The Rough Guide to Mohd Rafi (Rough Guide World Music CDs)

Over the years, Bollywood’s dream-weavers have adopted many faces and many voices. Since the late 1940s, people have known, or suspected, that the face in close-up on the screen is probably lip-synching to a ‘playback singer’, and in the annals of Bollywood, Mohd. Rafi’s star shines bright. Decades after his death in July 1980 (at the age of 56), he remains one of the four most influential playback singers ever, alongside Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. His voice brought fantasy to life, and he continues to inspire succeeding generations. This album pays tribute to his overwhelming influence in the subcontinent and beyond.