BBC Interview of Rafi Sahab in 1977
Here is an audio treat – the audio interview of the legend. This was in Brittania, during 1977 while Rafi Sahab was on world tour. My thanks to Shuklas@HF for providing us all this interview. The transcript of the interview is below. Just read through and listen to Rafi Sahab speak in his soft voice. How transparent he is in his thoughts.
Mohd Rafi, jo lagta hai abhi kal taq jo hamare darmiyan the, aur phir voh chale gaye. Abhi chand baras huve jo woh London aaye the; unse ghulmil kar baatein ho rahin thi. Yakeen nahin aata jitni oonche unki taane thi, use se bhi oonchi aasmaanon mein unhone basera kar liya hai, aur jitne neechi unki sur the, unhe us se bhi zyada neechi need aagayi hai. Mohd Rafi, marhoom. Yeh November sathathar (1977) ki baat hai, Mohd Rafi, Brittania ke kayi sheheron mein, bade bade mazhumon ke saamne gaa chuke the. Hamne unse puucha ke:
Download this 10 Minutes interview (9MB)
Interviewer: aapko apne saamne paakar, aur khud aapki zabaan mein, apne pasandida geet sunkar, logon ne kya mehsoos kiya?
Rafi: Bahut achha kiya ji, bahut achha kiya. Response achha mila. Public itni khush huyi bahut.
Interviewer: Achha Tho Yeh Baatayiye, ab aap is tamaam safar ke baad wapar bambai pahunchenge; wahan phir aage ke liye aapke kya mansoobe hain, kya plans hein?
Rafi: Kuch nahin, wahan jaake ham apna recording shuru kardenge ji. Sab log rasta dekh rahe hein udhar. Telephone aarahe hein, jaldi aayiye; jaldi aayiye.
Interviewer: Phir hamne Mohd Rafi se poocha ke hindustan ki filmon mein aapko gaate huve, chauthaayi sadise bhi zyada arsa ho chuka hai. Kabhi aapne hisaab lagaya hai ke, itne bahut se barason mein, aapne kul milakar kitne gaane gaaye hein?
Rafi: Aisa jahan tak mujeh yaad hai ki, mujeh isline mein painteez (35) saal hogaye, aur us arse ke andar maine pachheez hazaar (25000) gaane gaayen hein; pachheez – chabeez hazaar (25000-26000).
Interviewer: Achha pacheez-chabeez hazaar gaano mein, aisa nahin hota ke aap, kuch gaanon ke dhoone bhool gayen hon?
Rafi: Aisa tho kuch nahin, jo gaane hit horahe zyada inko, voh gaane yaad rehte hein. Kayi aise gaane bhi hein jo bhool bhi gaye hein.
Interviewer: Achha yeh batayiye ke, yeh jo microphone hein istarah jo aadmi peheli baar iske saamne aata hai tho, usko khauf aata hai. Microphone se kehete hein ke aadmi darta hai; aur, shuru mein kaafi arse taq usse khauf aata hai. Aur aap yeh samajhiye ke painteez saal microphone ke saamne guzare hein; yeh bataayi, ke jab aap, farz kijiye jab aap gaane khade huye the, yahan badla wafa ka bewafaayi ke siva kya hai, us waqt aap ko kaisa mehsoos ho raha tha?
Rafi: Aisa, zara si kuch jijhak aati, thodi si, phir baad mein tik ho jatha hai. Bajne se tho gaane, gaane ke baad phir se dhun aajaayegi.
Interviewer: Ab jab aap, mashallah itne arse se gaa rahein hein tho, ab aapko, microphone ke aage kaisa mehsoon hota hai?
Rafi: Bas, mehesoos kuch nahin hota ji. Ek dam free gaata hun mein bas.
O duniya ke rakhwale song plays.
Interviewer: Kahan hai yeh paakdaar awaaz aur kahan apni neeji zindagi mein, bhole bhale, seedhe saadhe, balke sach poochiye tho kuch, sehme sehme the Mohd Rafi. Yakeen nahin aata. Hamne unse Poocha ke recording studio mein tho aap aksar jaate hein. Lekin ab aap yahan Brittania mein, hazaaron mazhumon ke saamne gaa rahe hein. Kya us gaane mein, aur, is gaane mein kuch faraq hai?
