Tracing the roots of ‘Modhu Khoi Khoi Bish Khawaila’
Trying to find out one of the most viral songs of this year? Well, look no further because ‘Modhu khoi khoi bish khawaila’ is here to remind us that folk songs are charming, captivates the Bangali minds and has the ability to go viral on social media.
From a local favourite to being featured in advertisements, this upbeat song has us all engrossed. Roughly translated, the song title says, “You fed me poison saying it is honey.”
A song made famous by a little boy roaming around the beaches of Cox’s Bazar, ‘Modhu khoi khoi bish khawaila’s origin is rooted deep within the only coral reef island of Bangladesh, St Martin’s, where one Abdur Rashid originally wrote and composed it.
Fisherman by profession, braving the high seas, Abdur Rashid has no formal training in music but is the genius behind this now viral song.
In a YouTube video shot in 2007 by one Farid Noman and published by one Iftekhar Uddin in 2014, Rashid sings his soulful music with only a mandolin in hand whilst the sandy beaches of Saint Martin’s Island lend a beautiful backdrop.
However, The Daily Star has not been able to trace the whereabouts of Abdur Rashid.
Thanks to this song, Jahid, an underprivileged nine-year-old who roamed the beaches giving head massages, and singing to tourists for money, was shot to fame after a video of him singing it with a tourist in Cox’s Bazar went viral on social media this March.
Not only in viral music videos, ‘Modhu khoi khoi bish khawaila’ is also the subject of parodies nowadays such as ‘kon karone Cigarette e Ganja Mishaila?’ which roughly translates to ‘Why did you add hemp to my cigarette?’
In the parody made with pirated strips video, a Rastafarian man is seen walking on green fields and preparing hemp for his cigarette! You can watch some of the best renditions of this song here.
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