So Why Is Rafisaab The Greatest Singing Legend?, Fans of Rafisab share your views & experiences Options

[suhana_safar]

With thousands of unbeliveable renditions in a career that stretches back into the mid forties to 80's, Rafisaab began his career as a playback singer in Indian Film industry that in course of time is being regarded as a landmark in HFM.

So what is fscinating about this genius and his career? What are the key featueres of his skills that even made his colleagues who were class singers in their own right look upon him as their hero/idol?. What are the things that keep people still so attached to his songs?


Over the years everything connected with the industry changed:

1. The taste and trends of the audience
2. The technolgy and nature of the recording rooms
3. The style of the actors
4. The styles of the MD’s
5. The words of the song writers
6. The promotion strategy of the music companies
7. The pay cheques
8. The competition
9. The entry of new actors and styles
10. The quality of the audience
11. The politics and power groups in the industry


and many more factors could be added to the list above.

With all the above dynamic changes, for a simple, shy, modest and a genuine down to earth person to not only excel but establish unreachabe standards in playback singing during such a long period is simply more than just an extra ordninary feat. How often we take take for granted the consistent quality of Rafisaab’ singing without giving much thought how difficult and challenging is the art of playback singing specially in the context of the above dynamic changes.

How many times do we care to fathom that extra class that he instilled in the song and thus raised the standard of both the composition and the lyrics not to mention that his voice is also associated with the success of those actors who became stars just because Rafisaab playbacked for them.

Playback singing is a precise and difficult and challenging art, and Rafisaab is rightly acknowledged as a master of this unique genre by both, the masses and the experts.

So what exactly are the attributes and characteritics of this legend of legends that makes him a class apart. What is the exclusive quality/qualities of his singing that makes him a benchmark in playback singing.?

Please share your views with concrete examples and kindly refrain discussing any other singers in this thread as this discussion is only about the one and only, Rafisaab.


I welcome all to come on board (with a positive attitude) and specially the learned and knowledgeable who know about this uniqe art and more importantly about this unique singing phenomenon, Rafisaab.

[dryunussumra]

few viewes

The most fundamental question:
Why do people sing?

The most appropriate answer:
To express their feelings.

So who expresses human feelings perfectly?
Who else, Mohammad Rafi.
When Rafi sings, you can actually identify the mood and the situation without having seen the movie.



The world has not yet seen a singer like Mohammad Rafi.
The reasons for his invincibility:
1. Gifted with the sweetest voice possible
2. Had a lot of appeal in his voice
3. Had a crystal clear voice
4. Displayed superb breath control
5. Could pitch voice both ways (which no one could do)
6. Had a very youthful voice
7. Had outstanding variety " ghazals, qawwalies, patriotic songs, comedies, romantic songs, fast songs, slow songs, loud songs, bhajans, classical songs, mythological songs, discos, rock-in roll, cabaret, intoxicated mood songs, songs with sex appeal, happy songs, sad songs, extremely sentimental songs and many more
8. Had the incredible ability to produce true and real feelings
9. Had outstanding voice modulation (absolutely unbeaten at it even today)
10. Had incredible fluidity ( amazingly smooth flow of words)
11. Could express all human feelings (every possible human feeling has been depicted by Rafi)
12. His Hindi and Urdu pronunciations were immaculate.

Its really sad that all people do not realize the greatness of Mohammad Rafi. Look at point no.7 above.There is a big difference between a great singer and a complete singer.

Mohammad Rafi voice really was gift of God to us. His golden voice worked as a perfect soothing balm on a tired body and a depressed soul.


There might be another AMITABH BACHCHAN, another SACHIN TENDULKAR, but there simply cannot be another MOHAMMAD RAFI.

MOHAMMAD RAFI is simply beyond compare.

Unless a singer is complete (as regards point no. 7 above), he or she just cannot compare with Rafi, and even if he or she is a complete singer will they ever fulfill the other criteria (point nos. 1 to 6 and point nos. 8 to 12 above)?

Its a pity indeed that all do not realize this but as they say “Truth Alone Prevails”.

This world did not deserve a great soul like Mohammad Rafi hence God called him early. He actually deserved to sing on a planet where only Gods live.