This article was featured by buzz18.com.

Binu Nair, The founder of The Rafi Foundation

Watch Binu Nair, the founder of The Rafi Foundation speak about Rafi Sahab, Rafi’s First Song, Rafi as an actor, Rafi’s Baiju Bawra break, Rafi’s english and regional songs, Rafi’s favourite song etc., Courtesy: Buzz18.com

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Following is the article on Rafi Sahab that was featured on Buzz18.com.

Was Mohd Rafi truly a genius?

Thousands gather at Mohammed Rafi’s tomb in Santa Cruz, Mumbai to pay homage to one of the greatest singers of India, and undoubtedly one of the best in the 20th century. People from all over the world, of many nationalities and religions though mainly Indian, flock to their sacred place.

This year on July 31, Mohd Rafi’s death anniversary will see the same phenomenon. But you know what, this adulation is not limited to July 31st or December 24th (his birthday). There are people who put flowers on the legend’s tomb every day!

What is it about Rafi that pulls people 27 years after his death? Surely not just his singing — but also something deeper, sublime, spiritual to his melodious and mellifluous voice. That voice which strikes a chord with millions even today, young and old, and is claimed to be divine.

Maybe it has something to do with Rafi’s beginnings as a singer.

From the fakir to Bollywood

Born in a small town Kotla Sultan Singh (also called Kotla Sultanpur) near Amritsar in 1924, young Rafi was drawn to the chants of a fakir in his village and imitated them. That was his basic training. No wonder then, that his voice had a spiritual quality to it, especially reflected in tragic songs.

Rafi learnt Hindustani classical music from a very young age under none other than Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Abdul Wahid Khan, Pandit Jiwanlal Matto and Firoz Nizami.

Mohd Rafi in the song - Vo Apni Yaad Dilane Ko

Music director Shyam Sunder gave Rafi his first break in the early 1940s in the film Gul Baloch for a Punjabi song, Soniye hiriye, teri yaad ne bahut sataya, which was released on February 28, 1944. Shyam Sunder later signed Rafi for all his future films, including Gaon ki gori.

Rafi landed with a recommendation letter at music director Naushad’s, who first took him on for the chorus. But impressed with his style, Naushad imposed full faith in Rafi and they delivered the superhit Baiju Bawra. The song O Duniya Ke Rakhwale made Rafi famous all over India and brought him what he was waiting for.

But Rafi’s debut was Pehle Aap, though he was recognised in Mehboob’s Anmol Ghadi, where he got the opportunity to sing with Noorjehan. Such was his success, that he soon overtook contemporaries Manna Dey, Talat Mahmood, Hemant Kumar and Mukesh.

More on Rafi’s Bollywood career

And yet, Manna Dey had only kind words to say for him. He has said in the past, “He was a wonderful human being, and a great singer. I’ve been a fan of his right from the beginning. I’d taken it for granted that he was a better singer than me. No artiste has ever been able to modulate his voice according to the words like Rafi saab did.”

Mohd Rafi had the longest career spanning four decades, between the 1940s to the 1980s, singing in Hindi and many Indian regional languages, including Marathi and Gujarati. But not many know that he had also recorded two English albums with English translations of his hits Hum kale hai to kya hua dilwale hai and Bahaaron phool barsao.

Rafi is said to have sung for nearly 100 actors. Some of the Hindi actors he has sung for are: Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor (although Mukesh sang most of his songs), Rajendra Kumar, Guru Dutt, Biswajeet, Joy Mukherjee, Shammi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Johnny Walker, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Pradeep Kumar, Raj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Navin Nischol among others.

With equal ease, Rafi sang ghazals, bhajans, classical, folk and qawwalis. When he had to sing a bhajan, he would do the namaaz and ask God to give him the strength to sing it well. And surely so, his bhajans make you feel God resides within him, and within you.

But towards the late 1970s, his career started spiralling downwards and he lost out to Kishore Kumar. At some point, Rafi was so dejected that he went off to London for a few months, turning into a recluse. But that did not mean he had bitter feelings towards Kishore. They remained friends.

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