Mystic singer Nasima Dewan

Nasima Dewan (C) lending her voice in Matir Moina

A definite watershed for Nasima was her performance of the religious song Jodi Beheste Jaite Chao for the acclaimed Matir Moina. Recalling those eventful days, Nasima goes back 10 years when the filmmaker Catherine Masud heard her sing at Faridpur. Catherine apparently enjoyed her performance so much that she asked Nasima to come on board with the Matir Moina team.

The shooting of Matir Moina in Gazipur was memorable for other reasons. As she says one workday she had another appointment in Faridpur. The shooting seemed interminably long as director Tareque Masud kept giving her instructions. "Annoyed and bored", she was not able to perform spontaneously. However, "Tareque was very cooperative. He said there would be one last shot and then I could go," reminisces Nasima.

She is also a member of the Shahwali Baul Shilpi Shangstha. The organisation has 30-40 Baul singers and they often get invited to perform in various parts of the country.

There is a general belief that women Baul singers are liberated and sometimes go miles ahead of men professionally. Nasima, expresses her ignorance on this issue. Yet, as she says, she shied away from marriage because she wanted to concentrate on her singing career. However she did get married. She has balanced music and family with support from her husband Akkas Dewan, who is also a singer, composer and lyricist.

" My basic achievement is the love of common people who like my songs, " says Nasima. According to Akkas, Nasima shuns the materialistic way of life and can be called a spiritual seeker.

Sometimes Akkas and she sing duets. As she says, there are times when the audience asks him to sit down while she sings. Likewise, she is occasionally the first choice in a group of singers.

What's next for Nasima? She makes the dramatic statement that she wants to die singing. "Music gives me peace of mind. My songs have a universal appeal," she says. She will sing at Ramna Batamul on Pahela Baisakh.

Her goal is to attain greater success and gain popularity all over the world. As a step in this direction, she is receptive to an invitation from Tareque Masud and Indian singer Moushumi Bhoumik to go abroad and sing Baul songs.