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Mohammed Rafi

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Mohammed Rafi was born in 1924 into a Punjabi family in the village of Kotla Sultan Singh near Amritsar. He began singing by imitating the songs of a wandering fakir. His father moved to Lahore in 1935, where he had a barber's shop. Rafi learned classical music from Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan and others. He gave his first performance at thirteen, and in 1941 he made his debut as a playback singer in a Punjabi film. In 1944 he moved to Bombay, where he rented a small room in Bhendi Bazar. His first recorded song in a Hindi film was a duet for Gaon Ki Gori.

Music and breakthrough

Rafi became one of the most sought-after singers in Hindi film. He often worked with the composer Naushad Ali, and later also with O. P. Nayyar, Shankar Jaikishan, S.D. Burman and Roshan. He recorded songs for more than a thousand Hindi films and in many languages, mainly Urdu and Punjabi. He received six Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award, and in 1967 the Padma Shri.

Influence

His voice was versatile. He sang fast and cheerful numbers, sad and romantic songs, qawwali, ghazals, bhajans and classical pieces. Moreover, he adapted his voice to the actor who lip-synced the song on screen. That made him one of the most important voices of Indian film music and of the golden age of Hindi film. He died in 1980.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye and notice how he sings the words. Can you hear the emotion in his voice, even when he sings softly?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsGolden age of Hindi film music