Rafi: Ji haan. Bahut, ek dam change peheli dafa hota hai. Har public ki farmaish poori karni padti hai, aur jaise jaise log farmaish karte hein, waise hi gaana gaana padta hai. Usi Mood mein koyi Rock N Roll, Bhajan, Classical, ji waise gaana padta hai.
Interviewer: Mohd Rafi ki ek badi khoobi yeh thi ke voh thirakte huve geeton se lekar, tehre tehre classici raagon taq, sabi kuch, badi masharath se gaate the. Aise mehero mein unse poocha gaya ke, tarah tarah se filmon ke badalte huve manzaron ke muthabik, aap apne gaane ka andaaz, aur apni kaifiyath ko kaise badalte hein?
Rafi: Aise voh, director ham logon ko batate hein, shuru mein batate hein, yeh gaana voh gaarahein sab, Kayi saal pehele picture aayi thi Neel Kamal, Usmein Ek Gaana tha, Babul Ki Duvayen lethi Jaa. Us mein se, meri ek ladki ki bhi shaadi thi, us ke doosre din mein yeh gaana record kiya. Tho wahan voh ladki gaati hai, tho meri aankhon mein aaraha tha aisa, ke jaise meri ladki abhi jaa rahi hai, doli mein, aisa aisa, tho lagta tha ke, gaane ekdam jazbaat se dil se nikal gaya.
Babul Ki Duvayen Lethi Ja song plays.
Interviewer: Aur Aakhir mein hamne Mohd Rafi se poccha, Ke Aap, painteez barson mein, pacheez se chhabeez hazar gaane gaaye hein, tho kya aap samjhthe hein mausiki ki duniya mein, apni zindagi ka, sab se achha nagma aap gaa chuke hein?
Rafi: Yeh tho dariya hai music ka. Yeh tho kabhi khatam hota nahin bas. Jitne bhi is mein, har tarah khushi ka sana hoti rehegi bas ismein.
Interviewer: Ek dafa Rafi Sahab koyi tees saal huve, maine Illahbaad ke ek tehele mein aapka Interview pada tha. Us mein unhone aap se poocha tha ke Rafi Sahab, aapko apna gaya huva kaunsa gaana sab se zyada pasand hai? Us waqt aapne kaha tha, Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki. Kya apne is bayaan par aap abhi Kayam hai?
Rafi: Ji haan, yeh gaana achha hai, bahut sweet lagta hai bas.
Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki song plays.
Download this 10 Minutes interview (9MB)
This is a Google translation of the interview. It would be great if a Hindi speaking could correct if you have the time. I love the music of Mahommed Rafi, especially Chaudvin Ka Chand, and wanted to read the interview…..
Interviewer: How did people feel seeing you in front of them, and listening to their favorite songs in your own language?
Rafi: Well done sir, very well done. Received good response. The public was so happy.
Interviewer: Well tell me, now you will reach Bombay after all the journeys; What are your thoughts there again, what are your plans?
Rafi: Nothing, go there we will start our recording ji. Everybody is looking for the way. Telephone aa hi, came early; came early
Interviewer: Then it has been more than a long time since we went to Mohammad Rafi to ask you about the films of Hindustan. Have you ever wondered how many people have you known in all these many years?
Rafi: As far as I can remember, I will have panties (35) years in isline, and inside that donkey I have sung past thousand (25000) songs; Pachheez – Chhabis Hazar (25000-26000).
Interviewer: Achcha Pachez-Chabiz in a thousand songs, it doesn’t happen that you have forgotten to wash some villages?
Rafi: There is nothing like that, those who know that they get hit, they remember knowing. There are those who have forgotten.
Interviewer: Well tell me, this is the microphone, the person who comes in front of it for the first time, we like it a lot. Says through the microphone that man is the giver; And, in the beginning a lot of donkeys comes from him. And you have spent the panties years of this society in front of the microphone; It was told that when you, say, when you stood to know, what is Shiva of the infidelity of revenge, how did you feel at the time?
