Shankar and Shammi with Rafi Sahab

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to rock and roll star Shammi Kapoor on 21st October, 2011. He died this year making huge number of audience sad. He had remained a dancing sensation in the 60s.

Shammi Kapoor is also admired a lot by a big section of music lovers because most of the hit songs of the 50s and 60s belonged to him and the legendary singer Mohammad Rafi had sung immense number of brilliant songs for the stylish actor. Read the rest of this entry »

Mohd Rafi

There are few singers for whom the listener feels such personal & emotional attachment as for Mohammad Rafi, for few have so eminently possessed the magic gift of identifying themselves with their singing. We hear his songs every day, and grow into familiar intimacy with him as we listen. The artless benevolence that beams throughout his singing; the whimsical, yet amiable views of human life and human nature; the unforced humor, blending so happily with good feeling and good sense, and singularly dashed at times with a pleasing melancholy; even the very nature of his mellow, flowing, and softly-tinted style, all seem to bespeak his moral as well as his intellectual qualities, and make us love the man at the same time that we admire the singer. While the other singers of loftier pretension and more sounding names are suffered to molder on our shelves, those of Mohammad Rafi are cherished and laid in our bosoms. We do not quote them with ostentation, but they mingle with our minds, sweeten our tempers, and harmonize our thoughts; they put us in good humor with ourselves and with the world, and in so doing they make us happier and better listeners. Read the rest of this entry »

Rafi Sahab Drawn with his song lines

I am a native of Badagara in Calicut District within Kerala State. When I was 10 years old, the Film “Chowdavin ka Chand” was running in a theatre at Badagara. During that time the advertisement of film was given in a trolley which was run manually with posters of the film pasted on both sides, so that public can see from either side. The old HMV gramophone player was used to play the music in the film. At that time, I heard the song “Chaudavin ka Chand ho” of the great singer. I was thrilled to hear that and I ran towards the main road which was about 1 Km from my house, to get the lyrics book of that film used to be sold by the trolleymen at a cost 10 paise ,during that time. Read the rest of this entry »

Transforming audience to fans

IFRM stands for International Fellowship of Rotarian Musicians. (The author Rtn. Vidyut Shenoy is the Core-Committee member of its Dist. 3190 Chapter).

IFRM Dist 3190 chose the redoubtable Indian singing icon Mohammad Rafi’s 31st death anniversary to put up an event showcasing his songs. Chairman Rtn. Manoj Agarwal and IFRM India’s Regional Director Rtn. Nagesh Sidhanti worked tirelessly behind the scenes to arrange ‘Meri Awaaz Suno‘, an event named after one of Rafi Sahab’s everlasting numbers. Read the rest of this entry »

Mohd Rafi with Lata Mangeshkar and Jaikishan

Mohammad Rafi is considered to be one of the greatest playback singer that India had ever produced. Right from the early 40s till 1980 when he died, he was the ruler of playback singing in bollywood films. 1960 was a very notable year for Mohammad Rafi.

Few of the films where he had sung landmark songs were probably masterpieces. The lyrics and the compositions were the best in the history of bollywood music. For example his song in the film Chaudavi Ka Chand had the landmark song “chaudavi ka chand ho ya aaftab ho job hi ho tum khuda ki kasam lajawab ho” composed by Ravi can be considered as one of the ten greatest songs, Rafi had ever sung. The song was picturized on Guru Dutt. Read the rest of this entry »

Shammi Kapoor in Junglee

That was his voice, ranging from here to there, just like the skies. Fifty years ago, when the actor came sliding down a snow-covered slope like an avalanche, he and his voice morphed into one. A junglee was born. And 31 years after the voice left him, he joins his “asman se aya farishta” voice. Thirty one:  3 and 1.  Shammi Kapoor was born in 1931. Rafi left us on July 31. Both of them left us on the 13th day of Ramadan.

31 is a prime number.

31 = 10 X 3 + 1. Ten hat-tricks plus one. Read the rest of this entry »

Rafi Sahab's Final Resting Place

I am Suneil Makwana from Mumbai and I am a big fan of The Legend Immortal & Eternal Singer Mohd. Rafisaab. I like to listen Rafisaab’s melodious songs and his voice give me peace to my mind. Unfortunately, I have not met the Legend because I have born in 1985 and I think it’s my bad luck Rafisaab left us in the year of 1980 but when I listen songs rendered by the legend I feel that he is somewhere around. Read the rest of this entry »

Yaad Na Jaaye

Salaam-Namaste !

Ek haseen shaam ko, dil mera kho gaya !… Jee haan doston, uss haseen shaam ko hum sab ke dil kho gaye the, Rafi Sahab ki yaadon mein.

Friends, Radio Manpasand, want to say a very heartfelt Thank You for joining us last Sunday, 12th June at Cook Neighbourhood Hall for “Yaad Na Jaaye”. You came and just as we had predicted, we all took a trip together Down Memory Lane. And what a nostalgic, beautiful trip it was! One we could take again and again and never be bored. That is the magic of Rafi Sahab. Read the rest of this entry »

Mohd Rafi

Hindi film music history can distinctly be divided into two eras, BR – Before Rafi and AR- After Rafi. Between these two eras the singing sage Rafi Saheb lent his voice to numerous artists and played an extremely significant role in the success of their films and acting career as well. It is evident that many of these artists despite of their limited acting skills could survive and taste the nectar of success only because they had borrowed Rafi Saheb’s voice for their playback singing.  On the other hand many a good actors relied on Rafi Saheb because only he had the ability to translate their acting nuances into his singing to justify with their screen image. Read the rest of this entry »

Mohd Rafi and Biswajeet

Bengali actor Biswajeet Chatterjee after acting in hit films in Bengali namely Mayamrigo in 1960 and Dui Bhai in 1961 went to Mumbai to pursue his acting career there. He made his debut in the film Bees Saal Baad where Hemant Kumar was the producer of the film and also the music composer.

In a short period of time Biswajeet got roles to play in films of different producers and directors namely Nasir Hussain, Satyen Bose, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and others. Mohammad Rafi played a very important role in the success story of Biswajeet’s films because most of the films ended up being musical blockbusters. Read the rest of this entry »