For Fahmida Nabi, it was always her passion to discover her life through music. Even though Fahmida is from a musical family, she still believes that her own passion for music made her who she is today. She said, “My parents never pressured me into singing. Me and my siblings were fully supported by our parents as they gave us the independence to set our own goals. However, we felt strongly about keeping our family heritage alive.” The beautiful thing about her family is that they hold on to their family tradition to love, nurture and practice music, generation after generation.
Favourite instrument
She took a while to think and said, “Every instrument has its own features. No matter what ghorana the music is from, the harmonium always turns the mood into ragoshree. Instruments don't guide us, rather we guide them. It depends on my mood and how I'm feeling, really. But the guitar and the piano have a very special place in my heart.”
Her favourite tunes
She claims that her life is all about music. Her soft yet euphonious voice is capable of touching all the magical notes, for which, Fahmida Nabi, is regarded as one of the most melodious singers our country has ever produced. Whether she's singing or just listening to music, she opts for soothing, melodious and romantic music.
Aspirations
A lot of people might not know about her talents as a lyricist and a composer, Fahmida aspires to please her audience and take them to a whole new level of harmonious trance. She mentions, “If the lyrics and the composition click, the music can take you to that state but if it doesn't, it is up to the singer to decide how to collaborate them and create harmony." This convergent lady is also a firm believer of positivity. She adds, “Whenever I have to sing any sad song, I try to give it a happy ending to keep the hope of life alive."
Her idea of teamwork
Fahmida is saddened by how the teamwork between singers, composers and writers no longer exist due to improvements of technology, as most of the work is done online. She argues that teamwork is necessary to produce the best of work which can reach the audience's heart.
The audience knows best
Fahmida refuses to make a list of her favourite co-artistes. Rather, she prefers to leave it on the audience. “It was and never will depend on us, it solely depends on the audience's preferences and who they think will collaborate well as a pair. Besides, co-artiste's need to understand the situation as well. Having a big ego can kill brilliant possibilities.”
Moment of fear
On her first stage programme, the presence of her father Mahmud Un Nabi made her more nervous than the presence of the large audience. She said, “I was constantly conscious about what sort of feedback I would get from Abba.”
Sibling love
Our TV screens have been graced several times with the presence of Fahmida and her equally talented younger sister, Samina. Surprisingly, both sisters differ on the type of music they like; the elder of the two likes soft music, whereas the younger likes music with high energy. However, the one thing they have in common, is the love for flowers and they adorn themselves with it whenever they can. A smiling Fahmida said, “We keep on forgetting our accessories, so flowers have always been there to complete our outfits.”
“I personally love how the women in Hawaii roam around the beach with a flower garland on their necks,” she adds.
According to Fahmida, the duo have supported each other through thick and thin. She brings up Samina's knack of remembering lyrics, which she lacks but appreciates.
Favorite Book
Her love for detective stories makes her fall in love with all the plots from the stories of Sherlock Homes.
Pet peeves
Fahmida says that she dislikes autonomous authority in any aspect of her life.
Her biggest critic
Regardless of whether it is something as small as the decor tips for a tiny corner in her house, Fahmida takes notes from her daughter Anmole. Anmole is also the biggest critic of her mother's work. Perfectionist Fahmida makes her daughter listen to her sing for honest feedback. “Anmole always gives me the best possible feedback, by saying, 'Ma you need to improvise on these areas, or you need softer emotion here rather then being loud'”, she happily shares.
Her mentor
“As a student of philosophy, I take Socrates to be my mentor and refer to a saying of his, 'A cup of poison cannot kill me but only the truth can kill me' as an essence of life. To live by enjoying every moment of my life along with loved ones, is all I desire.”
We had to finish our conversation a tad bit early as she had to head for a recording session. Fahmida expressed just how much she disliked the fast pace of her life. “I haven't had time to actively listen to something in such a long time!” she exclaimed hastily before concluding our interview.
“I see my life as one that is deeply connected with music” - Fahmida Nabi