Mohammed Rafi is best known as a leading playback singer of Hindi cinema during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. But he was a complete musician, excelling in every kind of song. Besides Hindi songs, he has sung in many other Indian languages, and also composed and sung non-film devotional songs. He passed away suddenly in 1980, something his fans have still not been able to swallow. But his voice and songs are immortal, and his following has only grown since his passing away, including many who were born years after he was no more.
Rafi-saab has enriched Indian music with his devotional songs. A selection is shared here.
The song Man Tadapat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj ("My Heart Trembles for a Sight of the Lord") is from the Hindi film Baiju Bawra (1953). The lyrics were by Shakeel Badayuni, and the music by Naushad.
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hari om, hari om, hari om, hari om
man tadapat hari darshan ko aaj
more tum bin bigare sagare kaaj
binatee karat hoo, rakhiyo laaj
tumare dwaar kaa main hoo jogi
humaree aur najar kab hogee
suno more byaakool man kaa baaj
bin guru gyaan kahaa se paaoon
dijo daan hari gun gaaoon
sab gunee jan pe tumaraa raaj
muralee manohar aas naa todo
dukh bhanjan moraa saath naa chhodo
mohe darshan bheekshaa de do aaj
The bhajan Jai Raghunandan Jai Siyaram is from the Hindi film Gharana (1963). The lyrics were by Shakeel Badayuni, and the song was composed by Rafi-saab himself.
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ra: shriiraamachandraashritapaarijaataH
samastakalyaaNaguNaabhiraamaH |
siitaamukhaambhoruhacha~nchariikaH
nirantara.nma.ngalamaatanotu ||
aa . . .
jay raghunandan jay siyaaraam
do: jay raghunandan jay siyaaraam
aa: he dukhabha.njan tumhe.n praNaam
do: he dukhabha.njan tumhe.n praNaam
jay raghunandan jay siyaaraam
aa: bhraat-bhraat ko he parameshvar sneh tumhii.n sikhalaate
aa aa aa
bhraat-bhraat ko he parameshvar sneh tumhii.n sikhalaate
ra: nar-naarii ke prem kii jyoti jag me.n tumhii.n jalaate
do: o naiyaa ke khevanahaare japuu.N mai.n tumharo naam
jay raghunandan ...
ra: tum hii dayaa ke saagar prabhu jii tum hii paalanahaare
aa: chain tumhii.n se paae bekal manavaa saa.Njh-sakaare
do: jo bhii tumharii aas lagaa_e bane usii ke kaam
jay raghunandan
The final piece in this selection of Hindu devotional songs is Madhuban Mein Radhika Nachey Re, from the Hindi film Kohinoor (1960). Mohammed Rafi was a Muslim. But his Hindu bhajans, and the expression of self-annihiliating devotion conveyed by his voice - have been the means for innumerable Hindus to find their faith! Interestingly, the film Kohinoor must be seen as a magnificent instance of the unique Indian phenomenon of composite pluralist culture, with the leading man, Dilip Kumar, music composer Naushad, lyricist Shakeel Badayuni, and singer Mohammed Rafi, all of them Muslims, coming together in creative abandon for the song Madhuban Mein Radhika Nachey Re, which celebrates Radha's ecstatic joyous dancing in the forest grove to the melody of her Divine lover Krishna's flute. (In the film Baiju Bawra too, Naushad, Shakeel Badayuni and Rafi had come together to render Man Tadapat and other songs.)
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Madhuban men radhika nache re
Giradhar ki muraliya baje re
Pag men ghungharu bandhake, aa...
Pag men ghungharu bandhake
Ghunghata mukh par daal ke
Nainan men kajara lagake re
Dolat chham-chham kamini, aa...
Dolat chham-chham kamini
Chamakat jaise damini
Chanchal pyari chhavi lage re
Mridang baje titakitadhum titakitadhum ta ta
Na chaka chum chum tha thay tha thay
Chaka chum chum chana na na chum chum chana na na
Kran ta kran ta kran ta dha dha dha
Madhuban men radhika nache re
Madhuban men radhika
Ni sa re sa ga re ma ga pa ma
Dha pa ni dha sa ni re sa
Re sa ni dha pa ma
Pa dha ni sa re sa ni dha pa ma
Pa ga ma
Dha pa ga ma re sa
Madhuban men radhika nache re
Sa sa sa ni dha pa ma
Pa dha pa ga ma re sa ni re sa
Sa sa ga ma dha dha ni dha sa
O de na dir dir dha ni ta dha re dim dim ta na na
Na dir dir dha ni ta dha re dim dim ta na na
Na dir dir dha ni ta dha re dim dim ta na na
Na dir dir dha ni ta dha re
O de tana dir dir tana dir dir dir dir dum dir dir dir
Dha titakita tak dum titakita tak
Titakita titakita ta dha ni
Na dir dir dha ni ta dha re ...
