Saturday 27 / April / 2024
In the 1970s, a young Omani man sat in the audience of his favourite Indian singer, Mohammed Rafi, at a concert in Abu Dhabi. A message was handed to him. His wife was about to deliver his child. A few hours later, a beautiful baby boy was born, and without a second thought, the proud father named him Mohammed Rafi Al Balushi.
As the years passed, the boy grew into his legendary name as his talent and love for singing developed and blossomed. Limited means meant there were not opportunities to professionally develop his skills, but that hardly mattered for the natural-born singer.
Mohammed Rafi would sit at home and listen to famous Arab and Indian musicians, letting their recorded voices serve as his tutors. He would sing out loud to himself and perform for his family members, who appreciated his efforts and encouraged him to continue to sing, even if only for them.
Everything changed when Mohammed met Dr Sanjay Dalal in 2006. Dr Sanjay was the man behind Talent Hunters Oman, a company that promotes and provides a platform for local and expatriate talent in the Sultanate.
Dr. Sanjay recognised Mohammed Rafi’s raw talent when the young man took everyone by surprise winning runner-up in a singing competition, Muscat Icon (previously Muscat Idol), after having had no previous professional training. With the help of Dr Sanjay, he began performing in local shows across Muscat, entertaining crowds with both Arabic and Hindi songs.
Mohammed Rafi would occasionally bring his own little girl, Asma Mohammed Rafi , with him to rehearsals. She would casually stroll around and hum tunes, and on one such day, Dr Sanjay overheard her and asked her if she enjoyed singing.
“Thoda thoda,” she said, indicating that she could sing a bit. She couldn’t speak Hindi well, but she picked up the diction and pronunciation of lyrics flawlessly and started singing with the Muscat Icon Group, thus becoming her family’s second generation of musical talent.
A few years later, Zee TV, a popular Indian network channel, began looking for talent from different countries. Asma’s name immediately came up. Her strong voice, beautiful tonal quality, and astonishing confidence won their hearts, and a place in their hugely celebrated talent show, which was broadcast to millions in India and across the world. Her biggest strength in the competition was her supremely confident stage presence, which was unexpected from a young woman who was born in a relatively conservative society.
She was an instant sensation in India, with banners carrying her face and name reflecting her huge fan following. People hovered around her for autographs and photographs as they gave her their best wishes. Hundreds of people who had never heard of the Sultanate of Oman, were now rooting for the young talent from that country. Asma competed well, ending up in the top ten of the overall competition. Her musical career continued for a few years after returning to Oman, where people still recognised her from the show. She was offered professional singing gigs on local shows as a chief guest and as a judge for new competition programmes, however, after getting married, she put down the microphone, ending her musical career. But it was far from the end of the Mohammed Rafi family’s musical legacy.
Asma’s younger brother Haitham Mohammed Rafi, developed a passion for singing and playing instruments at a very young age. His father was his inspiration, and like him, Haitham was self-taught. So, when his family’s long-time talent manager, Dr Sanjay, learned of the Dil Hai Hindustani competition, he felt this could be Haitham’s big break.
The competition was tough, with thousands of entries coming in from hundreds of countries around the world. Haitham first sent his voice recording to India. After nervous waiting, he learned that he had been shortlisted for the show, making him one among only 400 contestants from around the globe who were selected.
He arrived in Mumbai where he received his first-ever formal training from mentors in the entertainment industry. It was a huge step for him. After a couple weeks of intense training and scrutiny, it was time for him to perform on the main stage of Dil Hai Hindustani in front of a live audience that numbered in the thousands, as well as millions watching him on television from home.
With a humble confidence, donning a crisp dishdasha and colourful mussar, Haitham took the stage. The room was silent as he began to sing. He finished his song and opened his eyes, looking out over the massive crowd. Thunderous applause erupted.
Thoroughly impressing the judges, Haitham had secured his place in the competition. Round after round, Haitham kept getting better and more confident, the training and exposure helping him push his talent to the next level. Throughout, his eyes remain fixed on the prize—the chance to sing in a Bollywood film. A life-changing opportunity.
Currently, Haitham Mohammed Rafi is one of the top 10 finalists in the competition and is certainly living the dream. He has been meeting and interacting with top names in industry who come on the show as guest judges; etching his name and voice into their minds. In a recent episode Haitham met the legendary actor, Shah Rukh Khan, who performed with him on stage. A dream come true.
Though Haitham is now the Rafi family member in the limelight, back home his family legacy continues in a quieter way as his younger siblings, 15-year-old Amin, 14-year-old Basam, and 7-year-old Fatma, begin to hum and sing.
As the young Rafi children innocently play and run around the streets of their village, the sound of their sweet songs echo off the stone walls. Their family’s musical legacy may already be established, but their destinies remain yet-to-be discovered.
