The bygone bardic battles of Bengal
Far more than a mere musical pursuit, Kabi Gaan boasts an illustrious heritage, its roots firmly embedded in the fertile soil of 18th century-Bengal’s rural landscape.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remembered Mohammed Rafi on Sunday and recalled his “melodious voice” on the 93rd birth anniversary of the Bollywood singer.
Recalling the melodious voice of Mohammed Rafi on his birth anniversary
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 24, 2017
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Google India on Sunday also dedicated a doodle to Mohammed Rafi, which shows Rafi recording in a studio, while actors are lip syncing onscreen.
Born on December 24, 1924, Rafi took the Indian music industry by storm with his entry as a playback singer in 1941 and never looked back till his sudden death in 1980 at the age of 55.
Known for his voice and versatility in songs with themes like patriotism, sad lamentations and romance to ‘qawwalis’ and ‘bhajans’, Rafi is one of the most decorated singers of the industry with six FilmFare awards and one National Award.
Also read: Remembering the legend Mohammed Rafi, 7 best songs of his career
The singer was also fluent in other languages like Konkani, Bhojpuri, Odia, Punjabi, Marathi, Sindhi, Urdu, English, Farsi, Dutch and Arabic and even sang some songs in all these languages.
Rafi left behind a treasure trove of immortal songs — solos as well as duets with popular singers of his era. He sang qawwalis, ghazals, disco and pop in Hindi and various other Indian languages.
He died on July 31, 1980 due to heart attack.
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