A Voice That Refuses to Fade
As 2025 winds down and the birthday of the legendary Mohammad Rafi approaches on December 24, 2025, Bangalore is setting the stage to orchestrate a tribute to the musical legend, the ‘Voice of the Millennium.’ The musical event is hosted by the Indian Music Experience (IME), India’s leading interactive music museum. It is set to be one of the most participatory celebrations in Bangalore. This experiential platform is launching a special Mohammad Rafi Open Mic Night on Sunday, 21 December 2025, at its Bengaluru campus.
Mohammad Rafi’s voice felt like a silhouette of velvet, where each note ached with the weight of a thousand unspoken words. His tunes were one of the rarest gifts that breathed life into every song. He possessed a voice that transcended generations; thus, this musical arrangement is not just a thoughtful initiative but an act of collective remembrance. Mohammad Rafi’s voice once shaped the emotional array of Indian cinema and popular culture across decades. Therefore, this open mic will celebrate a true community event to keep the maestro’s legacy alive.
Mohammad Rafi was a man of immense versatility and zeal, and needs very little reiteration. He was active from the late 1940s to the 1970s and covered a wide range of genres and languages. From devotional bhajans and patriotic anthems to romantic songs, his voice adapted to a wide range of genres. The open mic format of IME is significant because it seamlessly attaches itself to the museum’s goal, i.e., to encourage public engagement and participation in India’s rich musical traditions. The event is orchestrated to unite a community of people who share the same love for the singer’s voice. This open mic not only pays tribute to the musical maestro but also acts as a force of cohesion among people.
The Indian Music Experience Museum
Situated at the JP Nagar area of Bangalore, the Indian Music Experience Museum is a first-of-its-kind institute in India. Covering 50,000 square feet, the IMEM was established in 2019, with the support of the Brigade Group. The museum currently features nine exhibit galleries, a beautiful sound garden, and a learning centre. With a landscape like that, it forms the perfect background for the instrumentation of the Rafi Open Mic. Hitherto, the museum also launched an online exhibition titled “Mohammed Rafi: The Golden Voice of Hindi Cinema” in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture.
The open mic was conceived by the Youth Advisory Board in IMEM to function as a liberal niche for free musical expression. Upto 20 artists are welcome to perform their chosen classic or original compositions.
A Sneak Peek Into The Event
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Open Mics, unlike traditional concerts, emphasize participation over performances. The attendees are encouraged to sing their favourite Rafi classics and recall their personal memories associated with the songs. Playback singing is considered a crucial social phenomenon, and Mohammad Rafi was one of the catalysts who shaped it. Moreover, the IMEM positions itself as an archive of musical history, reaching beyond its experiential projections. The broader injunction of the museum is to “demonstrate how music continues to accrue meaning through communal engagement.”
The Open Mic At a Glance
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | IME Open Mic: Tribute to Mohammed Rafi |
| Date & Time | Sunday, December 21st, 2025, 5:00 PM |
| Location | Indian Music Experience Museum, Brigade Millennium Avenue, JP Nagar 7th Phase, Bangalore |
| Organiser | Indian Music Experience Museum (IME) |
| Occasion | Celebrating the birth centenary of Mohammed Rafi (Born: December 24, 1924) |
| Format | Open Mic (singing, sharing memories, instrumental performances) |
| Participation | Open to all skill levels |
| Registration | Through a Google Form (link provided in the official bio/website) |
Key Highlights
- A participatory open mic format encouraging community engagement
- Tribute aligned with Mohammed Rafi’s birth anniversary
- Hosted by India’s first interactive music museum
- Inclusive platform for singers, listeners, and storytellers
- Integration of visual archival material linked to Rafi’s legacy
- Emphasis on memory, nostalgia, and intergenerational listening
- The IME itself showcases the entire spectrum of Indian music, from classical maestros to the golden era of Bollywood.
- The Open Mic serves as a physical counterpart to the IME’s ongoing virtual exhibition on Rafi.
A Bigger Cultural Context
In the recent years, there has been a trend of revising influential playback singers through dedicated concerts, conferences, and museum events. IME’s initiative fits squarely within this trend but distinguishes itself through its community-centric approach. Rafi’s voice is often described by musicologists as “chameloeonic” as he seamlessly moulded his voice into the complicated compositions that ultimately shaped his identity as the maestro. He could convincingly embody the on-screen personas of actors as diverse as Dilip Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, and Guru Dutt. Thus, it is a great commemorative moment for a personality like him to be interpreted by multiple voices.
