your intellectual and nothing else.
Rgds
Suhail
dear prashant,
thnks for ur comments u sound like a kk fan n not FANATIC.i hope avi wud take a leaf from ur comments. we never said tht we dont like kk infact he has sung many beautiful numbers like -‘chingari koi bhadke’,’main shair badnaam’,’tum aa gaye ho nur aa gaya hain,’aanewaala pal’ n many more.kk was alegend no doubt n we rafians wud never ever wanna pass derogatory remarks against him.i hope avi u wud write somethng sensible next time!!!! i hope u listening to ‘khatun ki kidmat’ everyday!!!!
Possibly the world would laugh at the following comment.
“I don’t know why you people talk abt Rajesh khanna and Amitabh.
Tell me sir, Rajesh Khanna was nowhere after 76 but Kishore was on top till he last breath.”
Rajesh Khanna was not no 1. after 1973 with the rise of Amitabh, but was certainly there till mid eighties. He had a few hits in early 80s
‘Kudrat’, ‘Souten’, Avtaar’, ‘Agar Tum Na Hote’. All had KK songs picturized on Rajesh K.
“Dekha na Hai Re socha na†did not establish Amitabh as an actor. It was Zanjir which made him the superstar ad brought end the Rajesh k era but not to Rajesh K as an actor.
Amitabh is not known as a musical hero, but as ‘Angry Young Man’. He is not KK dependent.
I agree with Prashant’s comments on films produced in 70s and 80s.
Hello Avi,
I am a KK fan. I stay in US, originally from Kakinada, AP. I have seen your comments in the entire blog, they are just rediculous. Probabily you are a KK fanatic and not at all music lover. I have seen many Rafi fans giving excellent tribute to KK, of course we cannot expect each and every Rafi fan to do so.
KK was a vertaile but not a complete singer like Rafi. Rafi is far ahead of KK. Listing to Rafi I feel why KK could not sing classical, patriotic and devotional numbers like many singers. Probabily he was not a trained singer unlike Rafi and Manna Day. The result of which he was never a complete singer.
Once I was watching a film ‘Kanyia’, a Rajesh Khanna & Sharmila Tagore starter film in which Rajesh Khanna is Lord Krishna devotee. I felt very astonised when all the songs were rendered by Mahendra Kapoor. Possibly KK was never very comfortable with devotional songs.
Then there was film called ‘Akramann’ starting Rajesh Khanna in special appearance. KK sings one patriotic song at low scale which doesn’t look upto the mark. This is where Rafi and Mahendra Kapoor were far ahead.
1950s & 60s films were musical hits i.e. what ever be the story line be the songs were mainly responsible for the film’s success. This was not the case with 70s & 80s. Films were more dependent individual performences and dialogs.
I like KK’s sensitive numbers. But if songs like ‘Khaite Pan Banaraas’ & ‘Pag Ghungroo Bandh Meera’ are awarded, then it is indeed an insult to music and KK’s singing potential as well. This is because of Amitabh’s popularity on screen in the 70s and 80s. Possibly the reason KK’s announced his retirement in the mis 80s, due sub standard music compositions.
When ever I listen Rafi singing ‘Madhuban Mein Radhika’ or Manna Dey singing ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’ or Mahendra Kapoor sing ‘Mere Desh Dharti’, I wondered why such songs never came out of KK’s voice. It many occasions makes me very sad.
I hope you write sensibily about KK and other singers instead of providing stupit and disgusting remarks.
Dear Unknown,
I never said Mukesh is better than Rafi. I have just drafted few things which was telecast in NDTV on 2 days back.
Mr Rajiv who wrote book on Mukesh gave 2 songs as example to compare both legend and he said Mukesh supersede Rafi. Once gain i never said Mukesh is better than Rafi.
