By Indo Asian News Service

Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar remembers late singer Mohammed Rafi on his 31st death anniversary and says there can never be a singer like him again. Both of them sang 414 duets together.

“Today’s the 31st death anniversary of Rafi sahab. He was an honest and a lovely human being. My family and Rafi sahab shared a great relationship together. It’s my honour that I got an opportunity to sing maximum number of songs with him,” Lata posted on her Twitter page. (more…)

By Nagesh Sidhanti.
A humble tribute to composer Madan Mohanji on his 87th birth anniversary by an ardent Rafi fan

Mohd Rafi with Madan Mohan

Of all pursuits, love is the most profound, be it sensuous or sublime.

This legendary love story of ill-fated couple, an epitome of pure love, ‘Heer-Ranjha’ was written by Sufi poet Waris Shah. Little did he know that about 200 years later, his seminal work’s intimate aspects would receive its rightful interpretation in the form of a surreptitious musical dialogue, arranged by three of the greatest legends, one, an exceptional composer and the other two, genius singers of their era.

Kaifi’s lines are lyrically simple but never frugal in this unique duet from Heer Ranjha, which is rendered in low notes, complimenting essentially a covert love story.   The lyricist who is known for his earthly imagery, has penned the lines with a dash of mystical aura the story deserves. Although not spoken in the same breath as some of his distinguished contemporaries, Kaifi Azmi yet again proves a point that beneath the layers of sophistication & hyperbole, lie a treasure trove of emotions, which could flourish in the realm of a deeper understanding of LOVE and LIFE. (more…)

Written by: H.A.K. Walijah

Mohd Rafi and Dharamendra

Who could be from the Forties till the late Eighties charmed the film world with his scintillating lyrics in about 200 films and Rafi Saab had sung at least 225 songs out of 1800 recorded songs penned – guess whom I am referring, yes it is Hasrat Jaipuri, “The King of Romance”. Hasrat Jaipuri is one of the best lyricists in Bollywood who have been in the Indian film industry for a long time. The lyricist is now being considered as an iconic figure in the Bollywood music world. The verses which came out of his pen were realistic, rhythmic and touched the soul. He spread the fragrance of his poetry during 50’s & 60’s with his brilliant poetic genius comprising some of the sweetest melodies sung by “The King of Melody”, Mohammad Rafi Sahab – “Teri pyari pyari soorat ko” (Sasural), “Tu kahan yeh bataa” (Tere Ghar Ke Saamne), “Tu mere saamne hai, teri zulfein hai khuli” (Suhagan), “Ehsan tera hoga mujh par” (Junglee), “Teri zulfon se” (Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai) and “Tum mujhe yoon bhula na paaoge” (Pagla Kahin Ka). (more…)

By Souvik Chatterji

Rafi Sahab with SJ, Asha, Hasrat, Shailendra

Poet and lyricist Shailendra had glorified the world of bollywood with his romantic words. He had tremendous combination with legendary composer Shankar Jaikishan. Both of them in turn had magical relationship with immortal singer Mohammad Rafi.

The magic combination came together in the film Boot Polish with the song “nanhe munne bacche tere mutthi me kya hai” which had become immortal over the years. In the film Shikast, the combination came together in the song “gham me jal raha hai”. (more…)

Compiled by: Mr. Biman Baruah

Rafi Sahab and Naushad Ali

Naushad Ali and Mohammed Rafi both were the legends of Hindi Film Music, former one is one of the greatest Music Directors of Indian Cinema and later one is one of the greatest playback singers of Indian Cinema who made for each other and born on 25^th and 24^th December respectively. Both the legends are almost forgotten man today. But the immortal songs created by them still continue to live on in the minds of all music lovers and the songs are the undying treasure of Hindi Film Music. On their birth anniversary in December, they were more or less ignored in Film Industry, to which both the maestro devoted their life.

