The 'Modhu hoi hoi' viral duo: How two singers transformed each other's life

Roughly 15 kilometres south of Kolatoli, Cox's Bazar, there is a beach resort where singer Emran Hossain nested. By the time we reached his resort, the night grew darker and the strings of stars spread over the sky created a fairy-like show. The roaring sea, right next to us, tamed a little as it caught low tide.

Emran on ukulele, his 'discovery' Jahid Hosen and a few of their friends were having a musical night on the open porch. We feared our conversation with the viral duo, breaking the melodious knot between the ocean waves and the ukulele tune, would dull the spectacle. 

But it did not.

The story of the unexpected connection of two people from two different social dynamics, two different generations and the way it transformed the duo's lives (and of many others and, hopefully, many more in future too) captivate the audience akin to how a stars-filled beach night captivates our eyes.

Emran and Jahid first met in December 2015. 

And just like the adage goes that there are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen, life transformed for both Emran and Jahid from the instance of their very first meet. 

"I was at Royal Tulip resort in Cox's Bazar for my friend's wedding," Emran recalled, "on 15 December, some of us decided to take a walk along the beach from the Royal Tulip to Kolatoli beach."

Three and half hours later, the group reached Kolatoli, and took to the beach umbrella benches to sit and relax.  

As one will encounter even today, the poor local 'massage' kids surround the beach umbrella benches once occupied by people, who happen to be tourists; some kids sing a song, while some massage the beach chair occupants' head and toe. 

On that December day nearly six years ago, Jahid was one of those kids.

"He got to me in my weakest spot - my head," Emran said. While head-massaging, Jahid saw, for the first time, a ukulele that Emran carried with him. 

"It was not like what you see in the advertisements, that little Jahid says - bhaiya ekta gaan shunai? (Brother, can I sing you a song?). He was just a little curious about my ukulele," Emran remembered.  

Emran, amused by Jahid's curiosity, played the ukulele and asked him to sing. They sang several songs, including the viral "modhu hoi hoi bish khawaila" (You fed me poison saying it was honey) song.  

One of Emran's friends recorded them. 

Everyone who shared those moments on the beach that day forgot about the Emran and Jahid encounter over time. However, in May 2016, Emran's friend emailed him the "modhu hoi hoi" video they created on the beach, and Emran uploaded it on social media. 

And bang. It was everywhere. The video went viral. 

Meanwhile back in Cox's Bazar, Jahid had already forgotten about Emran. 

Jahid's life changed before he realised anything. 

"One day, hotel Sayeman contacted me, gave me and my elder brother a job, admitted me to a local school, and gave me a school uniform. I had no idea what was going on," said little Jahid - now a little grown-up - recalling the chapter of his life when his family's abject poverty began to change. 

"Everyone was saying that some song made me popular," remembered Jahid, but as luck would have it, he "couldn't remember which one."  

Then one day, someone showed Jahid the video, "and I remembered bhaiya [Emran]," he added. 

And by then, Emran was on the hunt to find the boy who made the duo famous. Awe-stricken by the sudden public reaction and response, Emran, the guy who was solely focused on establishing himself as a singer was now a changed man. 

He now wanted to alter (for the better) Jahid's life, and subsequently, he would work with many more underprivileged and undiscovered music gems like Jahid. 

He flew to Cox's Bazar to find Jahid a couple of times. At the time. he did not know that Sayeman had already employed Jahid and admitted him to school. 

One day, by chance, when Emran was walking on the beach with his friends, Jahid noticed his ponytail from afar. He remembered Emran by his ponytail. 

"I knew it was him. As I went to him both of us recognised each other and I jumped onto him out of happiness. All I could think was that this is the guy who made it possible for me to get out of that life, got me to a school and a job. I am indebted to this guy for my life," Jahid said. 

Now, a student of class seven, Jahid is still working at the Sayeman hotel in Cox's Bazar, both as a service provider as well as a singer at the cafe. The hotel has accommodated Jahid's entire family as well. 

Jahid's father left them to marry again and settle in a new family. The crisis of a single mother of four in a climate-driven homelessness state is not easy to comprehend. 

But the viral video, a result of Jahid's encounter with Emran, changed the story of this family. They now have a place to live while the kids have access to education and food. 

The transformation of Jahid and his family made quite a powerful impact on Emran. 

"If I wanted, I certainly could make money out of Jahid. However, I did not want the world to recognise me as a person who cashed out on a small boy with immense talent. I want to nurture his talents so that other kids like him get inspired," Emran said. 

"I do not want to be the centre of attention, I do not want everyone to worship me. I want to start a practice where we encourage others to share our platforms with the unrecognised. That is when we can find harmony and diversity," explained Emran, "Unfortunately, that is missing in our society, especially in the music industry."

Jahid developed the passion to better others' lives. "I want to help others like Emran bhaiya in the future. I want to play the ukulele and turn others' lives around just like he did for me," he said.  

In the following couple of years since 2016, Emran changed life for several more underprivileged singers. For instance, a blind singer, Sayem Hosen, from Mymensingh was featured on Emran's Made in Bangladesh YouTube channel. Emran arranged for his eye operation. And now the singer has a farm, and a good life.

If you visit Emran's YouTube channel, you will find many more Jahid-inspired stories. Jahid also has a YouTube channel of his own under his name 'Jahid Hosen.'

The viral duo said they are planning to reshoot the hit "modhu hoi hoi bish khawaila" song this year. We, however, cannot resist the temptation to give you some spoilers. Emran doesn't have his old ponytail anymore, and Jahid, now older, sounds quite different from the 2016 viral video.