The new strategy of Kishoreans of comparing Mr. Mohammed Rafi with other singers, at least, means something, as those singers are worth comparison with a Legend like Rafi, although Kishore was never one. So far Kishoreans were raising arguments of such character as if comparisons are being made between two actors. Yes, their arguments will have some value when it is made in a forum where talents of Charlie Chaplin or the likes are discussed. An enthusiast of music has nothing to get from the blogs of Kishoreans; yodeling, comedy…..oh no…..very boring! Now, someone (unknow(n)) just said it; “ignore†– sounds good. At least readers will be saved from being mislead; at many points I was made to think that “Khaike Pan Banares Waala†is a song (which in fact is a rhythmic speech) – how innocent I am.
One doubt; by the way who is this Pt. Ustad Rajesh Khanna to pass judgments on music?
Dear Avi,
you said that Mukesh ,Kk and Anwer all these singer are better than Mohd Rafi?!!!!You don’t think that Mohd Aziz and Kumar Sanu are better than Mohd Rafi !!!???
To all music lover
why we should speak 2 some one who don’t know anything about the magic of Mohd rafi for him all singer are better than Mohd Rafi!!!!once he said Rajesh khanna said that Anwer singed the songs if Mohd Rafi was he can’t sing it as singed by Anwer!!!now he said that Mukesh is better than Mohd Rafi.I think we have to stop with him because first he said that kk is better now Mukesh and what will be next!!!?
really i don’t undrestant him when u speak him as singer he speak with us as actor.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????
Dear avi,
Just read what Manna Dey has to say about Rafisaab in his interview to Ananda Bazar Patrika, May 13 2006. It has appeared today on this site titled NAUSHAD THE PERFECTIONIST!
in the last blog i meant even rishi k considers the song ‘dard e dil’ as the best song of the movie.
dear avi,
now u taking it too far by saying tht mukesh was much better than rafi.i like al the three singers . they were legends in their own riight.i will tell at an incident wch will tell u who was better.in a recent interview of rishi kapoor he was asked wch was his fav song in the movie ‘karz’ he said whn the movie was released he liked the songs”om shanti om’ n ‘ek hasina thi’ but now whn he considers the song ‘dard e dil’ as the best song of the movie.
mukesh was a vry good singer but bcoz of his inability to increase his range
he cud never sing like rafi or kishore.mukesh himself admitted tht rafi was a better singer than him.mukesh’s advantage was a voice similar to RK.but those who say mukesh n kishore were better than rafi shud go n take a bath.
Dear mohanflora,
Agreed KK would have been better regarded as a singer if LP and not RDB was his godfather. However, KK could not have sung the full range of LP’s tunes and would have still been found wanting. I don’t know how many times KK tried to rehearse the “Nafrat ki Duniya” song in Haathi Mere Saathi(if it is true!) before LP had to finally bring in Rafi to sing the great song(which has become the signature tune for the SPCA!), but for more confirmation on KK’s range listen to another song with music also by LP. It is “Jaaneman, Jaaneman, janeman kisika naam nahin” from the Devanand starrer Jaaneman and it shows how hard KK finds to climb over the higher notes(usne poore butt tak zor lagaa diya tha!) On the other hand, hear a song on similar lines” Aaj mausam bara beimaan hai” sung by Rafi all along in high tone and he makes it look/feel so easy.
No doubt KK was a popular singer and had his time.His songs with RDB were popular for sometime only and the listener would wait for the next tune from the RDB assembly line. However after a period of time the listener got over the RDB/KK rage and wanted something more lasting. Who else but Rafi only could fulfill the the craving of the listeners and thats what he finally did! No wonder it is with reason that a great musician remarked,” For momentary pleasure listen to Kishore but for perennial pleasure you have to go to Rafi!”
Sungma
The period 1972-1976 has proved to be a goldmine for Rafi fans. Many of the songs by Rafi in non-Rajesh Khanna films were given less air play or relegated due to the euphora of the Rajesh Khanna-KK wave. The wave is long gone but Rafi fans are being treated to songs which were ” not heard”in the early seventies but are considered classics now by all music buffs. A friend who is a KK fan( he does not blog on this site and is certainly not adamant or biased) told me in private that he feels KK would have been more highly regarded if he had LP and not RDB as his mentor. He admitted that Rafis songs for RDB had more staying power than most of KK’s songs for RDB. When I told him that he was trying to fool me(as he knew that I was more inclined to Rafi), he told me that he had listened to two of Rafi’s songs in two very weak RDB scores and accepted that if it wasn’t for Rafi’s touch the bad scores wouldn’t have reached us. The songs are”Champa Khile Dar Palak…” film Faisla(1988) and “Samjha Main Kismat Khul Gayi” film Daulat KE Dushman(1981). My friend is great-he is a KK fan not a fanatic!
