Lata Mangeshkar - The Queen: Part 20 - Lata and Rafi

Here is the link to read all parts of this series.

Lata Mangeshkar and Rafi were probably seen as a natural pairing due to their being the most in-demand female and male voices, respectively, and also because both were trained in classical music. Their approach to music was different, though. Rafi believed in emoting very explicitly with his voice, while Lata preferred her voice to be under her control all the time. Rafi's tone, too, was different from Lata's. His vocal modulations had a more in-your-face attitude compared to Lata's polished performance in this aspect. Of course, the way they sang depended quite a bit on who the composer was, but overall these can be seen as the major difference in their approach. 

Lata and Rafi had some differences in the early 1960s and didn't sing together for a few years. During the rift, Rafi was mostly accompanied by Suman Kalyanpur instead of Lata, while Lata was accompanied by Mahendra Kapoor during that time. (I would say that Rafi got the better deal here.) Unlike Mukesh, who was a favourite of only a few music directors, Rafi was loved by all music directors of those time. Naushad, Shankar Jaikishan, Madan Mohan, Roshan, S.D. Burman and all others used him often. He became the voice of many heroes like Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor etc. So it was not a surprise that people worked to get Lata and Rafi to sing together, and they united after that break to give a lot of hit songs.

Let me start with a classical song that is famous even today and is sung in many singing shows when the participants want to display their classical music prowess. 'kuhu kuhu bole koyaliya' from 'Suvarnasundari.' Music of Adinarayana Rao.

This is a ragamalika song with multiple ragas being used, and the singers are expected to sing solfa swaras and sing some briga-laden phrases. Lata was seen as possibly the only choice from the female singers of those times for such songs, while Rafi or Mannadey were the choices when it came to the male voice. You can hear the different approaches I mentioned earlier in this song clearly. (Btw, I rarely listen to the Hindi version of this song. I always listen to the Telugu version, and after having listened to Ghantasala in that version, I have difficulty accepting any other voice singing it)  

Another classical music-based song from 'Rani Rupmati' (1959).  'jhana jhan bhaje payaliya.' Music of S.N.Tripathi.

There is a nice contrast in the voices; Rafi is more bass oriented, while Lata is at a higher pitch. She is deliberately made to hit the higher reaches, which she was capable of. 

Rafi was Naushad's favourite singer, and Naushad acted as his mentor as well. Here is another classical raga tinged, 'ek sahenshah ne banakar' from Leader (1964). 

Naushad ensures Rafi is reigned in well in this song, and here we hear a lovely duet with each of them highlighting the raga. (Raga Lalith, as per what I read.) Songs like this tell us why many music directors wanted these two to sing together, especially when the tune involved highlighting a raga. 

One such music director who used this pair effectively for a historical movie was Roshan, and the movie was 'Taj Mahal' (1963), the subject of the earlier song. 'Taj Mahal,' whose soundtrack was dominated by Lata and Rafi,  contained some everlasting gems, both solos and duets. Here is one duet from that movie, which is a favourite of many people. 'jo wada kiya wo nibhana padenga.' 

In my opinion, Rafi's voice sounds the best under Roshan, and this song is proof. Similarly, I hold that Lata's tone under Roshan is the best she has achieved. This song sees both of them at the heights of their powers. Roshan's tune demands a feather-like vocal touch which both singers achieve with ease.

Talking of the feather-like vocal touch, here is another song for you. From the master tunesmith Madan Mohan, 'do gadi woh joh paas aa baite,' from 'Gateway of India' (1957)

It is a lovely melody from Madan Mohan. In such songs, the male voice that sings at a lower pitch has the natural advantage for it can sound soft easily. The female voice has to sing at a higher pitch, and getting that soft effect is tougher. Both of them do a good job of making this song a great listen.

Though this song, 'kya raat suhani hai,'  is from the 1953 movie, 'Alif Laila,' it sounds almost like a late 1940s song. Music of Shyam Sundar.

This is another song that demands delicate treatment, and it gets exactly what it requires from Lata and Rafi. 

