Meri Aawaz Suno - Naunihal by Mohammed Rafi

Meri Aawaz Suno - Naunihal is the kind of song that earns its place in a playlist and then refuses to leave. Madan Mohan's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Meri Aawaz Suno - Naunihal, Mohammed Rafi clearly belongs in the second group. Hearing Meri Aawaz Suno - Naunihal without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Naunihal.

The song dates from 1967, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. Listeners have described the experience of Meri Aawaz Suno - Naunihal differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

The concision of Meri Aawaz Suno - Naunihal — just 6:43 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.