Wild Child

Singer Kona
Talks to
Naziba Basher

Courtesy: Kona

I started school in Moghbazar Girl's High School when I was in class 1. I was always a very average student, and almost always, I used to fail in Maths. Somehow, though, I would manage to pass in the finals but Maths always haunted me. Despite everything, I used to love school because of all the friends I had made there. They are the ones who stuck with me throughout and are still with me. I met my best friend, Eza, when I was in school and we are more like sisters now.

I think kids who have to change schools frequently are very unlucky. I think, at school, no matter how different your background might be, you are able to mix easily with people and that connection is what will build you for your future.

Till Class 6, we were pretty much 'in line' but once we got older we were like 'mastaans' (rowdies). I was pretty popular in school from class 3 or 4 owing to my performances at various school functions, and yet I used to look for more opportunities to sing. Some teachers appreciated it but some teachers used to think that singing was all I was ever going to do! I used to be very naughty and would usually gang up with my friends to create chaos. When I entered Lalmatia Girl's College, I used to study Commerce. My best friend, obviously, was in the same college but she was studying Arts. In the first year we tried being disciplined, but then the 2nd year got the best of us. All the 'dushtami' (playing pranks) and bunking started then. My friends and I even used to sneak out of school and go to the store nearby to eat and just hang out.

For my honours degree, I stayed in Lalmatia Girl's college to study Marketing. That part of the academic life was not that great for me. Everything started getting hectic since that is when my music career had gotten a full fledged start. And then again, my best friend wasn't there. She was studying Interior Design in another university and I hated it! So, all my old friends were gone and it got slightly difficult for me to mix with new ones. What I did was hang out at my best friend's university instead. Sometimes, I would even end up doing classes there!

Even though university did get a little hectic, I had a lot more freedom. I started becoming independent and started making sure that I don't, in any way, live off of my parents' money. School was all about grades and coaching classes and we used to leave a lot of it on our parents. College and university were more about making our own decisions and our own choices and that is what I loved about growing up. I completed my university in two and a half years and graduated early because I couldn't take the pressure of handling both education and my career at the same time.

I had a musical 'flavour' in me from a very young age. For some reason, participating in those school functions, I somehow knew that this was what I was meant to do. My parents were always by my side, constantly, assuring me that I don't have to be an 'all-rounder' and that I can do what I loved to do. When I was taking my Higher Secondary exams, I used to sing jingles and it was during my undergrads, in the year 2006, that my first album had come out. And the second had come out in 2008. I'm expecting the release of my third album on the 18th of this month.

One advice I would like to give to all the enthusiastic young students out there is to do what you love doing the most. If you have the passion and respect for what you want to do, you are sure to succeed in life. Dedicate yourself to your job and love it with all your heart and you can be sure to reach your goal in no time!