Popeye: It is very important to come from a place of empathy
Popeye, also known as Raffan Imam, moved to the US to be with his family soon after the release of his second album in 2013. After a decade, he returned to perform live for the first time in Bangladesh at the 'Rock N Rhythm 2', event scheduled for today, 9 March, at the ICCB Hall 4.
Smooches will be opening Rock N Rhythm 2 followed by Odd Signature, HIGHWAY, Aftermath, Shonar Bangla Circus, Meghdol, Ashes, who will be warming up the stage for Popeye.
"I am pretty psyched. Ever since the upcoming show was announced, the response has been mind-blowing. The practice sessions are going well. The other artists are picking up at a very fast pace and I am confident it will be a heck of a show. Although I feel a part of me is changing - I am no longer low-key," he said.
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There was a time when releasing an album was not just a few clicks away on streaming platforms. Artists' success entirely depended on whether the label liked their music and was willing to distribute it among the masses.
In 2010, artist duo Raffan Imam and Talat Minhaz came together and started 'Popeye', a musical project that has blessed us with some great hits like 'Nesha Bojha', 'Bhalobasha Baki', 'Bishonno Shundor', and many more, garnering millions of views on YouTube in the process.
"Both of my albums were unsuccessful – they did not gain traction until 2015," said songwriter and vocalist Raffan, as Popeye (it is also his stage name).
Popeye has always been very low-key; Raffan has kept himself separated from the brand name.
"It was not intentional. It just happened. I am very introverted," he said when asked why. "I know I should be more 'outfacing' – interact more with the audience and be brighter, in terms of presence. I am not a professional musician; it has always been a hobby and it still is. And I guess that is the main reason."
Popeye first formed a band with some of his friends to make a demo track for 'Agontuk 2', a mixed band album. They were active until 2008 when, due to some unavoidable circumstances, Popeye had to go solo. "At that time, I was young, I wanted to do something different. Music was something that appealed to me and I just went ahead with it," he said.
Raffan met Talat through a mutual friend when he was starting a new project and needed someone to handle the technical aspects. "I gave him a tune, he picked it up on guitars and then 'Ei Tumi K' was the first song I composed and entered the studio with. This was the beginning of Popeye", he said.
Surprisingly, Popeye does not know how to play any instruments and it has been one of his biggest regrets.
"Though I am in a band, I do not know how to play any instruments. But every other member can sing to some extent. So I could add value by writing lyrics."
He drew a lot of inspiration from Jim Morrison's use of metaphors and it had a massive impact on his lyrics and songs.
"My songs have elements of my life, but I cannot blatantly say that my songs entirely reflect phases of my life. Basically, the lyrics come from the music and tune I was working on during that time. The concept revolves around the environment and timeline I experienced," he said.
Popeye made songs everyone could relate to. "It is very important to come from a place of empathy. We all might feel the same but the intensity sets us apart, and I try to articulate the feeling into words that everyone can relate to."
Wherever Popeye is today, it is organic and self-made. He has created songs that portrayed strong emotions, which sometimes can be difficult to articulate for many.
"It is truly a mental exercise back and forth. I try to put myself into the listeners shoes and try to feel how it is impacting me, and that is just the emotion part. The metaphor, the use of words, and paraphrasing is very important as well – how it is complementing the overall tune and flow. To bring everything together takes a lot of time, which is why I cannot release many songs besides working full time."
Right now, he has one philosophy for music - one song a year. "I usually do not work on music much, but when I think I have cracked the lyrics, I give takes at home and Talat works on it from there on."
