Popular Bangladeshi band musician Faruq Mahfuz Anam James is currently in Stockholm, Sweden, after performing at a stage show in Venice, Italy. He is scheduled to perform at Nacka in Stockholm this evening, September 5.
At a press conference ahead of the concert, James discussed his musical career, new songs, live music, artificial intelligence and his plans for the future.
Speaking about the growing use of technology in music production, James said many talented young artists are entering the industry, but music is becoming overly polished because of technology.
“Many new artists are coming with a lot of talent. But music is becoming too perfect these days. Very perfect. Artificial intelligence is also emerging,” he said.
According to James, excessive perfection may eventually make music boring for listeners, increasing the appeal of natural and dynamic live performances.
“Too much perfection will eventually bore people. Then this live experience will remain forever. Live music is like life—it has dynamics,” he said.
James also shared his thoughts on AI-generated music, saying such songs available on platforms including Spotify may initially attract listeners but could eventually lose their appeal.
“Music being created through artificial intelligence and released on platforms such as Spotify will eventually become boring to people. It may seem good at first, but later people will get bored. Real music and live performances will return. They have to return. They will always remain,” he said.
The singer also acknowledged that his regular concert schedule leaves him with little time to release new music.
“I get very little time because I am constantly performing on stage. Still, I am trying to bring out new songs,” he said.
James, who has earned the love of several generations of listeners, said performing before audiences still gives him the same feeling.
“Love is always something wonderful. Whenever I stand on stage, I feel that the audience is the same as before. I did not realise how time was passing and generations were changing. Now I feel that I have crossed several generations,” he said.
The musician said he does not want to dwell on the past and prefers to focus on the present and future.
“I do not want to go back. I believe in the present, in this very moment. I do not want to think about the past. I want to look ahead,” he said.
James also said music should not be pursued for material gain or recognition.
“If someone makes music to achieve something, I think they should stop immediately. There is no point in making music for something else. Music should come from passion and obsession. I do not think it is right to make music for any other purpose,” he said.
He added that he would continue practising music for his own satisfaction, regardless of what he gains from it.
“I have to make music for myself and keep practising. If something comes out of it, that is different. Even if I gained nothing from music, I would still continue making music,” James said.
The singer has no specific plans for the future but wants to continue making music for as long as possible.
“I have no particular future plan regarding music. I will continue making music. Even if I eventually find that there is only one audience member, I will still make music,” he said.
James also urged listeners to explore the work of emerging Bangladeshi bands.
“Many new bands have emerged, and many of them are doing very well. People should listen to these new bands. Everyone should listen to them,” he said.
He praised organisers and sponsors for helping spread Bangla music and culture abroad, saying such events are especially important for younger generations of expatriate Bangladeshis who may not fully understand the language.
He also noted that expatriate Bangladeshis often feel a stronger emotional connection to the country’s culture because they live away from home.
James is expected to return to Bangladesh after the Stockholm concert. According to the organisers’ poster, singer Rahul Anand will also perform at the event.
