The Magic of Sangeet Samrat Rafi Saab at work…
This article is by Mr. Binu Nair, The Rafi Foundation.
Rafi lovers in strength outside Rafi Mansion on Dec 24 at the legend’s birthday celebrations
The Rafi Foundation celebrated Rafi Saab’s 84th birthday at Rafi Mansion located at Turner Road, Bandra West on Dec.24 with a cake cutting ceremony at the legend’s music room. Songstress Mubarak Begum who has sung nine songs with Rafi saab was the Chief Guest on the occassion.
It was a “dream” come true for scores of Rafi lovers as they could see and feel the legend’s music room. The trophies, the framed pictures with presidents and prime minister’s, the momentoes, the gramophone records, rafi saab’s life companions – his harmonium and the sitar, his working table and the black coloured telephone and the pile of newspaper files – all “neatly” arranged.
Apart from nostalgia one could see emotions in the moist eyes of Rafi lovers who had gathered there in strength.
The cutting of the birthday cake by Mubarak Begum was followed with the song “Baar Baar Din Ye Aaye, Baar Baar Din Ye Gaaye.., Tu Jiye Hazaron Saal…. in chorus by Rafi Saab lovers.
Rafi Lovers at the legend’s music room. Playback singer Mubarak Begum is seen in blue
Binu Nair with Pervez jr. grandson of Mohd Rafi and ardent Rafi Lover Bhure saab at the legends music room
Birthday cake being shared, Binu Nair and Mubarak Begum seen in the picture
Rafi Saab’s official working table, telephone and photographs in the legend’s music room
NAUSHAD SAABS BIRTHDAY….. CELEBRATED….
Dec.25 is Naushad Saab’s birthday. The day was celebrated with music and dance at Matunga’s Mysore Association hall. Mr. Raju Naushad son of Naushad Ali saab attended with his clan.
Joginder Kakaji, the Naushad Saab desciple and a talented singer led the musical journey by singing some of “rare” songs of Naushad ji ably assisted by Vohra ji, Salim bhai and Nusrat in the female lead.
Mr. Ravindra Jain , Composer of note and a Naushad Bhakt was there to greet music lovers and say some chaste “shaayris” in praise of Nushad saab.
Composer Ravindra Jain greeting Mubarak Begum at Naushaad Saab’s music show on his birthday on dec.25 at Matunga’s Mysore Association Hall
Singer Mubarak Begum addressing Naushad saab lovers at his birthday celebrations music programme. (left) Joginder Kakaji an accomplished singer
Music Recording Scene painting on Dec.22….
The Rafi saab birthday celebrations in New Delhi was marked by a unique painting competition in which students painted a “music recording scene” at the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan. The painting competition was organised by Mr.Zorawar the president of Rafi Foundation, Delhi and his dedicated team of Rafi lovers Naresh Sharma,Ashish Kapoor and Gaurav…
A press conference to mark the “Bharat Ratna Award Campaign” for Mohd Rafi Saab also was held at the venue and Dev Anand spoke live to Binu Nair and commended and supported the Bharat Ratna Campaign.Dev said : “Mohd Rafi has sung the best songs for him on screen and I am really indebted to him.”
A prize distribution award to winners and the cake cutting ceremony followed….
The Rafi Foundations thanks the team of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi for supporting us and Dev Anand Saab for praising Rafi saab..and putting it on record…
Painting Competition and Bharat Ratna Campaign address by Shri Zorawar of The Rafi Foundation, New Delhi at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan (Dec.22)
Painting Competition prize distribution at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan Mr.Naresh Sharma and Triloknath from the Rafi Foundation
Delhi Unit members of The Rafi Foundation from Left Naresh Sharma, Zorawar, Binu Nair, Ashish Kapoor and Gaurav at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan (Dec.22)
High Resolution images are available at Hamara Photos
I am a big fan of Rafi Saheb & Naushad Saheb. I am a professional singer from India. Now I am in UAE. Pls watch my video in youtube.com. Just type sajjadalikhan in youtube.com and comment.
