Dubai : Mohd Rafi Comes Alive with Tagore Das
by Shodhan Prasad
Pics by Ramcy Fernandes & Ashok Belman (Gulf Kannadiga)
Daijiworld Media Network - UAE

Dubai, May 2: Janab Mohammed Rafi passed away on July 31, 1980 leaving his golden melodies as memories for his countless fans.  But his fans who assembled at the crowded Sh. Raashid Auditorium Dubai never felt that their hero is no more living.  This is only because they could hear the legend performing live on the stage for continuously for three hours in the role of one and only ditto Rafi singer, sensational Tagore Das who emerged with sheer talent to sing just like the late Mohd Rafi and has kept his voice alive all these years. His performance through out the programme kept the audience mesmerizing and toe tapping until the last minute with in between requests for ‘once more’ and ‘once more’.

The evening started exactly at around 7.20 pm with opening up of the programme and lighting the lamp by the sponsors.  Denzil Fernandes the one and only organizer of the show presented a mega programme which was worth watching.  The duo Master of Ceremonies RJ Sahil of Radio Mirchi Mangalore and RJ Shobana of Radio Spice 105.4 FM Dubai who shared the stage and kept the audience on their toes with their brilliant on stage control of the audience through out the programme.  RJ Sahil held the audience in his control communicating them in pure Urdu, Kannada,Tulu, Malyalam, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil and Beary language through out the programme every time sensationally and pleasing.  He really made the show shine brilliantly with ease and flow.  Never the less Shobana supported him in her very possible ways.

The classic programme ‘Dubai ke ik Shaam Rafi Ke Naam’ started with oldies from the films of the famous Rajendra Kumar’s to Shammi Kappor, Biswajeet to ShashiKapoor, Rajesh Khanna to Rishi Kapoor, Dharmendra to Amitabh Bachhan.  People enjoyed the melodious ‘Ye phoolon ki raaani baharon kimalikan’, Aaj purani raahome koi muje aawaz na de’, ‘Ham khaale he tho kya huva diol wale hey’, Yeh mera prem part padkar’, Pardha hey pardha’, ‘Oh meri mehbooba’, ‘Yeh reshmi zulfen’, Yeh duniyaan Yeh Mehfil Mere Kaam ki nahin, ‘Ankhom me ahonka ishara’, ‘Madhuban me raadhika naache re’, Ah ha aaja ah ha aja’, ‘Hum tumse juda honge’, etc., with simultaneous beautiful video presentation via screen on both sides of the stage showing clips of late Mohd Rafi’s performances and clips which was arranged by Dinesh Correa.

Tagore Das learnt classical music and musical instruments like harmonium, tabla, guitar and the like. He bagged many prizes for music and drama in school and inter-collegiate competitions at the state level.  At the age of 15, he started singing Rafi’s songs. In 1973, he was awarded the title “Mohd Rafi of South India” in Kerala. In 1996, India’s legendary singer P B Srinivas recognized him as the ‘reincarnation of Rafi’.  He has been appreciated by famous Bollywood music directors like Shankar Jaikishan , Nausad Ali, and Ravindra Jain . His live music concert at Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, Bangalore, in 1986 was well-appreciated by the cricketers of the Indian team.  His voice being similar to Rafi is aptly called ‘Rafi Ditto’.  He is well-versed in playing many musical instruments and is a music composer too.

In 35 years of performances, he has staged moe than 6,000 music concerts in India and abroad with pure dedication. His systematic, methodical, and perfect performance has brought him laurels everywhere.   To mark Rafi’s 28th death anniversary, a non-stop 12-hour record breaking show was organized under the banner of ‘Taraana Association Mangalore/ Udupi’ at Syndicate Bank Golden Jubilee Hall on 19 July, 2008, titled ‘Subah-O-Shaam Rafi Tere Naam’.

Tagore Das is a rare and special artiste and a proud Mangalorian who specializes in all of Rafi’s songs without referring to the written lyrics by heart.  His international concerts have been appreciated by all expatriate Indians and the locals and it is a real treat to listen to Das who brings back all that is great and well-known about the legendary Mohd Rafi. 

The concert was melodiously supported by co-singers, the famous Anita D’Souza a well known singer from Mangalore who actually is a professor by profession but has a passion for music who gave beautiful numbers like ‘Ayega Ayega Ayega Aane Wala’, ‘Aja Aja Main Hun Pyaar tera’, etc., and also supported by the famous Zee Antakshari winner RJ Shobana singing ‘Ankhon hi anhonme ishara hogaya’,

It is unfortunate that a dedicated great singer like Tagore Das did not get the required recognition he deserved which others in close vicinity of Bollywood have received.  However he was widely known as the Mohd Rafi of South India.  Denzil presented him a memento at the end and honoured him again as Mohd Rafi of South India.  A simple and honest man Tagore still leads a simple life wholly dedicated to the great legend of yesteryears.

Never the less we will still have more opportunities to hear Tagore Das in Dubai with future programme to come as said by Denzil Fernandes who proved to be a successful one man organizer to present such a beautiful melodious programme in this part of the world which left the audience return home entertained with full pack of entertainment combined with sheer pleasure.

All the sponsors including the media sponsors were called upon on the stage and honoured.  Also the troupe were introduced and honoured including Tagore Das his musicians and the Manger Ivan D’Souza. The programme ended with vote of thanks by the organizer himself, Denzil Fernandes.