Rafi Lives on in Maldivian fan’s memory
Article by Khilath Rasheed written on Thursday, January 28, 1999 06:03:44 PM for Haveeru Daily Online
MALE, Jan 28 (HNS) – A huge black-and-white poster of singer Mohamed Rafi decorates the bedroom wall of young Yoosuf Rasheed. The 23-year-old restored the singer’s poster after it almost got destroyed while lying at the bottom of a cupboard in his flooded room during the heavy rains of April 1991. The poster is valued greatly by Yoosuf — a devoted admirer of India’s most popular male singer — as he was not able to find a poster of Rafi, ironically, from India itself. So he took with him a small colour photograph of Rafi he cut out from an old magazine, which he kept in his wallet, and spent 300 Rupees on transforming it into a poster during his most recent visit to India in November.
Yoosuf Rasheed displays a colour poster of singer Mohamed Rafi: the 23-year-old fan has a collection of CDs and cassettes of more than 1,500 solos and duets of Rafi (Haveeru digital pic Khilath)
Yoosuf is only one among many locals in awe of Rafi’s exceptional talents at singing. Almost two decades after Rafi’s death, Maldivian homes, particularly families of Rafi’s generation, continue to listen to his golden voice.The young man, who works as a clinical assistant at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male, not only collects photos and information on Rafi, but also has a formidable collection of cassettes and CDs of Rafi’s songs.
He estimates that he has 1,500 singles of Rafi, but which actually represent only five percent of Rafi’s more than 28,000 solos and duets. Yoosuf has listened to only about 2,000 songs, he says, adding that it will take more than two months and 28 days to listen to all the songs Rafi recorded during his lifetime. “But I cannot go to sleep listening to Rafi’s songs, I get too absorbed in it,” he says.
The 56-year-old singer died on 31 July 1980 when Yoosuf was only five. “It was said that the whole Male was quiet when news of his death reached here, but I do not remember,” Yoosuf says.
Though Yoosuf was too young to remember the glorious past of Rafi, the legendary singer made his mark on the young fan’s mind due to the playing of Rafi’s songs continuously in his home by Yoosuf’s late brother.
Rafi recorded his first singles at the age of 12, but he was introduced to Maldivian fans with his 1947 hit single “Watan Ke Raahame Watan Ke Naujavaan Shaheed Ho” that appeared in the soundtrack of the Hindi movie “Shaheed”.
Rafi died in 1980 four hours after recording the song “Taqdeer Ke Qalamse Koi Bach Na Paaega”. Though every song of Rafi is soothing to the ear, Rafi’s own favourite song was said to be “Suhaani Raat Dal Chukee” which appeared in the soundtrack of the 1949 Indian movie “Dulharee”.
“I believe that each single of Rafi’s songs is a lesson to every artist,” Yoosuf says, “even though I myself have not studied the theory of music. But I have listened more than enough to recognise his voice talent.” Yoosuf listens to more than 100 of Rafi’s songs every day, mostly because he records them freely on tape to friends who want to listen to Rafi.
He has recorded more than 5,000 songs and has yet to record more than 500 songs to more of his friends. “Anything for Rafi” Yoosuf says, however busy he might be from his work at IGMH and at a private clinic. Yoosuf is never tired of anything that concerns Rafi, and says he has collected more than 50 pages of information on the singer’s life.
But that seems not to be enough. He says that the Internet, the Information Superhighway, contains too little content on the revered singer and plans to launch a website on Rafi providing exclusive information on the singer. The website is to be developed in collaboration with an Indian fan club of Rafi. Yoosuf has also dedicated his own email address in memory of Rafi — mhdrafy@hotmail.com.
He plans to further his collection of songs, and is helped by relatives and friends, and Indian doctors at the hospital, who bring him cassettes and CDs of Rafi each time they make a trip to India.
“Yet it is extremely difficult to obtain some songs, particularly early records of Rafi,” Yoosuf insists, as some record companies have ceased re-releasing of Rafi’s old records.
