A Sylheti song with a contemporary musical twist is winning over young listeners. Singer Ashraful Pavel and Tosiba Begum have teamed up for the duet ‘Mon Befana’, blending the sweetness of regional folk music with modern pop and Western influences.
Written and composed by Mohammad Akash Alam, the song features the affectionate Sylheti line, ‘Tomare no bhalo lagche amar dui noyone’. Pavel handled the musical arrangement, bringing together local folk vocal styles and contemporary melodies to give the track a distinctive sound.
The music video was filmed at several locations in Bangladesh and France. Aryan handled cinematography in Bangladesh, while Joy filmed the French portions. Syed Naushad was responsible for post-production.
Since its release on Pavel’s official YouTube channel, ‘Mon Befana’ has gained attention on social media. Listeners have been using lines from the song in videos shared on TikTok and Facebook Reels, helping it reach a wider audience.
Pavel said the idea was to combine the charm of Sylheti regional music with modern pop. He also credited Tosiba’s earthy vocal style with adding a special quality to the song.
He said the positive response from listeners had made the team’s hard work worthwhile.
Tosiba, best known for the hit song ‘Noya Daman’, said she feels comfortable singing in Sylheti. However, she considers ‘Mon Befana’ different from her earlier work. She praised Pavel’s contemporary arrangement for giving the song a refreshing sound and said listeners had responded warmly since its release.
For Akash Alam, the song began with a casual idea rather than a formal songwriting plan. He said discussions about collaborating with Pavel and Tosiba eventually inspired him to write it.
After returning to Qatar, Akash wrote the lyrics and developed the melody while travelling on the metro from Doha towards Al Rawabi. He later completed the tune while playing guitar at his friend Fahim’s home.
When he sent the song to Pavel and Tosiba, both singers liked it. Akash said the response from listeners had exceeded anything he had imagined.
With its blend of Sylheti folk influences and modern pop, ‘Mon Befana’ is bringing a regional musical flavour to a younger audience while giving the two singers a fresh collaborative sound.
