Versatility incarnate Mohammad Rafi

Versatility incarnate Mohammad Rafi

Mohammad Rafi died this day bequeathing his lively and soulful singing to us

By RAJBIR DESWAL

It really needs very fine sensibilities and an equally responsive sensitive ear to put in aesthetic perspective, appreciate and analyse Mohammad. Rafi’s  rendering songs of a myriad hue, a plethora of situations and his acumen for singing for quite a number of different actors.   Each Rafi number has a typical variation, attendant musicality and melody, combined with manifestation of a situation, created by the maestro himself.  Here are impressions that some of the Rafi songs left universally acclaimed, and enjoyed.

The husky start, velvety, soft combo is freshly evident in ‘Jab se hum tum nazaron mein’. A sense of loss, repentance compunction, at the same time being sobered, creates the desired effect in ‘Din dhal jaye haye raat na jaye’. The slithering rendition as required to go with a screeching-grinning Johny Walker could match the talent only of Mohd. Rafi, remember ‘Tel Malish – Champi—Sar jot era chakraye’?. 

Rafi’s sublimity of his spiritual reach had a hint in his Bhajans ‘Man tadpat hari darshan ko aaj’, ‘Badi der bhai nand lala’ and ‘Rahike tune basari churaaee’.  The futility of mundane worldliness is best depicted in ‘Man re tu kahe na dheer dhare.’ Mohd. Rafi is unbeatable in showering blessings and concern for ones daughter given in marriage in the ever emotional, ‘Babul ki duayen leti ja’.

A street-singer’s talent, maneuvered so boisterously, yet in the most appealing voice as in ‘Aulad walon phulo phalo’ ‘Tujh ko rakhe ram tujhko Alla rakhe’ and “Diwane hai diwano ko na ghar chahiye’ is matchless.  Likewise, his songs filmed on the flamboyant Shami Kapoor could create a magic, gelling with  latter’s style as in “Badan pe sitare lapete hue’ , ‘Diwane ka naam to poocho’ and ‘Aaja aaja mein hoon pyar tera’.  Shami Kapoor could not have done enough justice to his romping, if Rafi had not sung for him so spiritedly ‘Tareef karoon kya uski.’ The high pitched beginning of ‘Japaaaaaan—Love in Tokyo!’ perfectly matches the tall handsome hulk Joy Mukherjee.

Social concerns, got an indulgent and inherent local brand of talent of Rafi in ‘Tu Hindu banega na musalman banega’ .His patriotic gems enthused the dullest souls into a kind of exuberance, with his clarion call--‘Watan ki aabro khatre mein hai’, ‘Aawaj do hum ek hain’, ‘ Aye watan aye waten’, and  ‘kar chale hum fida jano tan sathiyo’ etc.. Equally remarkable were the songs ‘Ye mehlon  ye takhton ye tajon ki duniya’ and ‘Jinhen naaz hein hind par.’ 

The classical side in Rafi’s treatment always remained underscored and emphasized, but some of the gems made him stretch his vocal cords even beyond the known reach of the gamuts; sample, ‘O door ke musafir’, ‘Aj-hoo no aaye balma,’ ‘Fir aane laga yaad mujhe’ and ‘Gham uthane ke liye main to jiye jaoonga’  While recording this song and reaching the erescendo, Rafi stopped at a point when the music director wanted him to go still higher. Rafi is said to have quipped—Jitender (on whom the song had to be filmed) has his voice broken raising it just higher, it would not seem unnatural on him.” Rafi had the rare ability to match his scale and voice to whosoever he sang for, especially Rajender Kumar.

Mohd. Rafi has always been known for his very wide and varying range, as also possessing a pitch which remains smoothly musical and ear pleasing, even after reaching the crescendo. A case in point is ‘Jane kya dhoondti hain ye ankhen mujmei’ and in ‘Ehsan tera hoga mujh par’.  The horizontal notation provides an apt cue for a flute to take from, as reflected in his ‘Mere mitwa mere meet re’. My all time favourite has been “Suhani raat dhal chukee”  

Rafi has also been known for singing in many languages and his pronunciation of Urdu words to their finest nuances has always been appreciated.  Rafi sang with equal ease in the country idiom and also of the thorough grasp of it as in ‘Nain lad gayee hay’’ and ‘Pipra ke patwa sarikhe dole manwa’. Equally well in the Punjabi Shabad ‘Mittar pyare noon’.  Who can forget his ’Jee karda hai iss duniya nu main hans ke thokar mar diyan’.

A friendly ease of rendering a song has its bonding as in a ‘Dosti; number ‘Chahoonga main tujhe’.  Rafi’s masti songs ‘Aaj mausam bara baiman hai bara’ and ‘Jane wale aaja teri yaad sataye’, ‘Madhosh hawa matwali fiza’, ‘Dewana hua badal’ etc are remarkable till today. Rafi could match up his voice with Mehmood in ‘Hum kale hai toh kiya hua dil wale hain’ and Jitender in ‘Aa mere humjolee aa’ .Bharat Bhushan, Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Devanand, Joy Mukherjee, Vishwajeet—he  sang play backs for them as if they found their voice in Rafi.

Mohd Rafi’s ghazals always left their lasting impression in ‘Pass bethon tabiyat bahal jayegi’ kabhi khud pe kabhi halat pe rona aaya   and ‘Guzre hain aaj ishq main’ : these have always remain gems in Rafi lover’s collection.    Rafi’s aalaps have always mesmerized the music lovers.  Who can forget ‘Tu jamuna ki mauj’, ‘Chal udd ja re panchi’, ‘ jane walon yara mur ke dekhon idhar’ Rafi was a master in leading Qawwalis, ‘Ye Ishq Ishq hai Ishq Ishq’, ‘Meri tasveer lakar kya karoge tum,’  ‘Milte hi nazar tum se’. And ‘Isharon ko agar samjho ’.

The list could be endless but try and think of the sensuous male voice, in its most innocent callowness, so softly manifest in his ‘Dastak’ number—Tumse kahoon ik baat paron se halkee, halkee, halkee, halkee…!

Tailpiece: A friend of mine in our college days said to me once – if ever on a fine morning, I was found dead, you must take it to be a pleasurable circumstance, when I was before dying, listening to  Mohd. Rafi on a transistor, tucked between my ear and the pillow.

You will live in our hearts for ever—the King of Bollywood singing.