Twenty Six years since Bollywood lost a diamond
Article from the web.
Mohammed Rafi left us 26 years ago, but, his songs still continue to haunt us. Rafi’s melifluous voice suited many. His lively lilting voice has been for the who is who of Bollywood’s stars from thespian Dilip Kumar to the evergreen Dev Anand to the showman Raj Kapoor to Shammi Kapoor, Biswajit, Joy Mukherjee, Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kumar, Guru Dutt, Dharmendra, Sunil Dutt, Sanjeev Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and many many others.
Tumhari awaaz sunkar, pathar bhi pighal jaate hain e Rafi!
Tumne apni awaaz maut ko kyon nahin sunaa!
Aiiyyayya Sukoo Sukoo, Tareef Karoon Kya Uski, Deewana Hua Badal, or even Tel Malish… Rafi sang innumerable interesting and everlasting songs for the hero and the comedian alike. Be it brilliant classical numbers like O Duniya Ke Rakhwale, Madhuban Mein Radhika Nache Re, Man Tarpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj, thumris like Aye Na Balam Vaada Karke and Gori Tere Nainva Kajra Ban, ghazals like Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho or Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar, lilting folk numbers like Nain Lad Jai Hai To Manwa Ma Khasak Hui Bekari, patriotic songs like Jahan Dal Dal Par, or Kar Chale Hum Fida or even bhajans like Duniya Na Bhaye Mujhe, Rafi voice made all the difference.
Rafi could make the audience cry, smile or even dance with his voice. He lent more depth to an actor. His tuning with music directors was terrific. Though Rafi sang for Raj Kapoor he could never sing for him for long, a fact that every Rafi fan would rue. Kapoor was accused to trying to put down Rafi sometimes.
Rafi was an idol, an icon, someone whom people tried to emulate, a man with a voice that others hoped they could even imitate and create an identity. From Shabbir Kumar to Mohammed Aziz to even Sonu Nigam, they have tried and created a Rafi touch… But there can be no to Mohammad Rafis… How can you expect someone else to provide qawwalis like Yeh Ishq Ishq Hai, Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin or Aji Aisa Mouka Phir Kahan Milega or even Teri Zulfon Se Judaai To Nahin Maangi Thi with the same infectious enthusiasm?
Hi,
I am very sorry for the error in my earlier comments. The name of the unreleased film mentioned earlier by me is actually “Habba Khatoon” to the best of my knowledge. Apologies to all for the error.
Jay Sagar
Hi,
I am a big fan of Rafi and have been following almost all of his hit songs, particularly all those that are counted among classics. Has anybody got his song “Jis raat ke Khwaab aayi hai” from the unreleased film “Habba Jhatoon” composed by the great Naushad saab. I have heard this song once from a friend and I can tell you that this can easily be ranked among the top 10 songs sung by rafisaab. You have to just hear the voice quality, the range and the variations that he brings into his singing. I thought it was just divine singing. I have even read somewhere Naushad saab saying that the above mentioned song is the best ever song that he had composed for Rafi and also sung by Rafi. I am not sure when this song would have been recorded, 60’s or 70’s era. Just think it would have been in 60’s because of the sheer quality of rafisaab’s vocals.
I think the difference between Rafi saab and all other singers was that he had a divine voice. One thing I want to confess here that all singers of the era of 50’s and 60’s were great singers with great voices. Kishore Kumar I thought was a fabulous singer with great vocals. Similarly Rafi Saab like all the other great singers had a great vocals, but I think he had a divine voice. There was a great divinity in his voice, which I think no other male playback singer had. It is something that can be only felt, but cannot be expressed. It was almost as if God would sing, then God would sing or sound like Rafi.
I think Rafi is definitely the greatest male playback singer that India has ever produced and there is no question about that. The very fact that the greatest of the music directors made the most hit songs with rafi singing for them proves this. But at the same time, all the other singers of that era were also wonderful singers. So let us enjoy their songs as well. That era of 50’s and 60’s were golden era of Hindi film music. They will never come again. Similarly there will never be another Rafi.
(To Mohan Flora,
If it is possible to get a audio piece of that song and put it on this site, it would be wonderful.)
Thanks
Jay Sagar
We should be thankfull to the Almighty for creating Rafi Saab and sending him in this world, to entertain millions all over the world. Indeed it is God’s ultimate creation.
View from the web(on rediff):
Subject: Mohd. Rafi: The Greatest Singer
Generally, I worship God, not human beings. But, If there is one human that is worthy of worship, it is Mohammad Rafi. Both as a singer and as a citizen.
To choose one song from his vast repertoire is like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. All the same, I would like readers and lovers of Rafisaab to listen to this one from a little known film called Bindiyaa. Written by Rajinder Krishan and composed by Iqbal Qureshi, you cannot help shedding a tear or two:
“Main Apne Aapse Se Ghabra Gaya Hun’
Mujhe Aye Zindagi Deewana Kar Deâ€
Posted by Ramnath on 31-JUL-06