Takeaway
This open mic event is based on the spirit of participation by people who share a common love for Rafi’s voice. IME prioritizes lived memories and collective engagement that feels intimate and filled with nostalgia. Rafi’s songs have survived not because they are endlessly replayed, but because they are repeatedly re-inhabited.
This event is orchestrated to commemorate Mohammad Rafi’s birthday, but the way it is designed, it transcends a mere birthday commemoration and aims to blend in like a much needed cultural celebration of Rafi and his legendary music. From the buoyant romance of “Deewana Hua Badal” to the philosophical depth of “Yeh Duniya Yeh Mehfil,” his songs are evergreen and will continue to dominate Indian ears for generations to come. It ensures that Rafi’s legacy does not remain frozen in time, but is lived through people who love and honour his work.
Key Highlights
- A participatory open mic format encouraging community engagement
- Tribute aligned with Mohammed Rafi’s birth anniversary
- Hosted by India’s first interactive music museum
- Inclusive platform for singers, listeners, and storytellers
- Integration of visual archival material linked to Rafi’s legacy
- Emphasis on memory, nostalgia, and intergenerational listening
- The IME itself showcases the entire spectrum of Indian music, from classical maestros to the golden era of Bollywood.
- The Open Mic serves as a physical counterpart to the IME’s ongoing virtual exhibition on Rafi.
A Bigger Cultural Context
In the recent years, there has been a trend of revising influential playback singers through dedicated concerts, conferences, and museum events. IME’s initiative fits squarely within this trend but distinguishes itself through its community-centric approach. Rafi’s voice is often described by musicologists as “chameloeonic” as he seamlessly moulded his voice into the complicated compositions that ultimately shaped his identity as the maestro. He could convincingly embody the on-screen personas of actors as diverse as Dilip Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, and Guru Dutt. Thus, it is a great commemorative moment for a personality like him to be interpreted by multiple voices.
Takeaway
This open mic event is based on the spirit of participation by people who share a common love for Rafi’s voice. IME prioritizes lived memories and collective engagement that feels intimate and filled with nostalgia. Rafi’s songs have survived not because they are endlessly replayed, but because they are repeatedly re-inhabited.
This event is orchestrated to commemorate Mohammad Rafi’s birthday, but the way it is designed, it transcends a mere birthday commemoration and aims to blend in like a much needed cultural celebration of Rafi and his legendary music. From the buoyant romance of “Deewana Hua Badal” to the philosophical depth of “Yeh Duniya Yeh Mehfil,” his songs are evergreen and will continue to dominate Indian ears for generations to come. It ensures that Rafi’s legacy does not remain frozen in time, but is lived through people who love and honour his work.
Key Highlights
- A participatory open mic format encouraging community engagement
- Tribute aligned with Mohammed Rafi’s birth anniversary
- Hosted by India’s first interactive music museum
- Inclusive platform for singers, listeners, and storytellers
- Integration of visual archival material linked to Rafi’s legacy
- Emphasis on memory, nostalgia, and intergenerational listening
- The IME itself showcases the entire spectrum of Indian music, from classical maestros to the golden era of Bollywood.
- The Open Mic serves as a physical counterpart to the IME’s ongoing virtual exhibition on Rafi.
A Bigger Cultural Context
In the recent years, there has been a trend of revising influential playback singers through dedicated concerts, conferences, and museum events. IME’s initiative fits squarely within this trend but distinguishes itself through its community-centric approach. Rafi’s voice is often described by musicologists as “chameloeonic” as he seamlessly moulded his voice into the complicated compositions that ultimately shaped his identity as the maestro. He could convincingly embody the on-screen personas of actors as diverse as Dilip Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, and Guru Dutt. Thus, it is a great commemorative moment for a personality like him to be interpreted by multiple voices.
Takeaway
This open mic event is based on the spirit of participation by people who share a common love for Rafi’s voice. IME prioritizes lived memories and collective engagement that feels intimate and filled with nostalgia. Rafi’s songs have survived not because they are endlessly replayed, but because they are repeatedly re-inhabited.
This event is orchestrated to commemorate Mohammad Rafi’s birthday, but the way it is designed, it transcends a mere birthday commemoration and aims to blend in like a much needed cultural celebration of Rafi and his legendary music. From the buoyant romance of “Deewana Hua Badal” to the philosophical depth of “Yeh Duniya Yeh Mehfil,” his songs are evergreen and will continue to dominate Indian ears for generations to come. It ensures that Rafi’s legacy does not remain frozen in time, but is lived through people who love and honour his work.
