SONU NIIGAAM'S TRIBUTE TO MOHD. RAFI IN 'RAFI RESURRECTED'
(17 June 2008)

Bollywood playback singer Sonu Niigaam is to perform iconic Mohd.Rafi's greatest hits with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Birmingham, Manchester & London between 15 - 20 July 2008. Record label Saregama plc is to launch a special double album, featuring 20 tracks entitled 'Rafi Resurrected' to commemorate the occasion - the CD is released on 17th June 2008. The late Mohammed.Rafi (1924-1980) was one of India's most famous and respected singers.

Mohd.Rafi scaled the height of popularity during his tenure as a singer within Indian Film Music and became the name and voice many an aspirant wished to emulate. His voice traversed a diverse range from rock n roll to romantic ballads and from classically inspired numbers to religious hymns. Rafi was a colossus but his unassuming manner endeared him to not only his fans but also to the industry's music and cinema hierarchy. In a career that spanned some 35 years, the name of Rafi became synonymous with the best musical output fromBombay (now known as Mumbai). 28 years have passed since his death on July 31st 1980 and Mohd.Rafi's name lives on as India's greatest male singer. Saregama plc possesses the largest portfolio of Mohd.Rafi's vast repertoire, some 5,000 songs.

CONCERT TOUR

The national tour with Sonu Niigaam will start at the Symphony Hall Birmingham(15th July), followed by Manchester's legendary rock venue the Apollo Theatre(17th July) and ends at the architecturally stunning London Coliseum(20th July).

'RAFI RESURRECTED' - THE ORIGINS

Tim Pottier, the Artistic Producer for the 'Rafi Resurrected' album and former CBSO librarian, has championed this project with Amarpal Singh Gaind of Saregama. They began work on the project in late 2005 with Tim listening to literally hundreds of Rafi's recordings in search of material that would work when played live on stage by a symphony orchestra. Now a confirmed Rafi fan, Tim Pottier believes he has managed to secure the best songs for Sonu Niigaam to sing on stage.

Songs included in the CD and concert tour include Rafi classics such as:

• Aaj Mausam Bada Be-imaan Hai (Loafer) - also featured in Monsoon Wedding and a song favoured by Tim Pottier
• Baharo Phool Barsao (Suraj) - recently re-sampled by the Welsh artiste Jem Griffiths for her song 'Come on Closer'
• Ghulabi Aankhen Jo Teri Dekhi (The Train)- one of RD Burman's most acclaimed works which onomatopoeically creates the rhythmic movements of a train
• Dil Ke Jharoke Mein (Brahmachari) - an extraordinary musical introduction to a song that won universal acclaim
• An Evening in Paris (An Evening in Paris)- the 60s are re-visited with this iconic track from the masters of composition, Shankar Jaikishan
• Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho (Hanste Zakhm) - a 70s Madan Mohan composed duet which employs all the accoutrements to project an atmosphere of sensuality
• Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki (Dulari) - Mohd.Rafi's own personal favourite and a composition that dates back to 1949 from the masterful Naushad.

This complex global project involved the recording of the CBSO's cover versions of the original orchestrations as well as certain percussion elements recorded in Mumbai. The inevitable choice for rendering Rafi's original songs was one of India's most successful and in-demand 'playback' singers, Sonu Niigaam.

The voice of Mohd.Rafi has become embedded in Sonu's psyche and he has always regarded him as a surrogate father. Sonu began singing Mohd.Rafi's songs from the age of 3 and has a sixth sense about the various intonations and nuances. Indeed Sonu Niigaam has paid particular attention to the era in which the songs have been sung as Mohd.Rafi's voice matured through the 1940s through to the late 70s. Sonu has attempted to modulate his voice to suit not only the peculiar style and mood of the composition but also the period in which the song was originally rendered. This is a totally unique concept and one that Sonu was proud to have been a part of.

ABOUT SONU NIIGAAM

Sonu Niigaam is often referred to as India's best playback singer or as the Golden Voice of Indipop but he has proved time and again that he is a complete musician and an institution in himself with extra-ordinary talent and a voice to die for. He is a student of music,with a zeal to surpass his own targets and a performer par excellence. Sonu in addition to being one of India's leading singers has also played host to Zee TV's talent show 'Saregama', been a radio disc-jockey and has branched out into starring in his own films.

Some of the most acclaimed film music has involved Sonu including tracks from Pardes, Refugee, Border, Kabhi Khushie Kabhie Gham, Veer Zaara and Kal Ho Na Ho. Today he is an icon to millions of music lovers across the globe and a legend at the age of 34. His journey has just begun.

ABOUT SAREGAMA PLC

Saregama India Ltd. is the successor company to The Gramophone Company of India Ltd., India's largest and best-known music company. The history of recorded music in the Indian subcontinent is the history of Saregama. whose products were marketed under the popular heritage brand HMV with the iconic 'Dog and Trumpet' logo. Saregama's history can be traced back to 1901. Amongst their many milestones is the historical first-ever recording done on Indian soil.

Visit the Saragama website www.saregamaevents.com for event bookings and listen to sample tracks from the tribute album 'Rafi Resurrected'.