He also has collected tapes and CDs of Rafi’s imitators, but unlike mainstream listeners who claim that pop singer Sonu Nigam is the best Rafi imitator, Yoosuf believes that Ashok Katar’s voice comes closest to Rafi. Yoosuf deplores Dhivehi songs sung to the tune of Rafi’s songs, saying that no locals are as talented as to imitate or produce “exact replicas” of Rafi’s songs.
But he has a taste for local singer Abdul Hannan Moosa Didi’s records, saying that the similarity between Hannan and Rafi was their extraordinary talent to use their voices at varying tones.
hello to all rafi fans around the world. This is to inform you that like yourselves i too am an ardent and die hard fan of the legend rafi saab.
I am dedicating a tribute show to the memory of rafi saab in Leicester UK on 1ST August 2010. The show is with Mangal Singh who is also a graet fan of rafi saab.
Please contact me as i believe the show would be a great platform to meet all true rafi fans. My contact is 07875738730…kind regards jas singh.
The rew remix volume of Mohammad Rafi is Daagh-e-Dil
01. Barbaad mohabbat ki dua – Laila Majnu
02. Bhari dunya main aakhir – Do Badan
03. Gham uthaane k liye Main – Mere Huzoor
04. Is bhari dunya main koi – Bharosa
05. Khilona jaan kar tum to – Khilona
06. Patthar k sanam tujhe – Patthar k sanam
07. Rang or noor ki – Ghazal
08. Raha gardishon main – Do Badan
09. Taqdeer ka fasana – Sehra
10. Toote hoy khaabon – Madhumati
11. Tujh ko pukaare mera – Nil Kamal
12. Yeh dunya yeh mehfil – Heer Ranjha
Download Link
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2F9FYKOM
Plz send me the link to download the english songs sang by Md.Rafi
All my life if was an arden fan of Kishore Kumar and because of me many friends and family members started loving Kishore. Three months back I found one old cassette in the clauset of my brother and played that….. trust me the sole satisfaction I got listening to that was un explainable. What a great voice he got… what a natural talent… it was just like he put all his emotions and expressions behind his immaculate voice. I believe he deserves much more respect and acknowledgement then what he got. I now understand why millions love him…. he is a true singer or rather perfect singer…… what a voice I missed many decades… what a pitty… what a shame… you are genius Rafi… God bless you!
1. Bata mujhe o jahaan k maalik yeh kya nazaare dikha raha he
2. Bari dair bhy
3. Sur badle kese kese dekho qismat ki shehnaai
Does anyone has these song?
fiveabhi@yahoo.com
when i was in school class 11th in akhnoor..kv 1..lot of kids were rafi fans…and so i learnt about the great singer and followed his songs after that.
After collection of Rafi’s best song. Now I like basically rare song of rafi for the period of 1960 to 1980. choice of My rare song i.e. Rome ki vadio mein do dil guzar rahe hain, Tum Mere pyar ki dunia main basi ho jabse jarre jarre main mujhein pyar nazar aata hain, Mana mere hashin sanam tu raske mahatab hain, jis din se maine tumko dekha hain mere dil main ek sapna sa jaga hain izazat ho to batadu, Gum main doob gayi shaam ye muhabat tera anzam na jane kya ho, Gam ne hasne na diya dard ne rone na diya, Dil kabhi tumko diya tha ye thumein yaad rahe, Pukarti hain mohabat karib aa jaao, Sang Sang rehenge tumhare ji huzur chanda se chakor bhala kainse rahe door. etc. this type of rare song I like. Kindly share & exchange this song I will be very gratefull
Arun Gautam
I am very much fan of my idol singer Mohd.Rafi. I was collected some best song of rafi in the age of 16 years subsequent I collected hundreds of best song of rafi. After not satisfaction my dedication has been incresed and Now I started to collect rare song.Taking help of this website, today I have thousand of rare & best song collection of Rafi Saheb. But I think my collection is less before of rafi’s records. If any fan of Rafi Having Rare Rafi Song of 1960 & 1970 please share with me and also exchange with me. For this kind inspiration, I will be very grateful of all fan of Rafi
Arun Gautam
Hi all Rafi fans,
I his great fan too, I think there isn’t any match with other singers. God made Rafi an example that a human can reach to an extend in terms of voice, expretion & control. it was all a gift from God & Rafi’s struggle in life. I wish I would have met him or atleast seen him. Allah may give peace to his soul.
