Musical Tributes to Mohd Rafi, Shailendra & Shaily
This information is shared by Mr. Binu Nair, Founder, The Rafi Foundation.
The Rafi Foundation will pay tributes to the memory of legends Mohd. Rafi and Shailendra in a dedicated musical extravaganza of nostalgic hindi film songs on December 9 at Borivli LIC Colony’s Nutan Hall from 6.45 p.m. onwards.
Lyricist Shailendra wrote about one thousand songs, most of them evergreen and timeless numbers. In his two decade career his songs from films like Guide, Barsaat, Awara, Shri 420, Parakh, Madhumati, Andaz, Anari, Daag, Chori Chori, Ujala, and many others remain incomparable masterpieces and ‘great works of art’.
Melodious Mofd. Rafi, the musical genius and genial singer still rules the hearts of music lovers long after his passing away 27 years ago in July 1980. Some of Rafi’s rare soulful numbers and duets including “Saranga Tere Yaad Mein (Rafi Version), Carvan Gujar Gaee, Diwana Aadmi Ko Banati Hai Rotiyan, Tu Ganga Ki Mauj, among others will be presented by popular singers like Aawez Darbar, Kakaji J.P., A. Narayan and Aparna.
Besides songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh penned by Shailendra will also be presented at the musical show.
The family members of Shailendra and Mohd. Rafi will mark their presence and December 9 happens to be the birthday of Shaily Shailendra, who completed the jewel of a song “Jeena Yahan, Marna Yahan, Iske Siva Jana Kahan at age 14 soon after his dad Shailendra’s sudden departure in 1965.
The Rafi Foundation has also appealed to the government to honour Mohd. Rafi with the highest civilian award ‘the Bharat Ratna’ – posthumously.
rafi sahab jaisa aur koi nahein
The Raj Kapoor – Mohammed Rafi – Shailendra – Shanker Jaikishan formed a quartet representing a fine, wonderful combination in the Hindi film world during recent decades. The actor, playback singer, lyricist, and music composer had their respective roles that had to be perfectly harmonized to produce the best entertainment with noble emotions being evoked in the audiences who were mostly simple people with less schooling and modernized or easy ways of living. The audiences had a heart full of love for the Motherland and its kaleidoscopic culture synthesizing the major Hindu ideals with features from Islam. In the quartet, Shailendra’s lyric style, Shaili, was simply superb, since it was NOT highly Urdu-ized but was a more natural language of the commonfolk of UP-Bihar Ganga belt whose idiom was an evolution since ancient days born from the culture of India. That is how the lyrics, combined with immortal music of SJ and histrionics of Raj Kapur, touched the very heart strings of the film viewers. By comparison, most of (not all) the other lyricists used an excess of Persianized Hindi (Urdu), which was not really necessary, and which was in fact not understood in many terms even by most of the viewers from the UP-Bihar belt. Raj liked the rustic ways of speech and conduct, Shailendra came up with the most appropriate lyrics, SJ used the very best classical and folk music features to go along ideally with both the above, while Md Rafi gave of his best in music to reflect the effortless products of the other three, with his powerful voice to give form to the sincerity, depth and sense of the lyrics and music.
Dear Mr Binu
Pl mail me Rafi foundation details of hyderabad i wish to enroll myself in this club and be a part of this foundation I had already sent mail to your hotmail id on 9th march your early reply will be helpful I am a resident of secunderabad
with regards
g sunder rajan
09440803619
rafi saab lovers:
Dec.24 is fast approaching and rafi saabs 83rd birthday will
be celebrated with two functions.
a) rafi lovers will assemble at rafi mansion, bandra at 10.00 a.m.
on 24th morning and cut a cake in rafi saabs music room.
we are inviting few rafi saab friends too and some rafi saab
songs will also be sung…
b) 25th dec. is naushad saabs birthday who is the ‘guru’ of rafi saab.
we all meet over songs and dinner at Mysore association hall at
7.00 p.m. Naushad saab and Majrooh sultanpuri family members
will grace the occassion.
The address is The Mysore association, Conference Hall, 393,
Bhaudaji road, Matunga, Mumbai 400 016.
c) there is a press conference in new delhi organised by the rafi
foundation team which will appeal to the government to honour
rafi saab with the ‘bharat ratna’ award.
r.s.v.p 9821 61 59 45, 9833 250 701
the rafi foundation.. binu nair….. mumbai..
Santosh ji….
thanks….
we are all doing a small part, little things for the memory of the
greatest legendary singer the world has seen.
Yesterday Mr.Zorawar from delhi was in mumbai and we visited
rafi saabs resting place and rafi mansion. we were taken to the
music room of rafi saab where all his awards and personal
things are kept. It was a great day.
And in the evening we had one of the best musical tribute to
rafi saab, shaily and shailendra. It was a grand success and we
look forward take this magic forward.
A full report and pictures follows.
binu nair //// the rafi foundation //// mumbai… cell 9833 250 701
Binuji,
You are doing a great job of ressurecting the mistakes committed in the past.My best wishes are always with you.
I had recieved an SMS from Mr.narayanan ,Bangalore regarding mails to be sent to the times of India to commenrate Rafi saab’s birthday on 24th DEC,I have sent the mail and hopefully through all our efforts we shall give rafi saab his due.
Dear Binuji,
Thanks for your reply. I may not be able to come for the function as I have pressing engagements in Chennai. However my thoughts are always there with you all.
KS Ramachandran (Chandan)
09841071388
Rafi lovers are welcome to sing but with rehearsals and proper practice
as we tend to be little particular on the quality aspects… chandanji..
Post 7….
Thanks for the gesture and do write to me in details.
binu nair///binus2000@hotmail.com////
Binuji,
I would very much like to come and sing a few songs to pay tribute and salute the great contributuions Shailendraji and Rafi Sahab have given to the hindi film industry and also for all of us to remember the very deep rooted and powerful lyrics, music and the melody which we find it even so live, young and evergreen today.
Long live shailendraji’s invaluable and untiring contributions which ever remain in our hearts, for a lifetime…
Chandan
09841071388
Inshah allah rafi saab will be granted the bharat ratna this time.My salute to all those who are striving for this just cause.The time has come to correct this monumental mistake done on the divine voice and great human being called rafi saab.
I pray to Ishwar,Allah,Jesus & Waehguru to do justice this time for rafi saab was a great example of secularism.
So let us all pray for this to happen
Binuji/Zorawar sir
We from Bangalore unit of Rafi Foundation earnestly support this noble cause of Bharat Ratna to Rafi saab at the earliest.
Best wishes to the Delhi team
thanks. It is a really good news for us to see all this people at one time.
shashank_72@rediffmail.com
Rafi Saheb sang many nice songs for Shailendra. This program is a must for all music lovers. Please do not miss this program.
Mr.zorawar : delhi unit rafi foundation founder will be present as
a guest singer and he will croon : Tumne mujhe dekha, hokar
meherban, from teesri manzil on dec.9 at borivli west nutan
hall.
he is also organising a press conference in new delhi on 22 dec
and the subject is : honouring rafi saab with the bharat ratna award
posthumously.
rafi lovers from haryana, ahmedabad, calcutta are attending and
we will appeal to governmental leaders very strongly on our
just plea.
rafi lovers can join the team in new delhi on dec.22….
further, zorawar ji is also organising a painting contest in lieu
of rafi saabs birthday celebration in delhi.
good work indeed the delhi team..
binu nair.
Fantastic news and have downloaded the invitation to be sent to my contacts, including to some in Mumbai itself. I am very happy that the families of Shailendra and Rafi sahab would grace the occasion.