Kishore Vs Rafi Debate – What Does It Say About You?
A rare image courtesy of DownMelodyLane.com.
I had opted to drop writing about the Kishore vs Rafi debate in 2008, thus hoping to put an end to the feud in my own weblog, at least. However, this severely handicapped my ability to speak anything about the Hindi movie songs from the bygone era, something I couldn’t think of living without. So, I disown my own resolution in 2009 now. Much better to have the Kishore vs Rafi battles than not having to speak anything, or carrying a fake diplomatic face around …. lol …. I can see the barrage coming from both the Rafians and KK-fans, and also the tough moderation job ahead for me here!
But, there is a better reason why I decided to take this KK vs Rafi plunge this time. Surely much better than boasting about one’s favorite singer (KK in my case). Hope to see the readers making useful observations at the end. The crux of my today’s post: The two warring sides in the Kishore vs Rafi feud mostly belong to two contrasting ideologies and mindsets. The element of contrast involves not just in the music they would listen to, but also in the societal, cultural and political leanings they come from. They would always have two broadly defined characters. In fact, one could even predict the individuality of a person based on whom they liked to listen more, Kishore Kumar or Mohammed Rafi!
Who Are Kishoreda Fans?
They are the anti-traditionalists, I suppose. They are the ones who love watching the barriers of cultural inhibitions and social norms being rolled over. They won’t mind hijacking rooftops and throwing stones from there, if that brought in a redeemed world order. They hate living in a hierarchy and being burdened with undue etiquette and red-tapism. They could be emotionally very strong and susceptible both. This leads into the positives and negatives for them, both.
Pros About Kishore Kumar Fans
They can easily connect with countless emotions and music both, without awaiting for its larger acceptance by the society. They can directly connect with the language of art, and have a one-to-one dialog with art forms/ artisans without awaiting for the world to acknowledge it as well. They would love fusion and experimentation in music and life both. Purity is the last concern for these tribesmen and women! They live informal lives and do so wholeheartedly. So much so that when it came to appreciating the various genres of arts and music, none could beat them. Of course, you need all those qualities in a globalized world.
And Their Flimsiness
Won’t easily be made to please. Would not care following norms and would therefore lack in reasoning often. For example, see them making “Kishore Kumar is GOD” like one-liners and that’s all. No doubt, my chest does also get puffed with pride reading all that. They could be impulsive, emotional and susceptible to provocations at times, but the world is not just about gatecrashing and diving sea-deep into RAGAs and emotions. This means their craving for a part of life, like Kishore Kumar songs in this particular case, might force them to miss out many others (read Rafi et all).
Kishore Kumar Bulldozed And Redefined Traditions
Main Hoon Jhumroo
Main Hoon Don
Khaike Paan Banaras Wala
Jaane Jaan Dhoondhtaa
Jai Jai Shiv Shankar
Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karenge
Dekha Naa Haaye Re Sochaa Naa
Roop Teraa Mastaana
O Meri Sharmilee
Tere Chehre Mein Vo Jaadoo
Haan Pehli Baar (video)
Diwaanaa Leke Aayaa Hai
Diye Jalte Hain
O Maanjhi Re
Meri Bhigi Bhigi See
Chingaari Koi Bhadke
Who Are Rafi Fans?
Traditionalists, I would say! They are the ones with a greater faith and patience in their establishments. They would not mind following etiquette and proven legacies. Newer ideas will have to wait and push harder for them to make any inroads. They would always enjoy living under a hierarchy. This would again lead into the positives and negatives for them.
Positives
Can boast to have a vast resource of proven ideas and music to rely on. Will have a greater knowledge-base to put forth their views. They can claim to occupy the soul of Indian society and its heritage. Rafi sang the classical Indian romance and its emotions, anyway.
Negatives
Outdated ideas. Out of synch from the contemporary world and themselves both….ha ha…couldn’t stop from showing my KK bias here. With the neutrality over now, let us have the war started…and in the due course hope to receive some intelligent comments as well.
Mohd Rafi Sang His Indian Heart Out
Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho
Bahaaron Phool Barsaao
Madhuban Mein Radhika
Ke Aaja Teri Yaad Aai
Ye Reshmee Jhulfein
Mujhe Teri Mohabbat Kaa
Tum Mujhe Yoon Bhulaa Na Paaoge
Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyaar Teraa
Badan Pe Sitaare Lapete Hue
Kya Huaa Tera Vadaa
Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe
Khoya Khoya Chaand
Tere Dar Pe Ayaa Hoon
Kaun Hai Jo Sapnon Mein
Chaahungaa Main Tujhe
Jaane Vaalon Jaraa
PS - Exceptions do take place as well. My late dad was a pukka traditionalist, yet he liked admiring Kishore Kumar. Read my above suggestions with this aspect in mind.
@Ram,
I’m not that young either, having been born in 1969. But leaving aside that, I warmly welcome you to my weblog. You have been a lucky person, indeed. And a very lucky moment for me to have been chatting with you, as well. Forget the previous (deleted) comment of mine …. that is part and parcel of the online hazards. I need to occasionally degrade myself to ward off the trouble-makers (and therefore the time-wasters). A very warm welcome once again, and hope to learn more from you about the three legends.
admin, “degrading your language” is the thing you started with your very first reply.
You seem to be frustrated. You blog post is well written but is biased as well. It is where a very poor comparison starts from. Its like being tilted towards one side, and trying to seek for more justifications online for something wrong.
I would not have replied to your blog only, if I had found some honesty in your blog post. Because I don’t like to make such comparisons, myself. The indifference that made me reply is there because of your blog and many people looking for such justifications, that too for their jaundiced analysis.
