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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:

It has been twenty seven years since the passing of this Legendary Genious, but even today his voice continues to entertain and to hold us spellbound as just a few other has done.

Was his talent great? maybe the greatest that India has ever seen, but
what made Rafisaab great? not only his god given talent, but the humility and goodness in the man, which made him even greater.

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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:

In our tribute "Mohd Rafi: The Versatyle Genious" here we have listed over one hundred of his songs with audio, lyrics, translations and other bits and pieces of information that we have researched and gathered in our quest to honor a great son of the soil, a remarkable piece of work put together and first of its kind, on the net on one thread.

Since we felt that so many great songs were omitted from our compilations, songs which we ourselves wondered "why" they were omitted and the only answered that we could have offered was that

(1) No one could possibly select one hundred best songs of Rafisaab, and

(2) Since Rafisaab had sung so many thousands of songs, and many hundreds were hits, we felt that it would be an exercise in futility to say that X numbers were the best.

In this excercise we shall list another 100 songs that we had not previously listed, and we shall discuss some that we had listed and I promise that this thread will be another lengthy one for the lovers of Rafi songs.

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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:

This project will be ongoing, and as it will be very tedious in researching and compiling, we will take as much time as possibly, and as the heading says "missing gems" it will be like an investigator looking for missing gems Big Grin

So all we asked, is to be patient and we/you all will be presented with those missing gems. Wink

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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:


THE BHARAT RATNA:(translates to Jewel of India or Gem of India in English) is India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order." Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna carry no special title nor any other honorifics, but they do have a place in the Indian order of precedence. The award was established by the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad, on January 2, 1954. Along with other major national honours, such as the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, the awarding of the Bharat Ratna was suspended from July 13, 1977 to January 26, 1980. The honour has been awarded to forty persons, a list which includes two non-Indians and a naturalized Indian citizen. Originally, the specifications for the award called for a circular gold medal carrying the state emblem and motto, among other things. It is uncertain if a design in accordance with the original specifications was ever made. The actual award is designed in the shape of a peepul leaf and carries the Hindi-written words "Bharat Ratna" on the front. The reverse side of the medal carries the state emblem and motto. The award is attached to a two-inch long ribbon, and was designed to be worn around the recipient's neck.
Courtesy: Wikipedia:

Some who has been given that award are: Lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ravi Shankar, and 37 others.
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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:



A shrine to Mohammad Rafi in Birmingham
By Prasun Sonwalkar, London, Sep 26:

Some critics call Indian singer Mohammad Rafi a mere 'qawwal', while millions revere him as the epitome of romance and solace - and now a Birmingham-based fan has built a shrine to his idol who he sees as nothing less than a saint.

Tasawar Bashir, a Birmingham-based artist, has designed a contemporary shrine to Rafi (1924-1980). It is currently on display at the Festival of Xtreme Building, Birmingham. Visitors are encouraged to bring offerings.

Bashir, who designed the relic, said: "There is no doubt in my mind that Rafi is already a saint. However, life moves at a much faster pace in the 21st century and therefore I believe that achieving the status of sainthood should reflect this societal shift.

"I asked myself how I could pay homage and honour Rafi, and was struck by the simple solution to make a shrine; a capsule in the middle of a bustling city which compresses time and space and expresses a one-to-one transmission between Rafi's voice and the listener. It is my intention that the shrine will transcend time and space."

The shrine has been built from transparent materials to emphasise its accessibility, and to encourage people who may not be familiar with Islamic art, or Rafi, to explore the space. The shrine, which is still only a prototype, will eventually be taken to India.

Tasawar added: "The shrine will be affected by the environment, weather and light depending on the time of day, meaning that every visit will be unique."

Dave Pollard, Curator of the Festival of Xtreme Building, said: "Mohammed Rafi had near universal appeal and his songs covered both the sacred and the secular. We hope that the shrine will create a link between the city and communities that may not normally visit the town centre, and urge the public to assist Tasawar in his attempt to turn this respected man into the peoples' saint."

