James: I never imagined my music would have such an impact

James is an iconic musician who needs no introduction. His songs 'Pagla Hawa', 'Bheegi Bheegi', 'Sultana Bibiana', amongst many others, have been anthems for Bangladeshi 'band music' fans for the past four decades. The rock star, however, has been living a very simple life. He wakes up at eight in the morning, and is in bed by 12 AM. In his spare time he practices photography, taking pictures of poet Nirmalendu Goon is on the top of his bucket list.

It was a rare sighting to see this grounded side of James.

The internet has been set ablaze after the announcement of his comeback song 'I Love You'. This will be his first song after a 12-year-long hiatus. In a press conference on Friday, he discussed his journey as a musician and the release of his new single.

'I Love You' will be available at Bashundhara Digital along with the music video on the night before Eid. The song was composed by James, and Shahriar Palak made the music video.

"I have composed a song after a very long time, and I dedicate this track to my loyal fans," said James. "The track makes me reminisce of the times that I have performed on various stages for the past four decades and the boundless love I received from my fans, I wrote it just for them."

The burning question on everyone's mind was, why was James away from the music scene for so long? But he did not have a real answer for it.  "It just happened," he said.  His friends and well-wishers were asking for something new, and he finally decided to do it.

James is credited for being one of the pioneers of 'band music' in Bangladesh, and he has been electrifying crowds since the very beginning.   

"I never imagined my music would have such an impact. I did not think about the grand scale of things," he said. "I knew a lot less than I do now, I only made whatever I loved."

There was a time when James released a new album in every major festival.  The albums were released in cassettes, and they were accompanied by cool covers and posters. Instead of feature albums, Bands and musicians today release singles, and they are only available through streaming platforms.

James. Photo: Saifuddin Saif

James reminisced about the "good old days." He said, "We lived through a great time, it is sad that everything is presently digital. We cannot release the extras we did back then. But Bashundhara Digital is still considering releasing my song in a physical format."

Nagar Baul's photography has received a lot of praise from fans on social media. We wondered if he would be interested in exhibiting them in a show, to which James replied that it is only a hobby for the time being. If he ever thinks of exhibiting his works, he will let everyone know.

James's popularity was not only confined within the borders of Bangladesh, he has also made music for Bollywood for some time as well. His songs 'Bheegi Bheegi' and 'Alvida' have mesmerised audiences in the entire subcontinent. 

He, however, did not continue singing for Bollywood.

As he explained, "I would have to live in India if I wanted to regularly make music for Bollywood. I don't want to leave my country to live abroad. It's impossible for me."

James concluded the press conference with the phrase "Love you all," just like he did in his shows.