Rafi: Like this, there would be some hesitation, a little bit, then later it ticks. After playing the song, after leaving, the tune will come again.
Interviewer: Now that you, MashaAllah, are singing with such an ass, how do you feel in front of the microphone?
Rafi: Bass, feel nothing happens, sir. I just sing a dam free.
O keeper of the world the song plays.
Interviewer : Where is this voice and where is it in your personal life, innocent, straight, simple, if you ask the truth, Sehme the Mohammed Rafi. Not sure flour. We asked him if you often go to the recording studio. But now you are singing here in Britannia, in front of thousands of people. Is there any difference between going and leaving?
Rafi: Yes. Much, a dam is changed for the first time. The request of every public has to be fulfilled, and as the people request, the same song has to be sung. In the same mood one has to sing rock n roll, bhajan, classical, jee waisa.
Interviewer: One of the great qualities of Mohammed Rafi was that he was from trembling songs, from tehre tahere classical ragas to sabi kuch, badi mashrath se get the. In such moments, he was asked, how do you change your style of going, and your Kaifiyath, because of the changing scenes of films in different ways?
Rafi: Aise Woh, director we tell Logan, tell us in the beginning, this song Woh Gaarein Sab, many years ago the picture came Neel Kamal, there was a song in it, Babul ki duwayen lethi ja mein, my one girl. Was also married, recorded this song in its second day. So there is that girl’s speed, there was a saw in my eyes, as my girl is going now, in the doli, it was like that, it seemed that I came out of my heart with a lot of emotion.
The song of Babylon ki duwayen lethi ja is played.
Interviewer: And finally we have pocha with Mohammad Rafi, that you, in panties years, have known twenty-six thousand from paches, so would you understand that in the world of Mausiki, your life, not all of you?
Rafi: Yeh Toh Darya Hai Music Ka. It just never ends. Whatever I am, happiness will continue to be everywhere, just Ismeen.
Interviewer: Once Rafi sahib some thirty years ago, I had interviewed you in a tehsil of Allahabad. In that they asked you Rafi sahab, which song of yours do you like the most? You told us the time, the beautiful night has come to an end. What do you stand for now?
Rafi: Yes, this song is good, it sounds very sweet.
A beautiful night dhal chudi song plays.
simple grate
Md Rafi jaisa na hua na hoga. Top most singer of India Aane wale 1000 sal bad bhi unke gane asey hi achhey lagege jaise aaj lagte hai
Rafi sahab ki awaz me jaadu,nasha,roohaniyat hai. Unka koi muqabla nahin.Allah pak unki maghfirat farmaye.Aameen
ALLAH RAFISAB KO JANNAT ATA’A FARMAYE AMEEN YA RABIL AAL AMEEN
The Legend of Legends The Great Rafi Sahab is everything for me..I use to sing Rafi Sahab songs. Inshaallah soon i will record few songs sung by Rafi Sahab & upload them on youtube.
Best Regards
Rafi Bhat
Such a humble person……….. it’s sad that world will never be able to see another rafi sahab………… following audio is from his live performance in pakistan………… enjoy the performance…………….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoBjlRHKHfw&feature=youtu.be
The earth has two motions .1. one on it’s dhuri in every 24 hrs it completes one rotation.2. it compeletes one full round around the sun in a year time.These show two types of energies earth has.These are qualities of earth.Rafi saheb has many qualities.Voice, technical perfections, voice matching with the actor whom he sings for,feelings of the words…so many qualities.Such a great singer he was.He was greatest one the whole world has sofar,
First of all I would like to give my sincere thanks to the admin of this site. The wonder voice thats really I feel from my inner heart. I feel Rafi Sb is with me while I listen him………………..that feeling..I can’t express.
