NEW DELHI, Dec 25: Renowned musical figures such as Amjad Ali Khan, Shubha Mudgal, and Shankar Mahadevan have come together to pay tribute to the legendary Mohammed Rafi by performing his classic song “Abhi Na Jao Chodkar.”
Mohammed Rafi, celebrated as one of India’s most iconic playback singers, would have celebrated his 100th birthday on December 24.
This pre-recorded performance of “Abhi Na Jao Chodkar” is produced by pianist Sourendro Mullick and vocalist Soumyojit Das, both of whom can be seen in the 5.44-minute video uploaded to their official YouTube channel on Tuesday.
“Here is our first release from the World Music Day 24 Concert, ‘Abhi Na Jao Chodkar’, originally performed by the timeless Md. Rafi. His music continues to resonate deeply within us, and this is our ode to him,” stated Sourendro and Soumyojit.
“Celebrating 100 years of Rafi Sahab,” read the closing credits of the video.
Other contributing artists include Rekha Bhardwaj, Vishal Bhardwaj, Lesle Lewis, Papon, Shweta Mohan, Usha Uthup, Mame Khan, Ornob, Lopamudra Mitra, Aninda Chatterjee, and Aruna Sairam.
As of around 11:30, the video had amassed over 19,000 views on YouTube and garnered more than 1,800 likes.
Many viewers expressed their gratitude to the producers in the comments section. The duo boasts about 280,000 subscribers on YouTube.
“This arrangement is amazing! It gave me goosebumps and made me quite emotional. Thank you for this beautiful rendition,” commented a fan.
“Greetings from Nepal… Happy birthday, Mohammad Rafi Saheb.”
Another viewer noted that the video seemed a tribute to industry greats who passed away this year, including tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.
A fan reminisced about Ustad Rashid Khan, who passed away in January at the age of 55 after battling cancer, mentioning his collaboration with Sourendro-Soumyojit on the song “Mere Naina Sawan Bhadon” in 2022.
“The entire production is musically enriching. Truly a masterpiece,” wrote another admirer.
Sourendro and Soumyojit also maintain a social media presence, with 5.5 million followers on Instagram and 240,000 followers on Facebook.
The song “Abhi Na Jao Chodkar” was originally featured in the 1961 film “Hum Dono,” picturized on Dev Anand and Sadhana. Written by Sahir Ludhianvi and composed by Jaidev, it is a duet performed by Rafi and Asha Bhosle. (PTI)