.From a typical hit song melody of those days. 'bhula nahin dena,' from 'Baradari' (1955)

This tune is simple and catchy. It was a big hit during those times. Yet, it must have been a breeze for both Lata and Rafi to sing this song, for it doesn't challenge them much.

Many of the Lata - Rafi popular songs happened in the 1960s, though they had their share of hits in the 1950s, as the last couple of songs showed us. 

S.D.Burman gave us some wonderful Lata-Rafi duets. Here is 'dil pukare' from 'Jewel Theif' (1967).

Rafi goes for a lazy elegance type of tone, in keeping with the image of Dev Anand. Lata matches the mood with her singing. Both their tones are in sync, and the song is easy on our ears. Again, another song that was a big hit but would not have troubled the singers much. 

The Dada Burman - Lata - Rafi trio has so many excellent songs that it is difficult for me to list all of them here. I give you one more song of this trio, the much loved 'teri bindiya re,' from 'Abhimaan' (1973)

What a lovely melody from Dada. Rafi is highly restrained, as required, in this song. Lata's voice is honey. Both of them do full justice to this charming tune. 

Rafi was not restrained when it came to singing for Shammi Kapoor. He was the voice of Shammi Kapoor, for he could match Shammi Kapoor's on-screen energy and antics with his voice. Shankar Jaikishen used Rafi's voice for Shammi Kapoor effectively, as did O.P. Nayyar and later R.D. Burman. Let's listen to a Lata - Rafi duet from 'Professor' (1962), 'main chali main chali.'

Compared to 'yahoo,' kind of songs, this is more restrained, but you can hear Rafi enjoying himself singing this song. Lata does keep the momentum and energy alive in the song, but there are no 'nakhras' that are inserted into the song by her. 

The song that is supposed to have been the cause of the Lata Rafi spilt is 'tasveer tere dil mein,' the Salilda melody from 'Maya'(1961). Though technically, they did not stop singing because of this song, people say that there were major differences between them during the recording of this song that led to them not singing together for some time.

I feel there is a bit of asymmetry in the way the tune is handled by both of them. In the mukda, Lata touches the higher registers while Rafi's part stays in the middle registers. Lata's flight into the higher registers give the song a sweet touch, while Rafi's part is more restrained. I am not sure what the argument was about, but this is a song that is worth hearing again and again. 

The new music directors who were taking over, like R.D. Burman, Laxmikanth Pyarelal and Kalyanji Anandji, also gave a lot of songs for this combination. 

Kishore Kumar was R.D. Burman's favourite male voice but he has given some lovely numbers to Rafi as well, as this duet from 'Caravan' (1971), 'kitna pyaara wada,' will attest.

Rafi was also the voice of Jeetendra, who was called 'jumping jack' for obvious reasons. This song has a lovely rhythm and requires that the singers provide the required energy to match the goings-on on the screen. Rafi and Lata sing this song with a lot of verve. Lata matches Rafi's natural energy quite well in this song. This song also requires a lot of attitude, which both of them provide in abundance.

From Laxmikanth-Pyarelal's stable, let us hear, 'jhil mil sitaron ka angan hoga,' from 'Jeevan Mrityu' (1971).

A simple and charming melody that provides for some easy listening. From a singer's point of view, this song would bring them a lot of fame without really challenging their singing skills. Both voices sound melodious, and that is what the song needs. 

Kalyanji-Anandji's 'wada karle sajna,' from 'Haat Ki Safai'(1974), is another famous hit from the 70s that pleased its listeners while not demanding much from the singers. (The pace and the way the tune moves show the impact R.D. Burman's style was having on other music directors of those times.)

It is impossible to list all the wonderful Lata-Rafi songs, and I am sure one of your favourites may be missing from the list. My idea was to showcase Lata-Rafi combinations across genres, music directors and different time periods. So if you don't find your favourite song here, please do forgive me.

Lata-Rafi is an immortal combination in the annals of Hindi Film Music, and no one can contradict that statement.

In the next part, we will talk about another immortal combination, the Lata - Kishore combination.

Here is the link to read all parts of this series.