The shrine is a 'Project 500' commission, a challenge set by the Festival of Xtreme Building asking artists and architects to work within a community to build a structure or installation with a budget of only 500 pounds. The shrine has been constructed with help from community residents and the support of Travel West Midlands, SAMPAD and Marketing Birmingham.

Tasawar told the media: "Mohammed Rafi embodies the golden age of Bollywood. He was never present in any of these films but everyone knew who he was through his voice. He was so prevalent in the 70s and 80s when I was a kid.

"My mum used to put him on in the kitchen, dad in the car - you couldn't get away from him."

Ameet Chana, a former actor in the popular serial "EastEnders", hosted the event Saturday and said: "It's great everybody's come out to celebrate the renowned voice of Mohammed Rafi. I was very young at the time he passed away but I grew up with his sound through going to watch classic Bollywood films."

Shin, an artiste with Birmingham-based bhangra band DCS, said: "Rafi was a great influence on me and he's the reason I'm singing. He encouraged me to sing like him and my singing is still based very loosely on his style. This shrine is a great idea and well overdue."

--- IANS
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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:

The hunt for the missing gems commences:

As we know that sometimes the link goes dead, we will try to list songs with two links, one which is the regular and the other MP3

First before we get to the lyrics and translations, we will give a preview of the first 25 songs, then added to those the whole works, before we start on the next 25: So sit back and enjoy nostalgic melodies: by the Legendary Rafisaab:

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In future Rafisaab postings we will be using articles written by our Brother Nasir, who has given us written permission:

Nasir bhai, we wish to express our "thanks" for your generous offer, and promise that your articles will be used for the enjoyment of the Fans of the Legendary Master:


Comments to Nasir:

Nasirbhai,
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your articles on Mohd Rafi, your work has now put a different light on the life and times of the Legendary Master.

As a fan of Rafisaab, you will not be able to observe the joy in my heart in reading these articles, god you were so thoroughly to the point in differentiating the different decades, and its happening....Nasir bhai there is enough articles you have uncover to put into book form.

It would have been my utmost desire to see you describle his last days in the month of Ramadan.

May God bless you, for imparting so much knowledge to all Rafi Fans

Some Years ago I myself did a feature on Mohd Rafi, I am currently in the process of doing Part 2 and I will beg to use some of your information provided so that my community will have a better understanding of The Legendary Master.

Part 1 Here: http://guyanafriends.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/26110829731/m/22110249331

and Part Two now in the works here;
http://guyanafriends.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/26110829731/m/16510854341

I look forward for your response

Your truly. Abdool:



January 6, 2008 7:56 PM
Nasir said...
Dear Abdool,
I am glad that my article on the Great Legendary Rafi Sahaab could attract your interest and give you pure joy. This is just my way of paying tribute to the Legend. Speaking of which the translations of his songs are also a way of doing that.

Go ahead and use whatever you want from these posts for this is the way of spreading Pax Rafiana, or Rafi Culture, in my opinion.

Nasir.

January 7, 2008 9:37 AM

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TRIBUTE TO MOHAMMED RAFI THE LEGENDARY SINGER OF INDIA...1...

ARTICLES BY NASIR WHO IS TODAY CONSIDERED AN AUTHORITY ON THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOHD RAFI:

Part 1

With special reference to the 1950's and 1960's.

