Ek Shaam Rafi Ke Naam in Phagwara

A soulful musical evening titled ‘Ek Shaam Rafi Ke Naam’ was held at the Blood Bank in Guru Hargobind Nagar, Phagwara, to commemorate the 45th death anniversary of legendary playback singer Mohammed Rafi. The event, a long-standing tradition for music lovers and fans of Rafi, was organized under the supervision of Blood Bank President Malkeet Singh Raghbotra.

The programme was inaugurated by renowned singer Vijay Sharma, City Cable Director HS Basra and film director Pradeep Dhiman, who lighted the ceremonial lamp to mark the occasion. In his opening remarks, Malkeet Singh Raghbotra paid tribute to Rafi’s unparalleled musical journey, noting his humble beginnings and his rise to stardom.

Born on December 24, 1924, in Kotla Sultan Singh village of Amritsar district, Mohammed Rafi began his singing career at the age of 13, initially emulating the legendary KL Saigal. His first recorded song was for a Punjabi film and he went on to dominate the Hindi film music industry for decades. His extensive repertoire included romantic ballads, devotional bhajans, patriotic anthems and songs in various regional languages. Rafi passed away on July 31, 1980, but his musical legacy remains timeless.

The event featured captivating performances, with Vijay Sharma opening the concert by rendering heartfelt renditions of Rafi’s iconic tracks like “Akele Hain Chale Aao,” “Yaad Na Jaaye,” and “Chahunga Main Tujhe.” Other notable performers included Devi Das and Meenu Atwal. Devoted fans of Rafi, including Jatinder Gupta, Harcharan Bharti, the father-son duo Rajkumar and Abhishek Soni, Jagjit Singh, Dinesh Jain, Ashok Sharma, Vinod Chawla, Inderjit, and Manoj, also paid tribute by performing solo and duet renditions of Rafi’s timeless songs.

Adding a personal touch, NRI Neelam Handa shared fond memories of Mohammed Rafi, particularly associated with her son. The evening also served as a reminder of the martyrdom of Shaheed Udham Singh, with Rafi’s patriotic anthems “Kar Chale Hum Fida” and “Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo” resonating through the venue.

The event was attended by several prominent citizens, including Dr. Ashok Gumber, Charudatt Sudhir, Rajesh Adhyaay, Bhindar Shah, Brij Bhushan, SC Chawla, Ram Lubhaya, Dr Inderjit Pal, Dr Prashant, Gajanand Aggarwal, Sudhir Sharma, Vinod Mariya, Vishwamitra Sharma, Sanjeev Handa, Roop Lal, Mohan Lal Taneja, Suman Sharma, Saudi Singh and Hartej Bains.