Path: ns3.CC.Lehigh.EDU!netnews.CC.Lehigh.EDU!netnews.upenn.edu!dsinc!newsfeed.pitt.edu!gatech!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!news.duke.edu!duke.cs.duke.edu!pkd From: pkd@duke.cs.duke.edu (Pavan Kumar Desikan) Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.misc Subject: The immortal Rafi Date: 23 Sep 1994 22:55:27 GMT Organization: Duke University Department of Computer Science Lines: 96 Message-ID: <35vmcv$mjo@duke.cs.duke.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: flounder.cs.duke.edu Summary: About Mohd Rafi X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Hello, Here is the piece from Deccan Chronicle (Any hyderabadis around?) typed in by Srichand, IIT Madras. Read it and enjoy it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOHAMMED RAFI: THE SONG GOES ON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part I ~~~~~~~~~ -- Masood Ansari (Deccan Chronicle) It was on July 31, 1980, during the holy month of Ramzan, that Indian filmdom lost one of its most versatile playback singers, Mohammed Rafi. The date of his passing away was, perhaps, divinely pre-ordained, for it is said that one who dies in the holy month goes to heaven. There was no person more deserving of that status than the pious and God-fearing Rafi, who never touched a drop of alcohol, who never told a lie, who never had a harsh word for anyone, and who worshipped his work. A man whose songs wiped away many a sorrowful tear from the eyes of those who were struggling under the burden of life and brought tears of ecstatic joy to many more. Within hours of getting news of Rafi's untimely demise, hundreds of mourners gathered at his residence in Bandra to pay their last homage to a man who had them bound by the magic spell of his voice for nearly four decades. Thousands braved a heavy downpour and joined the funeral procession the next day. Most of them could not believe that Rafi was no more - just a few days ago, many of them had heard him singing at his best at Bombay's Shanmuganada Hall for three hours. This was destined to be his last public appearance. Today, nearly a decade and a half after Rafi's death, it is still difficult to believe that one like him is no more. Rafi lives on, eternally, in his songs. Born on December 24, 1924, in Punjab's Amritsar district, Rafi showed an aptitude for music at a very early age. His father used to recite religious poetry in praise of God and the Prophet, and his elder brother Mohammed Deen was also a considerably good classical singer. Young Rafi was sent for training first with Ustad Chote Ghulam Ali Khan, then he took classes from Pandit Jawaharlal Mathu and Feroze Nizami. He was greatly influenced and encouraged by Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan. Rafi belonged to a very orthodox and conservative Muslim family. He used to sing at friends' places. During one such occasion, when Rafi was still only 15, Nasir Khan, one of the top producer-actor- playback singers in films, heard him sing and offered to take him to Bombay and groom him as a playback singer. Nasir Khan sought permission from Rafi's father, but the latter refused point blank. The very idea of Rafi taking up singing for films as a career was severely frowned upon. Rafi was being trained in classical music at that time by Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan. When Nasir Khan persisted with the offer, Rafi's elder brother, Deen, convinced his father to let Rafi go to Bombay. With great reluctance, Rafi's father agreed to this. Before leaving for Bombay, Rafi had already recorded his maiden film song for Gul Baluch, a Punjabi film, on February 28, 1941. The song became very popular and he was invited by the Lahore radio station to be a permanent singer with it. Rafi made his debut as a playback singer in Bombay in 1942 with Laila Majnu, a Nazir-Swarnalata starrer with music by the late Pandit Govindram. He sang a qawwali as part of a chorus, and even did a bit role in the film. Later on, he acted films like Samaj Ko Badal Dalo and Jugnu. In Gaon Ki Gori, he sang a duet with Noor Jehan, the then reigning queen of Indian film music, under the baton of Shyam Sunder. Then, somehow, Rafi was able to get a recommandation letter from Naushad's father and met the maestro, who was then composing music for Pahle Aap. Naushad offered the young singer a place in the chorus of the song "Hindustan Ke Hum Hain, Hindustan Hamara" along with Alauddin. After that he was given a chance to sing a line in a chorus for Naushad's Shahjehan, which had K.L.Saigal's immortal voice in it too. After these initial choruses, Rafi now wanted to sing solos and he was given that break also by Naushad, who had by then become not only a good friend of Rafi's but a great fan as well. This song was in Dillagi and the song was "Is Duniya Mein Aye Dil Walon Dil Ka Lagana Khel Nahin," which brought him to the forefront of playback singing alongwith K.L. Saigal, G.M. Durrani, Talat Mahmood and others. His impeccable voice quality and immaculate singing led to inevitable comparisons with these stalwarts and the comparisons were always favourable. The climb that started then stopped only when Rafi breathed his last. (TO BE CONTINUED) -- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0129 Internet: pkd@cs.duke.edu