What I present below is just a general observation and impressionistic views of an ordinary fan who did hear and enjoy the songs of Rafi Sahaab in the good old days and cherishes them still.
With the untimely death of the legendary Kundanlal Saigal in January 1947 a void had been created. Most of the actors having given up singing too about the mid-Forties, playback singing was a new industry and those who came in at that stage, most of them were heavily influenced by the Saigal style. Naushad, who had teamed up with Saigal in Kedar's masterpiece Shahjehan had given the last of great musical hits that kept the memory K.L. Saigal alive. The older generations were crazy after Saigal's songs. For several years, after his demise, Radio Ceylon used to play a 78 rpm record of Saigal's songs every day at 7:57 a.m.. It is against this background that emergence of Mohammad Rafi has to be seen and appreciated. Without going into his story of his earlier beginnings and forays in the Bombay film industry which are too well-known, I would like to begin at once with taking small glimpses of the "Rafian Process" that had a solid foundation in the late Forties itself, and which began building on that foundation in earnest with the 1950's. In accordance with the compositions of the Music Directors of the late Forties, Rafi Sahaab sang those songs that involved use of low octave in his earlier voice. For example, HAAY RE DUNIYA....in Zeenat (1945), YAHAAN BADLA WAFAA KA (with the reigning queen of melodies, Noor Jahan), and a light number for collegians: WOH APNI YAAD DILAANAY KO where he also appears as himself (Jugnu 1946); or TERA KHILONA TOOTA BALIK... in Anmol Ghadi (1946) had him singing in a deep bass. However, personally I'm surprised at Rafi Sahaab's rendition of KEH KE BHI NAA AAYE TUM...in Safar – a 1946 number under C. Ramchandra. The style belongs to the Fifties with another tonal quality. The following years we find a powerful amalgamation of the emotional feel of Rafi Sahaab blended in his songs In 1947, Do Bhai which had hit numbers of Geeta Roy, he lamented: DUNIYA MEIN MERI AAJ ANDHERA HI ANDHERA. The same year he gave such hits as TUM HAMAARAY HO NAA HO, in Saajan IK DIL KE TUKDE HAZAAR HUYE...was another of his song giving that hapless unrequited love in PYAAR KI JEET (1948). Emotion mixed with Romance in HAMM KO TUMHAARA HI AASRA in Saajan (1947). In 1948 he gave quite a few numbers for Amirbai Karnataki in Shehnaz. However, in MORE RAJA HO LE CHAL... in Nadiya ke Paar the voice used for Dilip Kumar is still in low octave. Which is again reflected in YEH ZINDAGI KE MELE in Mela (both of 1948) though not filmed on the protagonist.

Part 1 continues.....
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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:

Part 1 continues.......

With special reference to the 1950's and 1960's.

