A legend undeterred

Ahmed Nashid’s voice on the phone is calm and elegant much like his released music albums and performances. He gives me directions on the phone to his house at a private residential complex in a suburb of Sri Lankan capital Colombo. The man even answers his own front entrance gate, greeting me with a large smile on his face and a welcoming handshake. By all means he appears strong and shows no signs of his ongoing battle against kidney cancer.

He closes the gate behind and leads me to the first floor balcony, just passing a small room, which has a basic music recording setup. Imagine being Nashid. You are a pop star who about 20 years ago was absolutely massive in your own country and abroad. And, however little you do and time you spend in mainstream music scene, your fame refuses to diminish. Unlike other countries, the 49-year-old singer might not have to deal with paparazzi stationed outside his residence or fans stalking him 24/7, but he is one of the few music legends the country has ever seen.

I place my phone on a chair alongside Nashid, making sure the recording app is not missing out any part of our conversation. “I rarely give interviews. This must be the most comprehensive of them yet,” he shrugs, introducing me to his beautiful wife Safoora, a professional singer from Fuvahmulah island, who had been performing in Colombo and Dubai over the last ten years. He is right; he has refrained from the media’s eyes during his entire musical career, which spans over 30 years. But here I am, welcomed into his home, surrounded by the rather pleasant sound of his neighbours’ pet parrots chirping which add to the relaxed atmosphere.