Naushad Ali was born on 25^th December 1919 in Luchnow, a traditional city famous for refined North Indian Culture. From early childhood in Luchnow he was a keen listener to the live orchestras accompanying silent films. Before coming to Bombay, he used to repair harmoniums and composed for amateur theatricals such as the Windsor Music Entertainers. (more…)

by Sarah Modi

Mohd Rafi

There are several people who compare Rafi saab with Lata ji and debate who is better.  I believe, that the premise, structure, and conclusion of their arguments are all flawed.  There is no doubt that if there is any other singing legend that matches up to the greatness of Rafi, it is indeed none other than Lata ji.  However, Rafi is Lata, Asha, and Geeta all combined into one.  If Lataji represents the serious, pristine, and classic flavors of Indian music and Asha and Geeta represent the western, naughty, and seducing flavors, Rafi saab alone portrays all of these flavors and more.  He can impeccably sing classical songs, westerns songs, bhajans, ghazals, cabarets, light romantic songs, qawalis, etc.   A music director had to look no further than Rafi saab for any kind of song whether it inculcated southern, northern, eastern, or western styles of music. (more…)

By Binu Nair

Mangalore Hanif

A ZIPPY MUSICAL PRESENTATION OF GOLDEN ERA SONGS of Mohd Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar songs enthralled the thousand odd music lovers at Mumbai Ville Parle’s Dinanath Mangeshkar Hall on Sunday May 23.

Star singers of the day Mangalore Hanif, Zee Saregama star Mona Kamath, Star tv awardee Prabhanjan Marathe, singer Aparna, composer Prem Kumar and singer Dinesh Parmar derived non-stop applause for each of their renditions.

The Chief Guest of the evening Mr Pascal Pinto, Managing Trustee of Mangalore Rafi Foundation, who had specially flown in from KUWAIT was visibly pleased and commented ” these talented singers must be in the film industry entertaining larger number of audiences”. (more…)

By H.V.Guru Murthy

Mohd Rafi

Which is your most favourite song in the history of Hindi film music during the past eighty years? If any body puts this question to me, I would rather not answer, as how can you choose just one song out of thousands of songs especially if you consider that versatile singers like Rafi Saab, Lataji, KK, Ashaji, Mannada, Mukeshji, Hemantda, Talatji, etc. etc. have sung so many wonderful wonderful songs.

But precisely a similar exercise was carried by the Magazine OUTLOOK in their 2006 June issue. Thirty prominent musicians of the Hindi Film Industry including Manandey, Mahendra Kapoor, Khayyam, Rajesh Roshan, Gulzar, Javid Akhtar, etc. were chosen to be in the Jury and were given the task to select the best songs. (more…)

Written by Sivanandam Palamadai

Mohd Rafi

A lullaby (Lori in Hindi) is a soothing song sung to put a child to sleep. Each country in the world has its own rich tradition of lullabies. Our own country, with its great civilization and culture  has a very rich collection of such songs from each region.

It is a universally known fact that lullabies are generally sung by a mother to make her child sleep. Lucky indeed is that child that has a father who can sing a Lori. And if that father has a voice like Rafi? Eternal bliss!!!

There are many Lori songs in Hindi film music (HFM) which are evergreen, generally sung by female singers. Lata’s  ‘Dheere se aajari ankhiyan mein ’ is considered one of the best Lori ever composed and sung in HFM. There are of course many more from Lata whose sweet, soothing Loris can put even an insomniac to sleep!! (more…)

Compiled by: Mr. Biman Baruah, Sivasagar, Assam

Rajkumar and Mohd Rafi

Rafi Saheb had sang some milestone songs for prominent & stylish actor Raaj Kumar in some highly memorable films: Ghamand, Nausherwan-E-Adil, Mother India, Phool Bane Angarey, Kaajal, Neel Kamal, Mere Huzoor, Heer Raanjha, Maryada, Lal Patthar, Pakeezah and Chambal Ki Kasam.

In the early 1950s, Kulbushan Pandit, a sub-inspector of the Mumbai police gave up his job, changed his name to RAAJ KUMAR and made his acting debut in the film RANGILI (1952) which was unnoticed. In the next five years, he acted in few incomprehensible films which failed to launch his career. In 1957, Mehboob Khan’s Oscar nominated classic blockbuster film MOTHER INDIA where he played a role of poor farmer, established him a lead actor in Hindi Film. After that there is no looking back for him, he acted in more than 70 films in a career of four decades and played leading, central supporting or villain roles. His most notable performances were in hit films like PAIGHAM(1959), DIL APNA AUR PREET PARAYI (1960), GHARANA (1961), DIL EK MANDIR (1963), WAQT (1965), HAMRAAZ (1967), NEEL KAMAL (1968), HEER RAANJHA(1970), LAL PATTHAR (1971), PAKEEZAH (1972) and HINDUSTAN KI KASAM (1973), out of which he got Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for DIL EK MANDIR & WAQT.  He was best paired with Meena Kumari and Mala Sinha. (more…)