Hi friends,
Kati Patang had a couple of good songs by KK with modern-at that time-music provided by RDB, Initially,”yeh jo mohabbat hai” and “Yeh Sham Mastani” proved popular but it was a Mukesh number in the same film that took the cake and became the biggest hit. It proved to be more durable, whereas the two KK numbers faded away. The song by Mukesh was”Koi Jab Tumhara Hriday Tod De——-Mera Dar Khula Hai, Khula Hi Rahega Tumhare Liye!”
I hope you saw Amit when he singed Mohd Rafi song and people said him sing it again and Amit Kummar said I will sing it other time but he didn’t,
I saw at Aaj Tak but there was nothing about Mohd Rafi,I hope Aaj Tak they will show program on Mohd rafi on 31/7 next week.
If we speak about Mukesh I think mukesh was better than kk in sad songs.
Dear Ali,
I spoke abt Mukesh and anchor was Rajiv who wrote book on Mukesh. It was telecast yesterday on NDTV, AAj-Tak.
I am not talking abt programmed anchored by Amit Kumar. It was old story.
dear Avi,
I hope u saw a program on ZEE TV called Yoodly by Amit Kummar and his brother(sons of KK).
Sorry dear Avi I don’t mean anything wrong sorry for that,as u said that people know truth,
You didn’t answer what I asked???!!!!!
Wah Tim, I like your analogy on Rajeev’s book, Mukesh, and KK. Rafi is indeed the Socrates of music world.
On the other side, World is going to a get a genuine work on the only Legend; the King of Music – Mohammed Rafi
Tom wrote a book on HARRY and said HARRY is the best and added that DIC(KK) is exceptional. However, why should they like Socrates?
Some more clips taken from The Tribune, Chandigarh.
Believe it or not.
RARE FOOTAGES ON RAFI RELEASED
KOZHIKODE: A comprehensive documentary on Mohammed Rafi, the legendary singer, has been released with Director-Producer of yesteryears in Malayalam N P Abu parting with his decades-old precious personal possession of rare footage and interview of Rafi. ‘Rafi ki yaaden’ (memory of Rafi), shot in 1975, much before the demise of the great singer, has been finally released on a CD and Abu has tied up with a private channel for its telecast on television. — UNI
Twists of Naushad
Naushad had a special love for introducing aalaps in his compositions and if the singer was Mohammad Rafi then the desired effect had always been doubly achieved. Remember “Ho ji ho, tu Ganga ki mauj main Jamuna ki dhara in Baiju Bawra,†and “Chalo dildar chalo chand kay paar chalo in Pakeezah; as also, Mujhay duniya walo sharabi na samjho in Leader.
His sudden twists and counter melody as in Mughal-e-Azam’s only number in male voice — Taj hukumat jiska mazhab phir uska imaan kahan — did make a lovelorn person feel the pinch of knotty entrails deep within.
The lovemaking scene was enriched with Bade Ghulam Ali Khan’s rendering of Prem jogan in Mughal-e-Azam when Dilip Kumar and Madhubala lay on a marble platform amidst falling petals.
Matter of Faith
The offerings at the famous “samadh” (tomb) of Baba Rode are in form of liquor. The Baba himself belonged to a Jat Sikh family and was a teetotaller.
As a ritual, devotees bring bottles, pouches and buckets containing a heady cocktail of drinks. People having faith in Baba Rode are seen offering prayers for jobs, happiness and success in life. As the folklore goes, Baba Rode underwent austere penance and was blessed with mystical powers. Today, the shrine is known for its “miraculous cures”, even as the Taraksheel Society members (rationalists) have openly challenged this.
