Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey

Mohammed Rafi (born: Mohammed Rafi Sahab) was one of India's greatest playback singers. During his nearly five-decade-long career, he performed an estimated 26,000 songs and was heard in 76 films. Singing in all of India's national languages, Rafi was effective whether he was performing ghazals, qawwalis, or bhajans. In 1965, Rafi received the prestigious Padma Sri award from the Indian government. A native of Kotla Sultansingh, a small village in Punjab, Rafi sang since earliest memory. Although his father, a village landlord, disapproved, he was aided by his brother, a barb...