THE SUCCESFUL SINGER

Rafi Hossain: Welcome to Uncensored with Rafi Hossain. Today, we are here with Oyshee. Oyshee, congratulations on winning the 'National Film Award' for the best song in a film. The song was composed by Emon, right?

Oyshee: Thank you so much, bhaiya. It still feels surreal to think that I actually won the National Film Award. The song I did was for the movie Maya: The Lost Mother, and it was composed by Emon Chowdhury and the lyrics were written by Masud Pothik. It's a huge honour to win the award. I thought that for me, it's more important to focus on my work, and that if I work hard, awards will come in the future. So, when I heard that I won the award, it came as a big shock to me. When Emon Bhaiya first sent me the demo for the song, I thought that it was going to be a challenging project as Emon bhaiya put in all the proper emotions in the track. I tried my best to convey all the right emotions while singing the song. After making it, I was very happy with what we created.

Rafi: What sort of music do you enjoy making the most?

Oyshee: I think that music is something that really depends on the mood of the person making it. That is the case for me. There will be times when I feel like making a certain form of music, but in other times, I will feel better making another kind. But, overall, I always feel happy making folk songs at any moment. I connect to folk songs, so I think that's why it has a special place in my heart.

Rafi: Was this project the first song you did for a film?

Oyshee: No, I actually first did a song for a film in 2016. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to have been able to sing in almost forty movies. I pray that I will be able to sing in more movies in the future. 

Rafi: That really is quite impressive. A lot of artists start their careers with the hope to do playback songs in movies one day. Were you like that?

Oyshee: Definitely, and I think that every artist dreams of this. I always wanted to see my favorite actors lip-sync to my song in a movie. 

Rafi: What is the major difference you think is between doing playbacks and releasing just audio music?

Oyshee: I think that even though both these media are completely different, they are connected because of the music. When making audio CDs, I think that there is a bit more freedom. I can make whatever I want and feel like making. But, when I'm making a song for a movie, I have to keep in mind what the actor is like. I have to channel someone else while doing it. They are both very different, but I really enjoy both types.

Rafi:  Do you get more positive feedback for your audio songs or your playback songs?

Oyshee: I would say that I get positive feedback from both equally. I have done songs for forty movies, but not all of these songs have been released so far. The amount of audio songs I have released is much higher than that. So, since the amount released is higher, the response I get from audio albums is also more. But from all the songs for films that I have released, I have received a lot of praise from the audiences. 

Rafi: How did you learn singing?

Oyshee: I first learnt singing from my mother. While living in Rangpur, I learnt singing at Rangpur Shishu Academy. After moving to Noakhali, I learnt at the Noakhali Moumachi Kachikachar Mela. After that, I learnt from Hafiz Uddin Bahar sir, and now I am learning from Sujit Mustafa sir. 

Rafi:Which Bangladeshi artists inspire you the most?

Oyshee: There are a lot of artists I have looked up to. All of us that come into music try to follow them and try to be like them. There are plenty of artists that I have been inspired by since I was very young. My biggest inspiration was Runa Laila madam. She is an idol for me, and I have always been inspired by whatever she does. Aside from her, there are others who have inspired me throughout the years. I am also a big fan of Abdul Hadi sir. I loved listening to Ferdousi Rahman and Shahnaz Rahmatullah ma'am. I cannot name everyone who has inspired me, but there are several others. 

Rafi: Oyshee, thank you for giving us time today. We hope that you will go further with your career. Do you have any final message for the readers?

Oyshee: Thank you for having me here today, bhaiya. I would like to thank The Daily Star for always being there by my side since the beginning of my career. I consider myself very fortunate for that.  Even at the start of my career, I received more support than I could ever have imagined. I plan on going on making more music in the future, and I hope that everyone who listens to my music will stay with me and keep on supporting me.