Rafi lives on--in Maldivian fan's memory

by Hilath Rasheed

A huge black-and-white poster of singer Mohamed Rafi decorates the bedroom wall of young Yoosuf Rasheed. The 23-year-old restored the singer's poster after it almost got destroyed while lying at the bottom of a cupboard in his flooded room during the heavy rains of April 1991. The poster is valued greatly by Yoosuf -- a devoted admirer of India's most popular male singer -- as he was not able to find a poster of Rafi, ironically, from India itself. So he took with him a small colour photograph of Rafi he cut out from an old magazine, which he kept in his wallet, and spent 300 Rupees on transforming it into a poster during his most recent visit to India in November.

Yoosuf is only one among many locals in awe of Rafi's exceptional talents at singing. Almost two decades after Rafi's death, Maldivian homes, particularly families of Rafi's generation, continue to listen to his golden voice.

The young man, who works as a clinical assistant at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male, not only collects photos and information on Rafi, but also has a formidable collection of cassettes and CDs of Rafi's songs. He estimates that he has 1,500 singles of Rafi, but which actually represent only five percent of Rafi's more than 28,000 solos and duets.

Yoosuf has listened to only about 2,000 songs, he says, adding that it will take more than two months and 28 days to listen to all the songs Rafi recorded during his lifetime.

"But I cannot go to sleep listening to Rafi's songs, I get too absorbed in it," he says.

The 56-year-old singer died on 31 July 1980 when Yoosuf was only five.

"It was said that the whole Male was quiet when news of his death reached here, but I do not remember," Yoosuf says.

Though Yoosuf was too young to remember the glorious past of Rafi, the legendary singer made his mark on the young fan's mind due to the playing of Rafi's songs continuously in his home by Yoosuf's late brother.

Rafi recorded his first singles at the age of 12, but he was introduced to Maldivian fans with his 1947 hit single Watan Ke Raahame Watan Ke Naujavaan Shaheed Ho that appeared in the soundtrack of the Hindi movie Shaheed.

Rafi died in 1980 four hours after recording the song Taqdeer Ke Qalamse Koi Bach Na Paaega (which ironically translates into "Nobody will escape the clutches of fate.")

Though every song of Rafi is soothing to the ear, Rafi's own favourite song was said to be Suhaani Raat Dal Chukee which appeared in the soundtrack of the 1949 Indian movie Dulharee.

"I believe that each single of Rafi's songs is a lesson to every artist," Yoosuf says, "even though I myself have not studied the theory of music. But I have listened more than enough to recognise his voice talent."

Yoosuf listens to more than 100 of Rafi's songs every day, mostly because he records them freely on tape to friends who want to listen to Rafi. He has recorded more than 5,000 songs and has yet to record more than 500 songs to more of his friends.

"Anything for Rafi" Yoosuf says, however busy he might be from his work at IGMH and at a private clinic. Yoosuf is never tired of anything that concerns Rafi, and says he has collected more than 50 pages of information on the singer's life.

But that seems not to be enough. He says that the Internet, the Information Superhighway, contains too little content on the revered singer and plans to launch a website on Rafi providing exclusive information on the singer. The website is to be developed in collaboration with an Indian fan club of Rafi. Yoosuf has also dedicated his own email address in memory of Rafi: mhdrafy@hotmail.com.

He plans to further his collection of songs, and is helped by relatives and friends, and Indian doctors at the hospital, who bring him cassettes and CDs of Rafi each time they make a trip to India.

"Yet it is extremely difficult to obtain some songs, particularly early records of Rafi," Yoosuf insists, as some record companies have ceased re-releasing of Rafi's old records.

He has also collected tapes and CDs of Rafi's imitators, but unlike mainstream listeners who claim that pop singer Sonu Nigam is the best Rafi imitator, Yoosuf believes that Ashok Katar's voice comes closest to Rafi.

Yoosuf deplores Dhivehi songs sung to the tune of Rafi's songs, saying that no locals are as talented as to imitate or produce "exact replicas" of Rafi's songs.

But he has a taste for local singer Abdul Hannan Moosa Didi's records, saying that the similarity between Hannan and Rafi was their extraordinary talent to use their voices at varying tones.

This article appeared in Haveeru Daily 28 Jan 1999

First, I believe Awan is a Pakistani.
Secondly, Awan is a little younger.
Thirdly, Awan doesn't have 1,500 songs.

Still good to read this.

Imran is correct

Firstly, Awan is a Pakistani
Secondly, Awan is younger

But

Awan has got 1500 songs (because of all you great fellows) !!!!

Great fan!

Good article Bawra Jay!

Yusuf was a part of Meri Awaaz Suno around 2 years back. He is a dedicated Rafi fan and a very nice human being. Last I spoke to him he got a job and was moving on.

Thanks Bawraji. Very nice and interesting article of a dedicated Rafi Saab's Fan.


Mohd.