Dream fulfilled after two decades: Habib

Entertainment Report :

Habib Wahid — the acclaimed singer and music director — has once again captivated audiences. Recently, his song Mahajadu, performed alongside Tajik singer Mehrnigori Rustam for Coke Studio Bangla, has created quite a stir among listeners.

Speaking about the fusion-style song, Habib said, “The way Coke Studio Bangla wanted to present Mahajadu, it was natural for anyone to find the task quite challenging. Two artists from two different countries singing in two separate languages, yet making it sound like a single, unified song — that’s not easy. Even so, I accepted the challenge. I wanted to present Mahajadu to listeners as a complete piece, with lyrics built upon melody. It required a lot of musical experimentation.”

When asked why he chose Mahajadu, Habib explained, “Mahajadu is a magnificent creation by Baul Shah Khwaja Mia. My friend, singer Kaya, was the one who first introduced me to the song. I instantly fell in love with it. I had a long-standing wish to record it with a new arrangement.

When Kaya and I started working on the Krishna album, I planned to include Mahajadu in it, but it didn’t happen. Later, while working on the Maya album with Kaya, somehow the song was again left out. Finally, I got the chance to create a fusion version for Coke Studio Bangla. Singing Mahajadu has fulfilled a long-cherished dream of mine — one that remained incomplete for two decades.”

Regarding the parts sung in Persian, Habib said, “I have no command over the Persian language — that was part of the experimentation. Mehrnigori Rustam, being a Tajik artist who doesn’t know Bangla at all, could sing in Bangla; so I thought, why couldn’t I sing in Persian? That’s what motivated me to perform a section of the song in Persian as well.”