A Chat with Salma

Tell us about your more popular songs.
My most talked-about songs include "Boniya Bondhu", "Ek Noyon Toh Dekhe Na Re", "Koilja'r Bhitor", "Chailam Jare", "Tomar Bari Amar Bari", "Brindabon" etc.

Which composers inspire you the most?
Lalon Shai and my Guru Shafi Mondol have always inspired me. Other than them, songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Hoimonti Shukla really entice me; their songs are an immense source of inspiration for me. Still, I find that I keep returning to my grassroots: Bangla Folk and Lalon.

Recently, a music video has been made on your song "Tumi Ashba Naki". Tell us more about this new venture of yours.
I am receiving very good responses from the audience. The song is written by Asif Iqbal and the tune is composed by Ahmed Rajib. The music video has been directed by Tanim Rahman Aungshoo. Starring in the video are models Suzanna Jafar and Rana. The video has reached more than one lac views on YouTube.

Do artists prefer moving towards online releases rather than traditional releases?
They are, because the audience does not want to listen to a whole album. Album sales have also declined significantly over the past few years. The people now prefer listening to music online that is why music videos are made of each song and uploaded in various platforms. It has become a norm in recent times to add a visual dimension to any song, so videos have become a necessity, therefore there is a video for every song in an album. 

What kind of songs will your new album highlight?
I'm not sure yet; I'm doing both Folk and Contemporary compositions at the moment. I'll handpick songs for the album mainly from these genres. The songs have been composed by Imtiaz Bulbul, Shawkat Ali Emon, Shumon Kollan and other well-known composers.

What are you currently working on?
I'm spending most of my time performing on stage these days, which has kept me quite busy. I have done playbacks in two recent films "Bangali Bodhu" and "Shona Bondhu". Alongside these projects I have also done a music video under the direction of Ziauddin Alam.

Through which medium do you prefer doing music?
The thing is, I love doing music and I want to do music regardless of the medium. I become utterly frustrated if for some reason I cannot do music, or if I am limited by any facet of the industry.

What else do you enjoy doing besides music?
Music is everything to me. Other than music, I devote my time to my daughter, Sneha, who is involved in every aspect of my life.

Interviewed by Zahid Akbar and Narrated by Showbiz Desk