The year 1948 also promised that we had in Rafi Sahaab a singer who could stir up feelings of patriotism in a manner hitherto not done as when he sang in the musical composition of Husnlal Bhagatram: SUNO SUNO AY DUNIYA WAALO BAPU JI AMAR KAHANI. The then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru evidently having heard of Rafi Sahaab invited the young singer to his residence to sing to him that lyrical obituary relating to the Father of the Nation - that Bapu JO PUNJYA HAI ITNA JITNAA GANGA MAA KA PAANI. There was, perhaps, no one to record how many precious tears the Indian Prime Minister must have shed on listening to the deep, rich voice, that heart-rending pathos... Though Rafi Sahaab had sung several patriotic numbers such as in Shaheed (1948) which had Ghulam Haider as the Music Director, WATAN KI RAAH MEIN...showed the promise that Rafi Sahaab would be excelling the genre of the patriotic number as well. Since this song is a duet, one can easily fathom what an emotional singer Rafi Sahaab was even at that very young age. The rendition of this song established him as the singer of patriotic songs too. For Ghulam Mohammad he sang in Kajal (1948), Shayar (1949). His DIL KI LAGI NAY HAMM KO DIWAANA...in Paras (1949) was at the simple best. Rafi Sahaab sang for Music Director like Shyam Sunder right from 1948 till at least 1953 for movies such as Actress, Bazaar, Chaar Din, Dholak and Alif Laila, giving such hits as AY DIL MERI AAHON MEIN (Actress -1948); AY MUHABBAT, UNSE MILNAY KA BAHAANA MIL GAYAA and the lament in MERAY BHAGWAAN TU MUKHKO, YUNHI BARBAAD REHNAY DAY (Bazaar 1949); the light foot-tapping HALLA GULLA LAEE LAA (Dholak – 1951); KYA RAAT SUHAANI HAI (Alif Laila – 1953). Khemchand Prakash and Husnlal Bhagatram were some of the other composers for whom Rafi Sahaab sang giving them many hit numbers. In Meena Bazaar, Husnlal Bhagatram tasked Rafi Sahaab to sing all their numbers, nearly ten, either solo or duets. For Husnlal Bhagatram he sang such soulful songs as: IK DIL KE TUKDE HAZAAR HUWYE (Pyar ki Jeet - 1948); MUHABBAT KE DHOKE MEIN KOI NA AAYE (Badi Bahen – 1949); THUKRA KE HAMEN CHAL DIYE BEGAANA (Baalam -1949) among others. The romantic AYE MUHABBAT, UNSE MILNEY KA BAHAANA MIL GAYA, (Bazaar), and DIL HO UNHEY MUBARAK in Chaandi Raat, the vocal timbre sounds the same. The song of Badi Bahen: MUHABBAT KE DHOKE MEIN KOI NAA AAYE, and in Dillagi ISS DUNIYA MEIN AY DILWAALO.n...is still effectively at low key though the latter was under the baton of Naushad Sahaab. We find certain direction of the genre of Ghazal or Nazm in JIN RAATON MEIN NEEND UD JAATI HAI....(Raat ki Raani) and that of a soulful lament in MUJHE BHAGWAAN TU MUJHKO YUNHI BARBAAD REHNEY DE...(Bazaar). In other song of Dulari (duet) such as MIL MIL KE GAAYENGE HO DO DIL YAHAAN...or in Rafi Sahaab's duet with Suraiya in Duniya (1949): HAAYE RE TUNE KYA KIYA, and YUN TO AAPAS MEIN BIGADTEY HAIN..in Andaaz with Lata definitely reflects the style of late forties and early Fifties with a special reference to the sweetness of Rafi Sahaab's vocals. But in RK'S Barsaat (1949), Rafi Sahaab's MAIN ZINDAGI MEIN HARDAM ROTA HI RAHA HOON...seems to be the precursor of the songs that were later composed under the baton of Naushad Sahaab in the fifties. However, the all-famous song from Dulari SUHAANI RAAT DHAL CHUKI... stands as the benchmark of a style that was common to all the coming decades.

Part 1 continues.....

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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:

ARTICLES BY NASIR WHO IS TODAY CONSIDERED AN AUTHORITY ON THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOHD RAFI:

With special reference to the 1950's and 1960's.

Part 1 continues.....

The picture that emerges shows that in the Forties itself Rafi Sahaab's name became a household name and that his songs had become a run-away hit with the masses. The presence of other male singers such as G.M. Durrani, Surendra, Khan Mastana, Shyam and others could not suppress the rising star. Bollywood song sequences by the mid-forties had become more dynamic and the camera was liberated to roam around freely. This was synonymous with Rafi Sahaab's voice that had laid the foundation in the forties to make the business of musical recording songs more exciting. When we come to the Fifties, in the very early couple of years we still find traces of the style that was prevalent in the late forties – again probably due to the fact the Music Directors had not explored the potentials of Rafi Sahaab and were content with their same old style of song and music. Thanks to the experimentation of Naushad, the Fifties were to witness, or rather hear, and treasure that quality of Rafi Sahaab that was not present in the earlier playback singers, namely, his phenomenal range of voice. The song from Baiju Bawra (1953) : O DUNIYA KE RAKHWAALAY is still fresh in the memories of music lovers even after the lapse of fifty-four years. This high range was of Rafi Sahaab was used in MERI KAHAANI BHOOLNAY WAALAY (Deedar 1951), YAHI ARMAAN LEKAR. (Shabab 1954) or O DUUR KE MUSAAFIR (Udan Khatola 1954). Shankar-Jaikishen made use of this range in Basant Bahar (1956): DUNIYA NA BHAAYE MOHAY...where the voice rises in crescendo and is one of the most difficult songs to sing. Some singers have tried to sing the Baiju Bawra and the Udan Khatola songs but hardly one is found attempting to sing the Basant Bahar Bhajan of Rafi Sahaab. Hansraj Behl too got him singing MUHABBAT ZINDA REHTI HAI with the high octave of the words: CHALI AA, CHALI AA, CHALI AA....(Changez Khan – 1956). So did S. Mohinder for the song HAZAARO.N RANGG BADLEGAA ZAMAANA...(Shirin Farhad – 1957). In the late fifties Salil Choudhry had to give TOOTAY HUWAY KHWAABON NAY to Rafi Sahaab in Madhumati (1958) and so also Shankar-Jaikishen had no option but to give that difficult but racy and thunderous number: YEH DUNIYA YEH DUNIYA (Yahudi 1958) to him.