My 3 heart favorites are;
1-Dekhi zamany ki yaari.
2-Hum bekhudi main tum ko.
3-Kea say kea ho gea.
Asif
Karachi
assiffhabib@hotmail.com
Hi all Rafi fans,
I his great fan too, I think there isn’t any match with other singers. God made Rafi an example that a human can reach to an extend in terms of voice, expretion & control. it was all a gift from God & Rafi’s struggle in life. I wish I would have met him or atleast seen him. Allah may give peace to his soul.
Asif
Karachi
I dont know what to write , BUT just this that , NO OTHER SINGER can be Compaired to RAFI SAHAB , it’s been so good to read all the messages of you guys , i have not listen to all the songs of rafi ( infact i had listen just a part of it ) , i would love to share things about RAFI SAHAB with you Guys …..
and Yusoof u are simply GREAT /////
SHAMINDER JIT SINGH
MY NO. IS :- 09888486316
ENJOY RAFI……….
hi vijayakumar iam very much excited to know about your cd collection of mohd rafi.what shod i do to get those colletion?my email id is rajinbabuelias@yahoo.com pls contact me
HI YUSOOF AND VIJAY KUMAR—MY NAME IS SANJEEV AND I AM FROM BOMBAY IN INDIA,CURRENTLY LIVING IN CHENNAI(TAMIL NADU)–I, LIKE THE REST OF THE MILLIONS OF RAFIANS, AM A BIG FAN TOO.
I AM A COLLECTOR OF RAFIS SONGS.I HAVE A HUGE COLLECTION OF RAFIS RARE SONGS AND SONGS SUNG IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES SUCH AS ENGLISH,ASSAMESE,KONKANI,TELUGU,KANNADA,GUJRATI,BENGALI,PUNJABI,MARATHI.
ALSO I HAVE RAFIS GHAZALS AND BHAJANS AND AN MP3 OF ISLAMIC QUAWALIES.
THIS MAIL IS IN REGARDS TO GETTING MORE SONGS TO UPDATE MY COLLECTION AND TRANSFER MINE TO ALL THE OTHER FANS WHO LOVE TO COLLECT RAFIS SONGS.
I WANT THIS MESSAGE TO BE READ BY YUSOOF AND SPECIALLY VIJAY KUMAR WHO POSSESSES THE 12 CDS OF RAFIS LIVE PERFORMANCES AND A DVD TOO.MR. YUSOOF AND VIJAY KUMAR, PLEASE HELP ME TO GET YOUR COLLECTION BY MAILING ME AND ILL BE GLAD TO PAY FOR IT. MY EMAIL ID IS monty_ch2005@yahoo.com and my contact number is 09994146695.pls contact me as early as possible.
hi yusoof rasheed: nice 2 hear u r indeed a true fan of rafi..i am also a great fan and have a very big collection.. i have over 12 live shows on cd.. most of his punjabi songs.. i have been 2 rafi sahabs house 3 times..i have a dvd of his personal room showing all his belongings and trophies..i am a singer based in london…keep in touch..ihave rare foofage of rafi singing on stage..at home..very rare stuff..
Great article. I am just sad I dont know how to reply properly, though, since I want to show my appreciation like many other.
i am a great fan of rafisahab collected almost 1600 songs.i know that rafisahab has sung appx.4600 songs not 28000 songs.i would like to have all 4600 if possible.i also want to become member of rafis fans club pl.guide me.
Thanks & regards
Rafian