I wrote about my 20 favourite songs of Lataji yesterday. How can I ignore Rafiji then? His voice is another that has a tranquilising effect on me and never ever fails to amaze me.
20 songs among an ocean of melodies in a silken-smooth voice is just a drop in the ocean.Anyway, I’ll list 2 songs of each MD whose supreme compositions have been immortalised by the legend.
Here’s the list.
Naushad - the master of classical raag-based compositions
1)Aye husn zara jaag - Mere Mehboob
Very un-Naushad like song. Still, a delightful tune and Rafiji’s voice appears to caress the ears. Definitely worth listening to again and again.
2)Meri kahani bhoolne waale - Deedaar
One of the gems of the Dilip Kumar-Rafi-Naushad-Shakeel Badayuni combo. Rafi sahab’s voice is somewhat raw(but immensely mellifluous) here, being his early days.
Shankar-Jaikishan - masterful orchestrations galore!
3)Ehsaan tera hoga mujh par - JungleeRafi sahab at his best. An intense romantic number, rendered by Rafi in his inimitable style.I feel Lataji’s rendition falls way behind.
4)Aa ja re aa zara - Love in TokyoThe ultimate seductive song. The "tremors" in Rafi sahab’s voice in the lines’dekh fiza mein rang bhara hai’ are simply out-of-the-world.
O.P.Nayyar - Rhythm king
5)Pukarta chala hoon main - Mere SanamHeart in the clouds!:-).A surreal romantic number.
6)Yeh chand sa roshan chehra - Kashmir Ki Kali
All superlatives fail to appropriately praise this one.taarif karoon kya uski, jisne Rafi sahab ko banaya.
Madan Mohan- *Ghazal king. Exquisite tunes.
7)Tujhe kya sunao main dilruba - Aakhri Dao
One of my childhood favourites.
8)Rang aur noor ki baraat - Gazal
The anguish expressed in the song is to be heard to be believed. Simply unbelievable voice of the legend!
S.D.Burman - the older, the better
9)Tu kahan yeh bata - Tere Ghar Ke Samne
What a way to start! SDB’s "echo" effect paid back handsomely.SImply love he croons’*pyar ka dekho asar.’
10)Tere mere sapne - Guide
I don’t think anyone can render it half as soulfully as Rafi.’O mere jeevan saathi.’. *the extra stress on’saathi’ is just too good.
I was at a loss to pick songs from the two movies, since each is a gem in itself. All songs in each of these movies are marvellous.
Ravi - sublime melodies all!
11)Chaudhvin ka chand - Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Vocal ambrosia!Every note oozes with class here.
12)Zindagi ke safar mein akele they hum - Nartaki
Not a very well-known song. Fell in love with it the first time I heard it(around 10 yrs. back). Immensely sweet melody.
Roshan - sugary-sweet tunes.
13)Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi - Barsaat Ki Raat
What a sweet way of remembering a rainy night!
14)Ab kya misaal doon - Aarti
Lavishing praise on the beauty of one’s beloved has never been better.Wonderful tune, perfectly complemented by the legend’s heavenly voice.
Laxmikant-Pyarelal - long-standing association with Rafi. Produced some extraordinary music in the late’60s and’70s.
15)Aane se uske aaye bahar - Jeene Ki Raah
Wonderful song picturized on a young Jeetendra. Rafi’s voice and the dholak in the background create magic.
16)Chhalkayen jaam - Mere Humdum Mere Dost
Rafi sahab’s voice really sounds like a drunkard, though he was a teetotaller. Amazing stuff, really!
R.D.Burman - the prodigy.
17)Tumne mujhe dekha - Teesri Manzil
The prelude and the tune sound very different. This itself made me love this song. Rafi’s mellifluous voice dazzles through this romantic number.
18)Kya hua tera wada - Hum Kisise Kam Nahin
Need I say anything?Suffices to say that Rafi won the National Award for this.
Kalyanji-Anandji - some great romantic numbers.
19)Chale the saath milke - Haseena Maan Jayegi
Wonderful romantic number. Rafi’s voice is simply too good to resist, especially the way he sings ’.meri awaaz sunkar’ in two different ways in the *mukhda. *Simply out-of-the-world.
20)Aaja tujhko pukare mere geet re - Geet
Great song for a lover yearning to meet his/her beloved.
Salil Choudhury - the multi-faceted genius.
21) Toote huye khwabon ne - Madhumati
Great sad song! The emotions put forth by Rafi sahab in his voice are too good to believe.
22)Koi sone ke dilwala - Maya
Heavenly tune. Rafi’s divine voice does full justice to this gem of a song.
I know I have left out countless gems from the legend’s vast repertoire. Probably, 20 songs by each MD(except maybe Salilda) can do more justice.Anyway, I request you to post your comments on this and provide your valuable suggestions/inputs.