Popular singer Mukesh, making his first trip out of the country, went to Mauritius, sang to appreciative audiences, became 'quite jealous' of Raj Kapoor from whom he ghost-sings on the screen.

        The shy, good people of Mauritius, a large number of them of Indian origin, reports Mukesh, would start asking him a couple of question about himself and then would switch to "endless" queries about Raj.

            The Governor of Mauritius and his lady, as well as the Prime Minister, heard Mukesh sing. He was there for 36 days, though originally he had scheduled only 22 days and as many performances.

            The theme songs from Raj Kapoor's "Jis Desh Mein Ganga Bahti Hai" was the opening piece of every day's concert. Mukesh thought it a particularly apt choice, not only because he himself came from India bur because most of his listeners had Indian ancestors. They had no more links with land where the Ganges flows. Indian film and film songs were very well known in Mauritius, Mukesh discovered - of his own the "sad" songs were most popular.

On his way back home, Mukesh landed in Nairobi. The plane he left at the airport, he latter heard, developed trouble and could not resume its flight. He was very lucky, Mukesh thought wondering what would have happened if the "trouble" had started an hour or two earlier in the air with himself on the plane.

In East Africa, Mukesh was thrilled by a visit to the Kenya game sanctuary - he "bagged" a lioness with his camera. In contrast to Africa, Mukesh recalled, was Mauritius which                    

  Mukesh Big Shows :

1970 - Delhi , 1972 - Africa , 1973 - Mauritius , 1976 - U.S.A./ Canada

I have been a fan of Mukesh since 1959. Thank you Pankaj for this fantastic site. I saw Mukesh in exhibition grounds at Hyderabad probably in 1962 or 63.
Mukesh saw Mr.N.S.Rauf sitting among the audience. He called M.Rauf on to the stage and sang a song from Tohfa. The song kaha tak jafa husnwaale, an immortal piece. Dr. Reddy
 

Jaane kahan gaye woh din...’in particular brings back a hard-to-forget memory for Mukesh’s son. On August 22 and 23 Mukesh had performed at Montreal and Toronto. May be it was because he wasn’t feeling too well or because he had a premonition of his death, but Mukesh sent an SOS to his son who was vacationing in America to join him in Montreal for the 23rd concert. The show went off well. It was nearing the end. Mukesh was on his last song, his favourite song, ‘Jaane kahan gaye woh din...’ when he announced that his son would be singing with him. Surprised, Nitin Mukesh stepped out of the wings. After the first antara Mukesh stopped and Nitin Mukesh took over. The words were almost prophetic though he didn’t realise it then. The crowds went wild. Mukesh had a smile on his face. His son, he knew, was ready to take over from him. Four days later he was gone. And it was Nitin Mukesh who was singing the song at the next show on August 27, alone.