Rafi-saab is of course almost worshipped by his Muslim fans, and especially among India's humble folk. In the Muslim neighbourhoods of towns and cities across India, the Islamic songs of Mohammed Rafi, hamds, naats, quwwalis, would unfailingly be heard.
Here is Allah Mere Allah ("Oh God, My Dear God").
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Download Allah mere Allah here.
The Islam of the common folk of South Asia has a distinctive identity. For one, this is characterised by deep devotion to Prophet Mohammed. Here is Rafi-saab singing Shahe Madina, Sarware Aalam, Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam.
"Oh King of Medina, Upholder of Light, May Peace be on You ..."
Here's a YouTube video clip of this song playing in the environs of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.
The Islam of the common folk of South Asia involves devotion to saints (pirs). People - Muslim, and well as Hindus, Sikhs and Christians - visit the tombs (mazhaar) of saints, pray for deliverance from their trials, light a candle, and offer a cloak (chaadar) in homage to the saint.
Here is Rafi-saab's song Tere Dar Pe Aaya Hoon, from the Urdu film Laila Majnu (1976). In the song, the grieving lover Majnu prays in a saint's mazhar:
"I've come to your door, I'll realise something before I go, I'll fill my begging cloth or else I'll only leave this place dead."
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tere dar pe aaya hoon kuch kar ke jaaunga
jholi bhar ke jaaoonga ya mar ke jaaunga
main tere dar pe aaya hoon ...
tu sab kuch jaane hai har gam pahachaane hai
jo dil ki ulajhan hai sab tujh pe raushan hai
ghaayal paravaana hoon vahashi deevaana hoon
teri shoharat sun sun ke ummeeden laaya hoon
tere dar pe
main tere dar pe aaya hoon ...
dil gam se hairaan hai meri duniya veeraan hai
nazaron ki pyaas bujha mera bichhada yaar mila
ab ya gam chhootega varana dam tootega
ab jeena mushakil hai fariyaaden laaya hoon
tere dar pe
main tere dar pe aaya hoon ...
Laila Majnu is of course the classic Sufi tale about going insane with love, a metaphor for man's unrelenting yearning for his God. The Urdu film Laila Majnu (1976) offered a feast of Mohammed Rafi's songs. Here is the haunting song Barbaad-e-Mohabbat Ki Dua Saath Liye Jaa, which expresses the cry of grief-stricken Majnu's heart:
"Take with you the prayers of one destroyed by love."
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barbaad e mohabbat ki duaa saath lie jaa
tootaa huaa ikaraar-e-vafaa saath lie jaa
tapati hui raahon mein tujhe aanch na pahunche
diivaane ki ashkon ki ghataa saath lie jaa
barbaad e mohabbat ki duaa saath lie jaa
shaamil hai meraa khoon-e-jigar teri hinaa mein
yah kam hai to ab khoon-e-vafaa saath lie jaa
barbaad e mohabbat ki duaa saath lie jaa
ik dil thaa jo pahale hii tujhe saunp diyaa thaa
yeh jaan bhi ai jaan-e-vafaa saath lie jaa
barbaad e mohabbat ki duaa saath lie jaa
ham jurm-e-mohabbat ki sazaa paaenge tanhaa
jo tujhase hui ho vo Khataa saath lie jaa
barbaad e mohabbat ki duaa saath lie jaa
In 1970, Rafi-saab and Asha Bhosle performed this Laila Majnu Opera.
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Mohammed Rafi has also sung several Sikh devotional songs, or shabads. Here is the Punjabi song Mittar Pyare Noon.
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The ocean of Sikh devotional sings was revealed to me - in my teen years - when I heard Rafi-saab's Jis Ke Sir Upar Tu Swami. This song can be heard on-line here.
Five more Sikh shabads sung by Rafi-saab can be heard from the selection of shabads here.
Use the search tool at the top of the web-page on MusicIndiaOnline here, with "Rafi" in the "search" slot, "devotional" in the "category" slot, and "singer" in the "in" slot, to get a listing of Hindu and Sikh devotional songs, in Hindi and Punjabi, by Mohd Rafi.
3 comments:
excellent tour - de - force on rafi bringing up a side of him that is little talked about. this post is a treasure that will be valued by many given the hard work you have put in to compile it. keep it up venkat.
Jai Raghunandan Jai Siyaram from Gharana is composed by the well-known Hindi Film composer *Ravi*, not Mohammed Rafi.
Sanjeev
Excellent blog. Excellent work.
Could you also give the lyrics of "mittar piyare noo" please?
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