Regards
Sajjad Ali Khan – UAE
050 5235870
rafi lovers and collectors :
the rafi foundation based in mumbai will be glad to receive
“rare songs” of guru ji from rafi lovers for its proposed library
of songs in mumbai.
the rafi lovers are “one big family” and they are coming together
in various places.
kindly come forward and contact me : at 9833 250701……..
therafifoundation@mail.com
binu nair
founder : the rafi foundation…
rajendra, atm salim and rafi lovers:
yeh kaam sab “dil” se ho raha hai – true.
rafi saab divine power hai – no doubt over it….
please read sargam magazine and do give ur responses.
binu nair… the rafi foundation…
Binuji, I am a South African and also a die hard Rafisaab fan. I try and sing as much of Rafisaab’s songs as well and enjoy each and every one of his songs. There will NEVER be another male singer like Rafisaab and there will never be melody and music on the scale that was during Rafisaab’s and his contemporaries time, as today’s productions are just so monotonous and Westernised and are so “hard on the ear”, so to speak. Anyway, my congratulations to all of you who are effortlessly keeping the memory of Mohd Rafi alive and keep on doing so, as Rafisaab was as Divine as Divinity itself.
Ragards, RajM..
great job sir.
Keep it up
DEAR BINUJI
THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR ARTICLE AND THUS SHARING WITH US THESE
GREAT OCCASIONS & PHOTOGRAPHS RELATED TO OUR BELOVED RAFI SAHAB !!
BEST REGARDS/A.T.M. SALIM
Excellent,
We all are rafi fans, but…….thanks to real rafians specially Binuji, Jorawarji & other rafi fans living in india devote their time & money.
I have no word…..for your remarkable work.
No politician shoud ever be given the “bharat ratna” award is
our stand.
and for art and culture rafi saab should be honured with the
“bharat rarna” award as he has left an indelible mark in the hearts
and minds of music lovers in all corners of the world.
rafi saab has “immortalised” the songs of great composers and
equally great writers.
composer ravi told us : that he cannot believe that the songs that
he recorded 40 years back will become so much popular after 40
years : most of them rafi saab rendered…
rafi saab sweetest vocals will conquer most hearts on most
occassions and therefore he is our “bharat ka ratan” or as some
non indians say ” vishwa ka ratan “…
let’s all carry on the great works of rafi saab unitedly forward inspite
of our “misgivings”, “pride” and sometimes our personal interests…
the caravan must ‘march ahead’ in the times to come…
binu nair.. the rafi foundatin… mumbai…
Nice way to celebrate Rafi Saheb’s birthday and Naushad Saheb’s as well.
Nice to see picture of Rafi Saheb’s house in the background of the fans. Mubarak Begum ji sang few nice duets with Rafi Saheb including “Mujhko Apne Gale Lagaa lo…” from ‘Humrahi’. Long Live Rafi Saheb.
Hi Binu,
Great Job, well done. We will succeed one day. Keep it up. 🙂
Thanks for the detailed information on the proceedings on all the three occasions and also for the photographs. The latest news that Shri Ram Vilas paswan, of the LJS party has also raised the issue of conferment of the bharat ratna to rafi sahab has come as a sigh of relief, though accompanied with usual politicking on the matter by other political parties. however, we must get in touch with mr pasvan and use his good offices and try to reason out with the government for an early decision on the matter.
It is really distressing that Sony TV is promoting Kishore with a program called “K” for Kishore. I urge Mohd Rafi fans and specially Mr. Binu Nair to protest this decision to ignore RAFI altogether, while promoting Kishore. I urge everyone to email the Sony website at http://www.setindia.com/
and complain about the unfair treatment. In my email I told them that if they don’t have a program for Mohd Rafi, I will discontinue the Sony Channel.
Asif
great job