"Good songs have longevity and that is how it should be. If you look at the golden period of Indian film music, the songs that were made in 1950s and 1960s are still played and loved. It still means something to us," Rabbi told.
The 40-year-old performed Friday night at the World Sufi Spirit Festival (WSSF). His performance drew people in great numbers, and he enthralled them all with Bollywood chartbusters like "Challa", "Bulla ki jaana mai kaun", "Tere bin" and "Jugni", apart from tracks from his private albums.
It was a heartening experience for him when the audience cheered on when he sang "Bulla ki jaana".
"Performing at this fest was a fabulous experience. I asked the audience if they wanted to listen 'Challa', which had superstar Shah Rukh Khan dancing, they said they want listen to 'Bulla ki jaana'! It felt very special that people still want to listen to a stand-alone song which is eight years old," said Rabbi.
The Delhi-based singer carved a niche for himself with his first album "Rabbi" in 2005, and believes in being cautious about the quality of his work.
"A singer or musician can't take a shortcut. It might yield success in the beginning, but it is not what music is about," he said.