Part 1 continues.........

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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:

ARTICLES BY NASIR WHO IS TODAY CONSIDERED AN AUTHORITY ON THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOHD RAFI:

With special reference to the 1950's and 1960's.

Part 1 continues.....

It had became as clear as crystal to the Music Directors and the film industry in general in the Fifties as to what a storehouse of powerful voice did Rafi Sahaab have. They thus could come up with many compositions without restrain about the scales for they had found in Rafi Sahaab a singer who could not only understand and emote the finer nuances of lyrics effectively but also deliver the songs with grace and sweetness going from the low and high and back without losing the voice quality. Rafi Sahaab's ability to staying in tune even in fluctuation of voice range, producing specific vowel sounds and tone colours for the sound that were needed were now all too evident. So by the close of Fifties it was Rafi Sahaab all the way. He could sing all genres of songs with great ease. The classicals he had already rendered in Baiju Bawra and Basant Bahar and other movies of the Fifties, culminating in 1960 with MADHUBAN MEIN RADHIKA NAACHE RAY....(Kohinoor). His duet with Lata in Suvarna Sundari: KUHOO KUHOO BOLAY KOYALIYA is again an unforgettable number. Other genres such as Ghazals, Qawwalis, Western-influenced numbers too were already mastered by him in the Fifties. To give just an example each when the question of rendering a ghazal of Ghalib (Mirza Ghalib – 1954) in a difficult composition came up before Ghulam Mohammad he could only turn to Rafi for rendering HAI BAS KE HAR IK UNKAY....As for the qawwali style and its feel, who can forget AANKHON MEI.N TUMHAARE JALWAY in Shirin Farhad. In the Fifties itself the Western pop music had begun its assault and the Bollywood film industry could not remain unscathed. Therefore, when the West danced to Rock ˜N' Roll music, we had our own Desi version in LAL, LAL GAAL, JAAN KE HAIN LAAGU...(Mr X - 1955) belted by our own Rafi Sahaab who could not at all be repressed. Later, O.P. Nayyar found it to his comfort to use Rafi Sahaab's mastery over this style to churn out lilting numbers such as JAAWAANIYA YEH MAST MAST BIN PIYE...(Tumsa Nahin Dekha - 1956). When Usha Khanna was introduced as the Music Director in DIL DEKE DEKHO (1958) she seemed to be under this influence too. Rafi Sahaab rendered the title song of the movie that was inspired by SUGAR IN THE MORNING, SUGAR IN THE EVENING. In the same movie, Rafi Sahaab also rendered the Desi version of the DIANA number: I'M SO YOUNG AND YOU'RE SO OLD... by KAUN YEH AAYA MEHFIL MEIN... By the way, after a quarter of century later, Rafi Sahaab would be singing to Usha Khanna HUM AUR TUM AUR YEH SAMAA from this movie showing his pleasure for the masterly composition of TU ISS TARAH SE MERI ZINDAGI MEIN SHAAMIL HAI from the 1980's AAP TOH AISAY NA THHEY. The Fifties was also a decade when many low-budget mythological movies were made. It was a boon for their music directors that Rafi Sahaab sang the Bhajan's with so much emotion, pathos, power, and mastery of Hindi dialect as well. (He had already proved that with MANN TADPAT HARI DARSHAN KO...in Baiju Bawra). His Bhajans from Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1953) including GOKUL GAAWOON, and from Tulsidas (1954) including MUJHE APNI SHARAN MEIN LAY LO RAM....; from Chakradhari (1954): KAHAY KO BISRAA HARI NAAM; Aastik (1956) O JISKA SAATHI HAI BHAGWAAN.... Or from the Dilip Kumar starrers: Amar (1954): INSAAF KA MANDIR HAI, Insaniyat (1956): APNI CHHAAYA MEIN BHAGWAN, Naya Daur (1957): AANA HAI TO AA.., can never be forgotten. The genre comedy are amply represented by such songs as: AY DIL HAI MUSHKIL (C.I.D – 1956) SAR JO TERA CHAKRAAYE (Pyaasa -1957), JANGAL MEIN MOR NAACHAA (Madhumati – 1958). These songs are specially known for their uncanny resemblance to the voice and the mannerisms of comedian Johnny Walker. But then he also sang such songs for other actors too. One such notable movie is HAMM SAB CHOR HAIN. In the Fifties the Voice of Rafi Sahaab was sugar and honey and tugged at the hearts of its listeners, evoking all shades of noble emotions. No doubt he became a national icon.