Its my bad luck I never seen Rafi Sb in my life may be I am late comer to this world.
i am very happy to read the interview of rafi saheb i have only one word to define him that is “na bhooto na bhavisyati”
I can not explain in words how much i like and love Rafi Sahab. Whenever I listen his songs I think that the voice of God will also be the same. This legendry is not alive amongst us but his music will be forever amongst us. Since when Sun, Moon and stars will be on the horizon since then Rafi Sahab will be among us. Neither any singer like him has born nor will born in the world. I like him more than my life.
Bachpan se lekar ab tak rafi sahab hi suro ki duniya mein hamare adarsh hain. Unki awaj aisa lagta hai ki jaise har taraf ek meethapan bikher rahi ho. Aur is interview mein wo bahut hi saleen aur saral lag rahe hain. A gr8 personality and gr8 human being. Kash hum bhi unko kabhi dekh pate..
i am really excited to hear my GOD’s(rafisaab) interview on bbc,his speaking is so gentle n his answers so humble n honest….i do hv words to express my thanks…i was really dieing to hear how rafisaab used to speak….
Rafi Sahab i miss u.
aapke gane mujhe bhut ache lagte hai.
isliye mujhe mere dost rafi kehte h
aye kass me aapko dekh paata
i miss ssss ss u
A poll to select your favourite mohd rafi website
http://www.twiigs.com/poll/Entertainment/Music/12264
Rafi ka matlab hi hae ‘oochaa’…Allah ne unko oocha kar diya…’jab kabhi bhi sunoge geet mere, sang sang tum bhi gungunaaoge….ha tum mujhe yu bhula na paaoge……so very true.
Rafi saab is my favourite, I like all of his songs.
he is a gift to God
…..jo padha ..vo ek sapana lagta hai…malum nahi..agar hum ye interview hu b hu dekhte..to kya maza aata !! ek dil-e-khwahish puri hoti…aur kya
DEAR ARIF BHAI, please provide us with the email id, phone number and other details of your friend who as you say is capable of singing rafi sahab’s songs 100 pc. unbelievable, but if true, it is a discovery indeed. please provide his audio/video at my email id rafimurty@gmail.com and i would be only too happy to post it on a host of blogs. also give us more details of yourself and your friend i.e. from which city you hail etc. this is with ref to your post 114. pls act fast, we are waiting with abated breath. and post 115 from kuldeep bhai. you have echoed very well feelings of all of us in few lines.
Agar Allah hamari umar (age) ko hamaray ikhtiyaar mein deta kay tum jisko chaho aur jitni chaho apni umar mein se desakte ho to hum Rafians apni umar de de kar Rafi sahab ko kabhi apne se juda honay nahin dete.
MD. RAFI SAAB
KYA TUM JANTE HO KI TO KITNE LOGO KI JAAN HO?
ANSWER FROM KHUDA : COUNTING UPTO MY EXISTANCE IN THIS UNIVERSE
Arif ji: thanks for your discovery.. i should screammmmmmmmmmm
eureka , euraka , eureka.aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
now., for discovering a rafi style singer who sings 100 percent
rafi style.
can we too hear him first hand and give our opinion on him instead
of relying on your word..
thanks..
binu nair,,,, the rafi foundation, mumbai. cell 9833 250 701
reference post 113, Asim ji
“Allah Tala unki Maqfarat farmaye (Amin)”
the word is maagfiraat.
regards
BTW, this doesnt make ur prayer inferior in any ways. reagrds
great news.
i have found a freind wh can sing so great that he can match yes match 100pc
most top singers including rafi.
just goes to show Allah can and does give greatness to whom he chooses.
my freind can sing all rafi songs and mehdi hassan songs so well that i gurantee you wont even be ab able to tell the difference,
tell me how and where to post his songs so that you guys can enjoy as well.
well worth it!!!
I am one of the Big fan of Mohd. Rafi Sb.this is true that there will be no any singer born like Rafi Sb.Allah Tala unki Maqfarat farmaye (Amin)
I am too small person to comment on Rafi Saab but yes his songs are just full of life and its impossible that such a singer will ever be born on this earth
md rafi was a god’s gift to human kind. vo ishhwar ke aashirvaad the. na kewal unki gaayaki magar un sa insaan bhi khuda ki rahamat se hi janm leta hai.
main unki ijjat ek sant ek mahatma ki tarah karta hoon. unke geet – is a divine experience to me. i am proud that i was born in my society.
rafi saheb aamar rahen.
