A Chat With Samira Abbasi
To begin with, can you brief our readers about the nature of the work you are involved with?
Professionally, I'm an engineer, but by passion, I am a musician at first, and then a writer and poet. These are the avenues I reside in and derive inspiration from; the means through which I express myself.
How long have you been involved with music?
Oh, Since I was three! I have been blessed to be raised in a family where it was mandatory to interact with music. Even though it felt tedious at an earlier age, I grew up to embrace music as a way of life.
In the long stretch of your dedication towards music, there must have been important moments. Could you share one such occasion?
One such important moment was when I started my tutelage under the famous pundit Ajoy Chakrabarty. I made frequent visits to Kolkata's Sangeet Research Academy to be mentored by him. He not only gave me musical lessons, but life lessons as well. Such are the teachings of a guru.
What would you say acts as a means of inspiration on your behalf?
Honestly, I seek inspiration every single day of my life. As an artist, that is the way I can identify my soul. Nature plays an immense role of inspiration. I reside by the ocean and that in turn stimulates me. Even as a painter, the beauty of nature influences me heavily, traces of which can be observed in my attire as well.
Could you shed some light on your recent endeavours?
Currently, I am working on an original music track of mine, because apart from the covers, every singer has an inherent dream of having their own song. I am also working on music videos due for release on the upcoming Eid. I have recently completed the recording of a CD for my English poetry recitation. Besides, planning is underway for the enactment of my short stories as dramas.
As you are an expat residing in the U.S, how do you balance between work and family, given the hectic schedule you have when visiting Bangladesh?
That is the reason why I came for a longer period this year. My priority was to attend to my aging parents, so I didn't even inform any one about my arrival until a month and a half later. Eventually, everyone found out. I must tell you, despite living a good life in the U.S, it seems that when I am in the studio here, ready to record a track, I totally feel this is what I was meant to do.
If you were to share something about yourself, which our readers are unaware of, what would it be?
Well, I always try to involve myself in cases of calamities so I can offer as much support as possible to those in dire need. For example during the tragic "Rana Plaza" incident, despite the distance, I was rather restless. So I made an effort to collect money from the U.S, U.K, and elsewhere through the social networks, and after conducting a survey in Bangladesh, I made sure the money reached to those most in need and I also worked with the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) to make specialized wheelchairs for those who lost their limbs. Please keep in mind that the reason I am disclosing this is merely as a means of inspiration to share our fortunes with the underprivileged. My efforts are but a grain of sand in the desert.
Interviewed by Minam Haque
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