Part 1 continues.....
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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:

ARTICLES BY NASIR WHO IS TODAY CONSIDERED AN AUTHORITY ON THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOHD RAFI:

With special reference to the 1950's and 1960's.

Part 1 continues.....

Mohammad Rafi's songs in the Golden Age are vocally seductive, rendered under great composers such as Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishen, S.D. Burman and C.Ramchandra, as well as the musicians of the next in ranks. Letting aside the most popular songs of Rafi Sahaab in the Fifties under the batons of Naushad (Dastaan, Deedar, Aan, Baiju Bawra, Udan Khatola, Sohni Mahiwal, Amar, Shabab,Mother India... ); Shankar Jaikishen (Seema, Shri 420, Raj Hath, etc.) O.P. Nayyar, (Aar-Paar, Mr. and Mrs. 55, Tumsa Nahin Dekha, C.I.D., Phagun, Howrah Bridge, 12 O'Clock, Naya Daur, Aakhri Dao...); S.D. Burman (Nau do Gyaraah, Pyaasa, Solva Saal, Kala Pani, Kaghaz Ke Phool); C.Ramchandra: (Sargam, Hangama, Insaniyat, Amar Deep...); Heman Kumar (Jagruti, Miss Mary, Payal...), A few of other representative numbers of the Fifties in general are: AKELAY MEIN WOH GHABRAATE TO HONGE from BiwiARRE DENE WAALAY YEH KYA ZINDAGI DI..from Meena Bazaar.HAMM ISHQ MEIN BARBAAD HAI.N..from Aankhen.ADA SE JHOOMTAY HUWAY...Sinbad the Sailor. YEH SAAWAN AUR HAMM AUR TUM from Dastaan.DUNIYA EK KAHANI (Afsana)JAB SHAMMA NAY PUKARA TOH ....(Albela)O SANAM O SANAM (Sanam)NAIYYA TERI MAJHDAR HOSHIYAAR. (Awara)JAYEGA JAB YAHAAN SAY (Moti Mahal)TOOFAANON SE KHELAY JAA (Sinbad the Sailor)AJAB TORI DUNIYA HO MORAY RAAMA (Do Bheega Zameen)DEVTA TUM HO MERA SAHAARA (Daaera)NAYI ZINDAGI SE PYAAR KAR KE DEKH (Shikast)TERA KAAM HAI JALNA PARWAANAY (Papi)CHAL CHAL RE MUSAFIR CHAL (Pooja)OH MAI HOON MASTANA; (Mastana)AB WOH KARAM KAREN KE SITAM (Marine Drive)DAULAT KE JHOOTHE NASHE MEIN HO CHOOR (Oonchi Haveli)HAI DOOR BADI DOOR, BADI DOOR THIKANA (Madhur Milan)MERA TANGA BADA NIRALA (Tangewaali)KAALI KAMLI WAALEY TUM PAY (Hatim Tai ki Beti)RAHI O RAHI (Devdas)PARWAR DIGAARE AALAM (Hatim Tai)APNA HAI PHIR BHI APNA (Bhai Bhai)BIGDI HUWI BANAADE AJMER WAALEY KHWAAJA (Alam Ara)DAULAT KE JHOOTHE NASHE MEIN.. (Insaf)MAINAY CHAAND AUR SITAARON KI (Chandrakanta)CHUN CHUN KARTI AAYI CHIDIYA (Ab Dilli Duur Nahin)AA HA BADLA ZAMAANA (Miss India)ANDHE NE BHI SAPNA DEKHA (Sujata)CHAL UD JAA RAY PANCHCHI (Bhabhi)LAY CHALA JIDHAR YEH DIL NIKAL PADE (Miss Bombay)MAN MORA BAAWRA NIS DIN GAAYE..(Raagini)MAI.N, MAI.N MAI.N CARTOON M.A. (Title Song)Ai JI MAINAY POOCHHAA AAPKO HUZOOR KYA HUA (Mainay Jeena Seekh Liya) AJAB HAI DASTAA.N TERI AY ZINDAGI (Shararat)And many, many more.

