Many of you, who know me, would not believe that I was a huge Kishore fan at a time.
At my home there is no legacy for interest in songs though all of us like to listen to radio. There are no fanatics of Hindi Film Music (HFM) around me. We have a tape which came from my uncle when he got another one as a gift. With that he gave some 10-12 cassets which primarily had Rafi songs. If I remember correctly, there were 3 of them of Rafi solos, 1 - Yugulgeete and 3 'Sadabahar Naghme'. Also 2-3 new film albums like Saudagar, Dil, Saajan etc. I was brought up listening to radio (which plays old songs majorly) and these audio cassets. This turned me into a fan of golden oldies, but still I was not a fan of a specific singer.
Then, once again, my uncle gave a casset which he got as a gift on 'Mico filters'. This had 3 Rafi, 3 Lata, 3 Asha and 4 Kishore songs. As I was in 12th, I was not going to college and I used to listen to this casset atleast once in a day. One of the songs was 'Roop Tera Mastana' from Aradhana. This song, the use of voice levels, the intensity appealed me so much that I started liking Kishore Kumar's voice. There was one of my friends, Rahul Bhat, who had many cassets of Kishore songs and live shows. After listening them, I turned into a Kishore fan. I was thinking of buying cassets to make a collection of Kishore songs once my 12th is over.
But we bought a computer after 12th. Primary reason to buy a computer for me was, with computer they were giving around 125 songs of Kishore Kumar (with this came another 125 of Rafi too, but who cared?). I was so happy to get all those songs. I used to listen to them day and night. Once, my friend, Swapnil Shinde, gave me 2 Audio CDs (of Rs. 599 each at that time) with Rafi songs. As my parents liked some of the songs in there, I copied that into the computer. I got around 40 songs which were not there with me.
One day, I was listening to a gem from Kishore 'Tum Bin Jaaon Kahan' from Pyar Ka Mausam. I was so enthralled by the song, that I listened to it 4-5 times at a stretch. Then, suddenly, while browsing, I saw another 'Tum Bin Jaoon Kahan' in Rafi folder. This had come from Swapnil's CD. I thought how can HMV make a mistake of putting a Kishore song in Rafi CD. Just as a curiosity I enqueued that song after Kishore version.
I had my headphones on, and when the song started, I was shivering, I was having goosebumps. I could not believe, this is the same song, but in a really really soft voice and full of emotions at every word. This was something out of the world, a divine feeling. I was thrashed, I was thinking how could a singer, a mere mortal, sing better than Kishore, a song which has almost same lyrics, same tune.
That song changed my life, I started listening to Rafi more and more. I became a Rafi fanatic. In each song, there was a difference in voices, according to on screen hero. When we see the song on-screen, we feel that the hero himself is singing. The versatility , the sound quality is unmatched. And I have not had enough of his songs in last 7 years.
Now I have around 4000 songs of him and do not have time to listen to them. I hope one day, I will be free from everything and I will be embraced by his voice whole day!
At my home there is no legacy for interest in songs though all of us like to listen to radio. There are no fanatics of Hindi Film Music (HFM) around me. We have a tape which came from my uncle when he got another one as a gift. With that he gave some 10-12 cassets which primarily had Rafi songs. If I remember correctly, there were 3 of them of Rafi solos, 1 - Yugulgeete and 3 'Sadabahar Naghme'. Also 2-3 new film albums like Saudagar, Dil, Saajan etc. I was brought up listening to radio (which plays old songs majorly) and these audio cassets. This turned me into a fan of golden oldies, but still I was not a fan of a specific singer.
Then, once again, my uncle gave a casset which he got as a gift on 'Mico filters'. This had 3 Rafi, 3 Lata, 3 Asha and 4 Kishore songs. As I was in 12th, I was not going to college and I used to listen to this casset atleast once in a day. One of the songs was 'Roop Tera Mastana' from Aradhana. This song, the use of voice levels, the intensity appealed me so much that I started liking Kishore Kumar's voice. There was one of my friends, Rahul Bhat, who had many cassets of Kishore songs and live shows. After listening them, I turned into a Kishore fan. I was thinking of buying cassets to make a collection of Kishore songs once my 12th is over.
But we bought a computer after 12th. Primary reason to buy a computer for me was, with computer they were giving around 125 songs of Kishore Kumar (with this came another 125 of Rafi too, but who cared?). I was so happy to get all those songs. I used to listen to them day and night. Once, my friend, Swapnil Shinde, gave me 2 Audio CDs (of Rs. 599 each at that time) with Rafi songs. As my parents liked some of the songs in there, I copied that into the computer. I got around 40 songs which were not there with me.
One day, I was listening to a gem from Kishore 'Tum Bin Jaaon Kahan' from Pyar Ka Mausam. I was so enthralled by the song, that I listened to it 4-5 times at a stretch. Then, suddenly, while browsing, I saw another 'Tum Bin Jaoon Kahan' in Rafi folder. This had come from Swapnil's CD. I thought how can HMV make a mistake of putting a Kishore song in Rafi CD. Just as a curiosity I enqueued that song after Kishore version.
I had my headphones on, and when the song started, I was shivering, I was having goosebumps. I could not believe, this is the same song, but in a really really soft voice and full of emotions at every word. This was something out of the world, a divine feeling. I was thrashed, I was thinking how could a singer, a mere mortal, sing better than Kishore, a song which has almost same lyrics, same tune.
That song changed my life, I started listening to Rafi more and more. I became a Rafi fanatic. In each song, there was a difference in voices, according to on screen hero. When we see the song on-screen, we feel that the hero himself is singing. The versatility , the sound quality is unmatched. And I have not had enough of his songs in last 7 years.
Now I have around 4000 songs of him and do not have time to listen to them. I hope one day, I will be free from everything and I will be embraced by his voice whole day!
1 comment:
Finally... we came to know reason behind Rafi madness...
Cool.. Liked it.. Keep it up!!
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