Nasek Nasek! The beat rarely fails to stir up happiness, lift spirits, or make feet dance. Not long ago, the phrase did not mean much to a lot of people. But Animes Roy changed all that – Animes and team Coke Studio Bangla. The song took the nation by storm almost overnight, catapulting Animes into stardom.
And yet, he remains firmly rooted – a young down-to-earth singer who refuses to place himself amongst the stars. That's apparent with the way he talks. For example, when asked how stardom has affected him, he shyly smiles and says that he is not a star at all. All evidence points to the contrary, though, when you see him get interrupted every now and then by people asking for selfies.
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That's what happened the other day, when we sat for an interview. Animes continued, "When Coke Studio approached me, I couldn't believe that they were asking someone like me to perform on such a platform. It took me a while to grasp it," -- although the singer by that time had already been making it to our Facebook timelines with beautiful songs.
"I started posting on the Internet during the pandemic. Actually, my friends and acquaintances helped in managing the social media pages. They encouraged me a lot. It is amazing how social media gives a strong platform to those looking to share their work," he remarked.
Animes, very passionate about folk songs, makes things less about himself and more about music and the people around him – praises about the artists at Coke Studio Bangla and how he got to learn so much from the experience of working with them, his family's influence and encouragement in his work and how he acquired a great deal from his mother about the songs and culture of the Hajong community.
Nasek Nasek is a Hajong song. Animes, by writing and singing it, presented to the world his culture and language. The popularity of Nasek Nasek is perhaps one of the best examples of how music transcends societies.
He passionately says, "Nasek nasek basically means 'dance dance.' Through this song, many people – who perhaps never knew much about Hajong language before – at least now know what this word means."
To that we say, dance on, Animes!
This is a just snippet of the conversation. Watch our video, where Animes sings, talks about his passion for music, elaborates about his Coke Studio journey, and much more.
Photo: Ziauddin Shiplu and Shahrear Kabir Heemel