Fahmida Nabi - one of the famous singers of the country

Fahmida Nabi, as one of the famous singers of the country, has always mesmerised her audience with the magic of her singing. The charm in her voice is equally evident in her personality. When asked about her early life, Fahmida took a ride down memory lane as if to relive her childhood all over again.

She was born in Dinajpur, at the home of her maternal grandparents. She was brought up in the city, mostly in their house in Elephant road. But whenever there was a vacation, she used to visit Dinajpur along with her family and spend the entirety of it there. ‘In those days, vacations were about two months long, so you can say I actually grew up in Dinajpur with my maternal grandparents, uncles and aunts,’ recollected Fahmida.

According to Fahmida, a person always reflects her childhood persona, even during adulthood. Likewise, Fahmida felt that she has not changed much as she still loves to make new acquaintances, with people of all ages, just as she used to during her childhood. She still maintains her ties with her childhood gang of friends.

‘Sometimes we all feel lonely even amidst a crowd, but I feel the warmth of their love even when I am alone. I believe friendship and love are to be cherished every day,’ said a philosophical Fahmida.

Growing up in the atmosphere created by her culturally-inclined family has had a profound impact on Fahmida’s growth as an artiste. ‘In Dinajpur, we had a huge sofa which was almost like a stage, in the yard of our grandparents’ house. About fifty people could sit on it. Every afternoon, we used to perform plays, songs, dances, recitations etc. which was like a ritual for us. People from the neighbouring areas used to come to watch us. Starting from late afternoon, it would continue till about 11 at night,’ reminisced Fahmida.

As well as having been quite a restless child, Fahmida enjoyed a lot of liberties during her childhood although that still did not stop the odd beating from her mother coming her way. Many a time, she got caught stealing flowers or guavas or telling lies to her tutor and skipping study hours but a lot has not changed since then it would seem.

‘I just stole a tree on Valentine’s Day from my friend’s house with the help of my friend himself,’ confessed a smiling Fahmida.

She was never very studious and when she was in class eight, she had a group of friends, who would all do their utmost to evade academic tasks. Fahmida used to lead the gang and earned the moniker ‘gundi ki sardar’. All that changed soon however, after watching the television show ‘Hart to Hart’ where the character Mr Hart inspired them in the right ways, which also involved studying hard. Consequently, their SSC examination results were much better than had been anticipated.

‘Later I gave it a thought and realized just how much an idol can influence his/her supporters, and therefore, when I perform, I always try to give my best in an honest way to positively influence my supporters,’ said Fahmida.

Apart from being an admirable singer, Fahmida is a good cook and a wonderful painter. Whenever she finds some spare time, she paints. She wanted to study in Art College but during the time of admission, she had to go to India with her mother due to her mother’s treatment. When she came back, there was no seat left to apply for.

Teachers then suggested that she joined the philosophy department and they assured her that she could switch to history, another subject she preferred. But Fahmida fell in love with philosophy the very day she attended her first class. She discovered that the subject intrigued her more than anything else. And gradually, she fell in love with Socrates, Plato and all the other great philosophers. She completed her bachelors and masters in philosophy.

Nevertheless, there was nothing more she wished for than becoming a singer. Her family’s influence and her acute interest pushed her into the arena. Fahmida got enlisted in television and radio shows when she was in class seven. ‘I had to go through auditions. None of us two sisters (Fahmida Nabi and Samina Chowhury) could seek the privileges of being the daughters of Mahmudun Nabi. We always had to prove ourselves,’ she said.

Fahmida has been singing for more than twenty years. But her fame is quite a recent phenomenon. She thinks this is because she has always been very selective about her songs. She sings the songs that touch the depth of life. In 1999-2000, when she realized that she could not connect with her audience, a frustrated Fahmida left the country for Canada. She decided to settle there but could not. She came back in 2001, right about a year after her departure. ‘I could not see myself in Canada, something was pulling me to come back to the country and I returned.’

After coming back to the country, Fahmida met a group called Napin. She found that group’s music to her taste. She started singing again and this time, her songs struck a chord with the audiences. She earned the fame she deserved and won many awards. Yet, despite all the fame and accolades, Fahmida remains the same simple girl who values her friends as always.

Sharmin Chowdhury