Hi! To me Rafi sahib was definetly the best male playback singer and his songs are SO excellent and memorable…
who else is a rafi fan?
also can anyone post some info on his life?
I'm a big time Md. Rafi fan --- I think he's easily the best India's ever produced.
Muskesh always has been, and always will be my favorite singer, but I have to agree that by far Mohammad Rafi is the most talented playback singer that the Indian sub-continent has seen - or will see.
I think that the strength of both singers was that they seemed to give a song life, by putting their soul into it. The difference is that Mohd. Rafi had far more range than any other Mukesh or any other singer. I don't think that anyone excelled in such diverse songs as he did.
He could sing love songs like "Chaudavi ka Chand" "Baharon phool Barsaon", "Ehsan tera hoga", sad songs like "Hum bekhudi mein", "Mein yeh soochkar", "Chaonga mein tujhe" to the tragedy songs like "Yeh Duniya, Yeh mehfil", "Yeh duniya ager mil bhi jaye". He has numerous hits, regardless of the type the kind of song, he was singing.
The same can't be said for Mukesh, he is probably is the king of tragedy songs, and while he has great love songs, the majority of his good love songs are still sad songs like "Kabhi Kabhi", "Suhani Chandini Raaten", Kohi jab tumara hriday tod de".
Kishore, was the last great singer that we'll see, but he does not have the same number of songs, where he was able to put his entire soul into a song the way that Rafi or Mukesh did.
Another note on Rafi, he excelled as a ghazel singer as well. I grew up hearing that Rafi was a great playback singer, but Mehdi hussain was the king of ghazels. However, in my opinion, Mohd. Rafi was a far better ghazel singer as well. He did an amazing job on Ghalib's "Yeh na thi humari qismat" and "Bazeecha atifal hain", as well as Bahadar shah Zafar's "Na kissi ki aankh ka noor hooN".
I think that the only reason he did not get as much credit as a ghazel singer is that he did not sing a lot of ghazels.
Anyways, I'd be interested in hearing what other people's favorite songs by Mohd Rafi are. My 10 favorite are listed below:
1. Chaudavi ka chand
2. Choorali hain tumne jo dil ko
3. Dekhi Zamane ki yaari
4. Huwye shaam, ke unka khyaal aa gaya
5. Baharon phool barsao.
6. Ehsan tera hoga
7. Chaonga mein tujhe
8. Yeh Duniya, yeh mehfil
9. Yeh duniya ager mil bhi jaye to kya hain
10 Toote huwye khwabon ne
[This message has been edited by KhurramS (edited October 29, 1999).]
Hum bewafa har giz na thay
par hum wafa kar na sakay
http://www.pak.org/gupshup/frown.gif
Hum ko mili us ki saza
jo hum gunah kar na sakay
Kya hoa tera wada
wo kasam wo irrada
bhole ga dil jiss din tujhe
wo din zindagi ka aakri din ho gaa
Real big fan of M. Rafi, too. Don't think I could really pick any favorites. BTW have you guys heard Sonu Nigam sing Rafi's songs? I went to a concert of Sonu Nigam and really, really enjoyed hearing him sing all of the old Rafi favorites. His dad also came and sang and he was even more sounding like Rafi - if that was possible! Sonu isn't that well known...yet...for a long time he was known to only sing sad songs really good, but lately he has done playback for much newer films - Pardes, Soldier, etc. Who knows, he might be one who will be around a long time.
AuntieG: Which concert was it? Was it with Rekha, Akhsay and Manisha? They have a concert here next month. If you say it was good, I might go :)
Thx
He was good of his time :):)
Please respect me --- Hum Pagluu
Purple88G, the concert i referred to was sonu nigam's tour alone, however, i also saw the Rekha concert with akshay and manisha and it really was good. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and even tho i'm not too thrilled with some of Rekha's new stuff, she did a lot of the songs she was most famous for - umrao-jan etc - the stuff she always looked so elegant in and still does!! Akshay and Manisha also did a great job and the comparer was Moin Akhtar - really enjoyed his jokes. (BTW what is a comparer" i always thought they were known as emcee's) Do go, you will enjoy!! :)
AuntieG: Thx :)I am going to see the show.