Mohammad Rafi-sahab is to music what Sachin Tendulkar is to cricket, what Ratan Tata is to Indian industry, what Mother Teresa is to service. Unparalleled, non-replicable, peerless.
The voice behind thousands of songs that can twist your cognizance at its will…a voice that can make you feel euphorically romantic one moment, and induce suicidal sadness in another.
“Shola Aur Shabnam” a movie released in 1961 had in it the handsome Dharmendra emote (rather palely I must say) to a most beautiful melody by Rafi-sahab.
The song “Jaane Kya Dhoonti Hai Yeh Aankhey Mujh Mein” penned by Kaifi Azmi (father of Shabana Azmi), composed by Khayyam was a ‘sad’ song that had immense melody in its pensiveness.
(Khayyam’s genius).
The lyrics are magical…”jaane kya dhoondti hai yeh aankhein mujh mein, raakh ke dher mein shola hai na chingari “ (what do your eyes search in me, I’m but a heap of burnt ash, without any fire or sparkle left anymore).
The lyrics are magical…”jaane kya dhoondti hai yeh aankhein mujh mein, raakh ke dher mein shola hai na chingari “ (what do your eyes search in me, I’m but a heap of burnt ash, without any fire or sparkle left anymore).
Despair so barren could not have been expressed in better words.
Brian Silas, the talented pianist, rose to fame with his instrumental renditions of Hindi songs. “Jaane Kya Dhoondti Hai” was in one of his instrumental albums, to which I decided to vocal into. Silas’ piano runs at about 50% slower pace than the actual song from the movie. As a piano-only rendition, the song sounds alright, but try to put vocals on it at that (leisurely) pace and it becomes a bit of a challenge for someone like me who is already struggling with an impaired tank of skills :) Nonetheless, it was fun to do this one.
Nothing in this song is as easy as Mohammad Rafi-sahab makes it sound, right from the soft opening to the raised third antara.
It is said that Khayyam demanded 42 re-takes for this song before he stamped the final cut. I'd imagine it would probably take me 42 lifetimes to get anywhere close.
Since the world runs on imperfection, here’s my little contribution to it.
Since the world runs on imperfection, here’s my little contribution to it.
Rafi had to sing the Jaane Kya Dhoondti song running a high fever, yet Raju Bharatan doesn't mention this fact, and doesn't provide any direct quotes that Rafi needed 21 takes for this song. And even if Rafi did, one wonders why Raju is motivated to write malicious and uncorroborated/unconfirmed things about the greatest Bollywood singer of all.
ReplyDeleteHowever, here is a direct quote from Khayyam, the MD of this song. This is directly from a recent Times of India article:
Music director Khayyam recalls that during the recording of Jaane kya dhoondti hain (film: Shola Aur Shabnam,1961),Rafi was running a 102-degree fever."But he was worried about the producer's losses and we went ahead with the recording.Despite the fever,nobody could have sung the number any better."
Read more of this article: The unforgettable Rafi - The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/music/news-and-interviews/The-unforgettable-Rafi/articleshow/6209646.cms#ixzz17sJZb9gM
That Rafi sang the song 42 or 22 (or lets say any number) of times before Khayyam was satisfied, may not essentially bear upon Rafi-sahab's qualification (or lack of it) to sing the song.
ReplyDeleteIf Khayyam was the one who wanted 42 takes, then that should not disqualify Rafi-sahab as a singer. Those were the days of full-takes....a song generally was not pieced together like they do today, it had to be done all in one go. Even if a minor note/taan had to be changed, a word in the lyrics modified to fit the flow, or an additional instrument was to be inserted in the background as an afterthought, the singer and the entire crew had go through another take right from scratch. If a composer was a perfectionist (Khayyam was reputed to be one), then 42 takes is understandable.