Fifth annual concert night at Los Angeles to remember the Great Mohd Rafi
28 years passed, but he still lives on among us through his songs.

Canoga Park, Los Angeles
October 24, 2008

On Friday October 24, 2008, noted singer Avtar Chadda held his fifth annual concert to pay homage to legendary Indian singer Mohammed Rafi.

More than 250 noted guests were welcomed by principal organizer Nirmal Sandhu at the brightly lit and tastefully decorated Grand Banquet Hall in Van Nuys.

Harbir Narang, the emcee for the evening, set the mood by peppering his introductions with factoids about Rafi and his contemporaries.

Guest artiste Noory sang a Mukesh number, Burmese singer Aslam did justice to Udit Narayan songs and Sunny Surat Singh, who has made a name for himself, impressed with Kishore Kumar melodies. Pratibha Gunjan, who later accompanied Avtar Chadda in duets, sang Lata Mangeshkar tunes to the perfection.

Following dinner, catered by India Palace of Canoga Park, Avtar Chadda channeled the evening's entertainment into one of nostalgic euphoria.

His rendition of a medley of popular songs and bhajans had the audience "wah-wahing". Since his Mohammed Rafi concert last year, Chadda has shown maturity in the rendition of classical numbers. He has developed enough confidence to play mirthfully with classical notes to the audience's delight.

The artiste has earned the sobriquet, "the voice of Rafi" and one just had to listen to his voice to justify the validity of this accolade.

Chadda sang some favorite numbers including his signature tune, "suhani raat dhal chuki." There were favorites from Dev Anand and Shammi Kapoor movies- foot stomping tunes and the gentler, romantic lilts of yesteryear.

It is to Chadda's credit that he tackled the Baiju Bawra classic, "man tadpat har darshan ko aaj" with poise, restraint, reverence and the proper throw of his rich voice where desired. As a special treat, and deviating from his Rafi fare, Chadda sang a Punjabi ghazal of poet Amar Akbarpuri. This ghazal has yet to be released which is sung originally by Nirmal Sandhu with music of Tejwant Kittu.

Speaking with this correspondent during the break, Chadda said that he was interested in singing from an early age. He never pursued this interest in Delhi where he was born. "I trained as a graphic artist and wanted to excel in that field. I always loved the songs of Rafi Saab, and would hum the tunes to myself. "

"It was a chance encounter with Indian playback singer Hemlata. She was in S. California for a while and heard me singing at a friend's place. She invited me to sing with her at private concerts. That got the creative juices flowing."

He looks forward to 6th annual concert as his humble offering to the great Indian artiste Mohd Rafi.

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