You simply like those comments which entertains you and pleases you, DOESNOT MATTER WHETHER THEY IS WRONG OR RIGHT.
I dont hate people who say Kishore is Great or Greater.
I hate those people who say Rafi was a bad singer. which I can find in your blog and your replies. And which is the wrongest thing ever said.
You find only PROS for Kishore fans. At the same time you find only cons and con like pros for Rafi fans.
You are simply biased and be fooling yourself only.
I accept both the goods and bads about both the singers and result is the same Rafi is far better and complete singer.
You accept only goods about Kishore and bads about Rafi, so I dont care what your conclusion is.
‘You are simply biased and be fooling yourself only.’
There is a reason, why I called you a ‘retarded, weak-hearted Rafi-wallah’. It wasn’t merely a response to your personal insults, but a careful analysis of your behavior. You have the temerity of looking down the wisdom of the people, without suggesting why should that be accepted anyway. My ‘bias’ for KK is open (what is new about that), and so is my ‘frustration’ about only having to deal with the same single-eyed observations by the Rafians. But, it is more than my ‘bias’ for the fellow KK-fans, when I hail some comments more than the rest others. Check out for example, the sense of humor in Anirban and the sense of occasion in Fazal Ahmad. They both have traits beyond the KK vs Rafi fight, which is exactly what this whole thread was all about.
Have you ever thought why did you like listening to a particular singer, musician or genre of music? It is not just the mastery of the performer, but also the social, familial and the individual backgrounds of the listeners, which decide the respective preferences. That, some would like KK and the rest others Rafi, Mukesh or Manna Dey, is but natural. Neither this makes KK the greatest singer nor Rafi. But, it tells something about the individualities we have, something I’ve been trying to explore through this debate (my bias for the KK-fans notwithstanding).
The same about the issue of ‘comparing’ the two greats. Nobody is above scrutiny on this earth, provided you don’t have a closed mind or borrowed opinions. A critical scrutiny is a must for understanding oneself (It always helps to be contradicted) apart from the great performers. In a way, the fans end-up exploring themselves more than the virtuosos. For example, I’ve refined my sense of KK’s peers and predecessors by debating and compiling the various song lists in the last four years. This thread is not even 2% of the whole effort behind this blog. And the abuses heaped by the Rafians on this blog-post, not even a patch for the approvals on my Rafi song compilations.
I tried to find out, but in vain, where have I personally insulted you in my first comment. Or for that matter, Rafi in my whole blogging. Which brings us back to the original point why I called you (and the Rafians) weak-hearted or highly insecure. Any attempt to question Rafi was being taken personally by them, and responded alike.
My grand mother is fan of Kishore da. My father is fan of Mukesh and my mother is fan of Rafi. I am surrounded by equal no. of Rafi and Kishore fans. Familial and Social backgrounds!!!
You can find my name in your blog i.e. ‘asad’. For you it is ‘admin’. Weak hearted and insecure!!!
I can also make protocols like:
1) KK Fans like to enjoy hypothetical life. They are always too away from reality.
2) They are very weak and are afraid of accepting the reality (if in contrast with their
assumptions).
3) They lack dominance, always look for support from someone for their views. A beta
character.
4) Immature, the cause of above three.
5) Lack logical thinking, have special quality of finding fun(hypothetical) in every situation
and every thing.
But I know these classifications are insignificant. Especially in the case of Rafi fans. As he was such a versatile singer (and not bounded to single genre), that some people like him for this quality and some for that quality. And there is no scope of classifications.
what I dislike is biased approach of some people. I have also replied to those people who try to being partial with Kishore in some other blogs. I found your views extremely jaundiced. Sorry, I didnt know what was your intention behind that. But now I know as, you have told me now only that you are seeking for humor in the replies. Suggestion: Take some humorous topic, instead of “Kishore vs Rafi Debate”.
like:
A clean desk is a sign of a cluttered desk drawer.
Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don’t have film.
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.
Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
There is a sea of difference between ‘a sense of humor’ and ‘humor’ …. ‘the ability of’ and ‘responding to’ (stop googling for the humor titles btw, have some originality). Does it make any sense to you? There is a huge difference between writing under an ‘assumed name’ and a blog wholly laden with the blogger’s identity, his purpose and his signature. And I’m not even trying to draw your attention to the header carrying my name. But if you can’t read that name, how would you understand what signature I was able to stamp through my blogging about Hindi cinema music, so leave it!
‘I found your views extremely jaundiced’
You have failed to logically counter me until now. The only inference to be made out from this sickening repetition is, that your whole world is jaundiced.
Any ideas to support those inferences …. the ones you listed out? How is a person ‘weak and afraid’, who dares you from his rooftop, while the ‘genius’ who can’t even read names, leave alone debating in a logical manner (count the number of times you veered off while chatting), the stronger one? Do I even need to go into the rest of your observations? How old are you, asad? You are the best example of ‘the time-wasters’, I had spoken about with Ram earlier.
Ya that’s right. I am a time waster.
Bye, I never meant to hurt you. Still, I cant figure out in what mood you composed this blog-post.
Rafi is best. No male or female singer is near to him. Rafi is the only male singer who can sing LOVE songs both slow or fast. Rafi is most versetile and his voice variations is fantastic.Rafi can sing any kind of songs and he is best in all type. I would request our Govt. to preserve 26 thousand songs of Rafi
With a Rafian pinakesh having made his last point, I shall close this thread for any further comments now. Hope to see you making more objective and constructive remarks in future.