For those people, who don’t know Mohd Rafi, I would like to quote that he is the only legendary singer in Indian Film Music. Following is about his life, his birth, his singing career etc..,
Rafi was born on 24th December 1924 in Kotla Sultan Singh, Amritsar, in a middle class Muslim family. His elder brother, Janab Hamid Sahab, was the first to take notice of the divine gift in Rafi’s voice. He decided to concentrate all his efforts in providing all the support needed by his brother to make it big in the music world.
At the age of seven, Rafi learnt Hindustani Classical music under the renowned Ustaad Bade Gulam Ali Khan and Vahida Khan.
Mohd Rafi started his career at the age of 20, with a punjabi song, Soniye Hiriye, teri yaad ne bahut sataya for the movie Gul Baloch, which was released on 28th February, 1944.
No singer at that time or even now in this era,can match Rafi. Rafi’s singing style was so unique, nobody could imitate it. Even if they tried, they were not successful. His verstality was very different and way too impressive. His contemporaries were either ineffective in this front or were unwilling to compromise.
I am one of greatest fans of Md Rafi. I just love his voice.The versatility in his voice is commendable. Both ways as a person and a singer he is the best.I have never attempted to compare him to anybody because I know as far as his voice and the art or style are concerned, he can never be compared with any other singer. Even Lata I think lacks behind somewhere in that versatility and the happiness or sadness he inject into our ears while singing is simply enthralling. His patriotic, religious, ghazals, romantic, sufi, or any other kind of songs are mind blowing. I mean I feel he was perfect as a singer with almost no attitude in him. On the other hand he was a great badminton player and none could beat him in this game in the whole industry. A great god gifted man with a smile on his face all the time did not live for very long and lost many opportunities to receive many awards for his talent and contribution.
All this was about his singing career. But as a person, he was much more. Rafi did not imitate any one nor did he stop any one from imitating him. Where there was cut-throat pressure, Rafi was always totally with himself. Through out his career Rafi has not been accused of anything. Nor did he stop any new singer from taking his position. He was such a whole-hearted person, who would agree to sing for producers who couldn't afford him in return to nothing. Listening to Rafi is like rowing down a river in a moonlit night.