Assalamo Alaikum.
I was barely two months old when Mohd Rafi left us all. I can not thank my father enough for passing on his passion for Rafi Saab to us. Its hard to imagine how dry and dull my soul would have been had I not experienced his voice.
Rafi Saab agar aap hazaar saal ki umar bhi le kar aatay toh hum phir bhi aapki kami aisay mehsoos kartay jaisay aaj! Allah ki rehmatein aur barkatein ho aap pe (aamin) – insha’allah jald mulaqat ho gi aap se, jis ka intizar hai hamein…
JM Waziri
USA/Pakistan
o Rafi Sahib! aapko karwat karwat junut naseeb ho. Vacume left by u simply cannot b filled. 27 years paased since u left but ur celestial voice!!!!!. I was not even born when u left. Whenever i listen your song i start thinking the time when u would have sung it, that moment, the time u would have left ur home for recording, …………….We miss u
RAFI SA’AB ke tamaam chahnewalon
ko mera pahla salaam tah-e-dil se,
Hi friends, i am in this condition that i can not express my initial feelings due to lack of words. But i would like to thank this site of RAFI SA’AB and all RAFI’s lovers from india and abroad, that they made me available such rare recording of RAFI SA’AB’s BBC interview. It was just like a massage for all of us in his own voice,
” MUJHE LAMHE NAHIN SADIYAN SUNENGI,
HIFAZAT SE MERI AWAZ RAKHAN”
and once again thanks to all rafians and mohdrafi.com
KHAAQ MAIN KYA SURTEY HONGI KI PINAH HO GAYEE
Greatest ever playback singer in indian history,but unfortunately he does not get the credit that he deserves due to communal politics in bollywood and other places.
Dear Abhishek, The song is ‘wo hum na the wo tum na the wo rehguzar thi pyar ki,luti jaha pe bevajah palki bahaar ki’ from the film ‘CHA CHA CHA’,Lead Actors (Chandrashekhar,Helen),Music -Iqbal Qureshi,Lyrics-Neeraj.This film has had another soulful number by Rafisaab ‘Subha na aayee shaam na aaye,jis din teri yaad na aayee’
Regards
Refer Post 103 Dear Abhishek The Bol Of You Require song is ” Wo Ham Na The” From The Film ” Cha Cha Cha”
i am searching for a song of Rafi Sahab but i do not know the exact lyrics. I can tell a mid line that is “na hai khalish yeh phool ki na hai khata bahar ki, luti jahan pe bewajah palki bahar ki, palki bahar ki”. If you tell me the name of movie , i would be really oblidged and thankfull to you.
Salaam to all Rafians,
Dear Mr. Kutty sahab, I am just like you. I was 18 years old and cried like little child when Rafi sahab passed away on july 31st 1980. I still can not believe that Rafi sahab is no longer among us. Almost avery day I am busy in search and collecting information about and songs of my beloved Mohd. Rafi sahab.
Mohd Rafi sahab truly touched my heart … over and over .. forever.
Sjah (from The Netherlands)
It is a wonder why Rafians are loving and treating him as their own and even more than their own family.I thought he is getting such thing only in India.but after going through various blogs it is sure only Rafi saab is getting such a relationship in the world.On July 31st 1980 in the night from vividha bharathy I was hearing ‘Chaya geeth’ programme doing by Mrs.Kanta Gupta.she put the rafi saab song “Ha tumujeyum” from pagla kahi ka and after finishing the song she asked “if you hear the song can you believe rafi saab is no more.within moment i started crying as I lost somebody who is related to me so much.Even some days I am forgetting my daughter who is very dear to me.since 33 years i am in search of rafi saabs details from magazines,
news papers,radio and TV.Once to forget him i started hearig unpopular songs.But of no use and still my love and affection for him is going up like anything.
Ahamed Kutty