Devotees offer liquor at the “samadh”. The offerings measure up to thousands of litres, particularly during the three-day fair. The liquor flows into an iron pipe and devotees line up, holding steel glasses in their hands.
A devotee claims that the famous singer Mohammed Rafi, who lived in the nearby Kotla Sultan Singh village, was one of the disciples of Baba Rode.
Classics in Colour
In 1951,the Censor Board cleared the black and white print of Aan for exhibition. However, Aan was released in colour in 1952. Its popular numbers i.e. Mohabbat chume jin ke haath and Takkra gaya tum se dil hi to hai were sung by Hemant Kumar and Dil mein chhupa ke pyar ka toofan ley chaley was sung by Habib Wali Mohammed. These three songs were later re-recorded in the voice of Mohammed Rafi.
M. L. Dhawan, Chandigarh
STUMPED ON SCREEN
It seems that cinemagoers enjoy cricket in small doses, when it comes as a surprise element. Dev Anand-Mala Sinha starrer Love Marriage had a delightful number penned by Hasrat Jaipuri and sung by Mohammed Rafi. It went like this: “She ne khela he se aaj cricket match/Ek nazar mein dil bechara ho gaya lbw”.
Hi friends,
This is what I got from http://www.manicfish.com :
A BOOK ON MOHAMMAD RAFI
By mohammadrafi, 2005-12-17 10:04:23 in Music
A book on Mohammamd Rafi/Biography of Mohammad Rafi has been published.
Presently this book (Title – MERI AWAZ SUNO)is in Hindi (Indian Language), But soon it will be published in English and other languages
There are 150 pages and price of this book is Rs 100.(Hundred Rupees)
Those who are interest to buy or read this book may
contact Vinod Viplav
vivijournalist@yahoo.com
ph- 09871320399
09869674140
screennews@gmail.com A book on Mohammamd Rafi/Biography of Mohammad Rafi has been published.
Dear Unknown,
Kishore is not like my father. Please mind ur writing. DOn’t go on father. Its humble advice to you otherwise i can write most of the humble word in favor of ur family. Don’t get personal. Its advice to you.
I am great fan of Kishore, and i want to let you people know the truth that there is world beyond Rafi. I am sure you people know the truth but you did not accept it.
Today there was one program on MUKESH telecast on all channels. One guy “Rajiv” who wrote book on Mukesh, He said Mukesh is far better than Rafi and he gave 2 example and i am agree to it and he said KISHORE was exceptional.
One example he gave
1. Ramya vasta vaia.. where Mukesh sang last few lines and he steal the show
2. There was another song where Lata, Rafi and Mukesh sang under Sonic-OMi composition, once gain he sang better than both.
I am agree to it.
Boss it is not my word. It published in all news channel.
dear Avi u didn’t answer my Q,when i asked u that as a honest Indain,If there is award for best male singer in the world and they need one singer for each country,How will should be from Bharat Mohd Rafi or KK?please answer honestly.also u didn’t answer abou Bhagat singh,
dear Avi sorry to say KK like u r father and don’t want beleave the real.IF some one father bad but he never say to his father bad u r like that.
Dear Avi if we Mohd Rafi fans we don’t know but what about people who know about music and they know both Mohd Rafi and KK?
Dear Anmol,
I am not frustated. If i am frustated then i would have never visited this site.
I don’t know why you people talk abt Rajesh khanna and Amitabh.
Tell me sir, Rajesh Khanna was nowhere after 76 but Kishore was on top till he last breath. Now you people will say, amitabh was there. It means Kishore was not because of Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh. He exist because of himself.
Again and again, I am saying ur analysis is wrong. Nodoubt abt it.
Kishore gave first hit to Amitabh when Amitabh was not known as
Superstar in “Bombay to Goa”.
“Jag Chhoda hai Tere pyar me e sanam”
“Dekha na Hai Re socha na, hai re rakh di nishane pe jaan”
Please do more analysis and be more practical.
I am not shifting focus but i wanted to make you peole feel that it was just coincidence that Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh were on top in KISHORE list.
But he gave majot hits for other actors like “Rishi Kapoor”.