Posted:
Source: Venkat of hamaraforums
Friends,
This evening, from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M., I was listening to a Telugu musical program on ETV, with the title, Jhummandi Naadam. S.P.Balasubrahmanyam was giving his views and experiences on various things in his legendary musical career.
As expected of him, at one stage in that out-and-out Telugu program, he suddenly took off on an emotional talk regarding Rafi Saab (mind you, with no apparent context)!
Here are some salient points.
During his leisure time, SPB and his wife keep listening to their vast collection of Rafi songs at their residence in Chennai. Listening to some soul-stirring numbers of Rafi Saab, SPB would get so emotional that he bursts out weeping!
SPB declared with aplomb in English, "He is the Ultimate!" He went on citing a number of Rafi Saab's songs and kept singing one clip of each!
He also mentioned that he used to always sing, "Jaane Walon Zara, Mudke Dekho" from Film:Dosti (1964) in various musical competitions before he became a playback singer. When a famous old Telugu MD called Kodandapani was testing SPB before he gave a chance to him, SPB had sung to Kodandapani this very Rafi song from Film:Dosti! Kodandapani liked it very much and introduced SPB to film playback singing.
SPB went on to say that in one meeting of his with another very famous and talented Telugu MD, Master Venu (who incidentally was earlier an assistant of Naushad at Bombay), the discussion of one great Rafi song of Naushad from Palki (1967), "Kal Raat Zindagi Se Mulaqat Ho Gayi Hai", came up casually. It seems Master Venu told SPB, "You try and sing the Mukhda of this song without any mistakes and I will give you a chance" SPB had sung that Mukhda even in today's program and said it is impossible to sing it without mistakes (meaning like Rafi Saab!)
SPB had actually been a contemporary of Rafi Saab in the Cine-music world from the beginning of SPB's career around 1969 to 1980, the year of Rafi Saab's passing. SPB says that it was his misfortune that in these eleven years, he could not meet Rafi Saab many times and get to know him!
Surprisingly, he could get to meet Rafi Saab only once and that too very briefly. The occasion was when Rafi Saab was recording for a Telugu Film called Aradhana (1977) in Prasad Deluxe recording studio at Chennai. SPB was also recording nearby in another studio when he came to know of Rafi Saab being there. He went to Rafi Saab, touched his feet, offered his pranam with folded hands and immediately came out!
Mind you, SPB himself, as on date, is a great legend in his own right! I always liked SPB and rated his singing high. But, his ability to assess Rafi Saab's worth is what endears him to me even more!!
PS. Incidentally, the Telugu Film:Aradhana (1977) for which Rafi Saab was recording, as mentioned above, was a remake of Ramanand Sagar's Hindi Film: Geet (1970)!
Friends,
This evening, from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M., I was listening to a Telugu musical program on ETV, with the title, Jhummandi Naadam. S.P.Balasubrahmanyam was giving his views and experiences on various things in his legendary musical career.
As expected of him, at one stage in that out-and-out Telugu program, he suddenly took off on an emotional talk regarding Rafi Saab (mind you, with no apparent context)!
Here are some salient points.
During his leisure time, SPB and his wife keep listening to their vast collection of Rafi songs at their residence in Chennai. Listening to some soul-stirring numbers of Rafi Saab, SPB would get so emotional that he bursts out weeping!
SPB declared with aplomb in English, "He is the Ultimate!" He went on citing a number of Rafi Saab's songs and kept singing one clip of each!
He also mentioned that he used to always sing, "Jaane Walon Zara, Mudke Dekho" from Film:Dosti (1964) in various musical competitions before he became a playback singer. When a famous old Telugu MD called Kodandapani was testing SPB before he gave a chance to him, SPB had sung to Kodandapani this very Rafi song from Film:Dosti! Kodandapani liked it very much and introduced SPB to film playback singing.
SPB went on to say that in one meeting of his with another very famous and talented Telugu MD, Master Venu (who incidentally was earlier an assistant of Naushad at Bombay), the discussion of one great Rafi song of Naushad from Palki (1967), "Kal Raat Zindagi Se Mulaqat Ho Gayi Hai", came up casually. It seems Master Venu told SPB, "You try and sing the Mukhda of this song without any mistakes and I will give you a chance" SPB had sung that Mukhda even in today's program and said it is impossible to sing it without mistakes (meaning like Rafi Saab!)
SPB had actually been a contemporary of Rafi Saab in the Cine-music world from the beginning of SPB's career around 1969 to 1980, the year of Rafi Saab's passing. SPB says that it was his misfortune that in these eleven years, he could not meet Rafi Saab many times and get to know him!
Surprisingly, he could get to meet Rafi Saab only once and that too very briefly. The occasion was when Rafi Saab was recording for a Telugu Film called Aradhana (1977) in Prasad Deluxe recording studio at Chennai. SPB was also recording nearby in another studio when he came to know of Rafi Saab being there. He went to Rafi Saab, touched his feet, offered his pranam with folded hands and immediately came out!
Mind you, SPB himself, as on date, is a great legend in his own right! I always liked SPB and rated his singing high. But, his ability to assess Rafi Saab's worth is what endears him to me even more!!
PS. Incidentally, the Telugu Film:Aradhana (1977) for which Rafi Saab was recording, as mentioned above, was a remake of Ramanand Sagar's Hindi Film: Geet (1970)!
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