Part 1 continues.....

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MOHD RAFI: MISSING GEMS:

ARTICLES BY NASIR WHO IS TODAY CONSIDERED AN AUTHORITY ON THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOHD RAFI:

With special reference to the 1950's and 1960's.

Part 1 continues.....

Rafi Sahaab is generally credited with having given us about 27,000 songs in his career. The great forte of Mohammad Rafi Sahaab was that he moved with the times. In this process, he himself brought about a positive change in the playback singing, widening the horizon for the music directors, and was responsible for the liberation of filmy music that had become type-cast and monotonous to say the least. By the time we come to the year 1960, we find that Rafi Sahaab had no more musical territories to conquer. As Lata Mangeshkar was to observe much later: "The void that was created by K.L. Saigal had been filled". But another sign of a great playback singer is not to rest on his laurels. But that story belongs to the Sixties.We saw the tremendous impact of Rafi Sahaab on the film music in the Fifties. However, it should not be in the least imagined that it was a smooth sailing for him. Of course he sang duets with all the female singers of the Fifties, including Shamshad Begum whom Asha Bhonsle had once called "Punjab Ka Jaadu," Lata and Usha Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Raj Kumari, Ameer Bai, Madhubala Jhaveri, Meena Kapoor, Mubarak Begum, and others. But he faced the toughest of competition from the other male singers such as Talat Mehmood, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, C.Ramchandra and Mukesh. Naushad's home production, Babul, (1950) had Talat Mehmood's number for Dilip Kumar. Rafi Sahaab figured just nominally in the background voice singing: DUUR JAANA DUUR HAI...in the Talat-Shamshad duet: NADI KINAARAY PAAS HAMAARAY SHAAMD SUHAANI AAYI. In fact, by the time we approach 1960, Mukesh had won the 1959 Film Fare best singer award for his SABB KUCHH SEEKHA HAMMNAY in Anari. At the same time it also goes to the credit of Rafi Sahaab that he was called upon to render playback singing for established singer such as Talat Mehmood in Lala Rukh: HAI KALI KALI KE LABB PAR in a subdued voice to sound like Talat; and for Kishore Kumar in Baghi Shehzada, Ragini and Shararat. The songs in Raagini: MANN MORA BAAWRA, in Shararat: AJAB HAI DAASTAA.N TERI AY ZINDAGI; were great hits. O.P. Nayyar's decision to make Rafi Sahaab sing the classical song Mann Mora Baawra was upheld by Ashok Kumar who was the producer of Ragini. Shankar-Jaikishen too for their Shararat song needed Rafi Sahaab for his classical background and the phenomenal range of voice. Rafi Sahaab's duet with Asha Bhonsle was lip-synched by both Bhagwan and Kishore Kumar in HAMEN BHAYY DARR HAI in the 1956 flick, Bhagam Bhag which had lilting duets of these male singers.

Part 1 continues.....
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