Biography
Who is James?
Early life and real name
Faruq Mahfuz Anam James was born on October 2, 1964, in Naogaon, Bangladesh. His father, Mojammel Haque, worked as a government employee and served as the chairman of the Dhaka Education Board. Due to his father's frequent professional transfers, James attended Blue Bird School in Sylhet and later studied at Rajshahi Collegiate School, while spending his college years in Nilphamari and Sirajganj.
As no one in his family had any musical background, his parents strongly opposed his ambition to pursue a career as a singer. Defying their wishes, James left home in 1976 while he was in class eight to dedicate himself entirely to his passion for music. He took up residence at Aziz Boarding in the Kadamtali area of Chittagong City, which served as the primary center for his early musical activities and composition practice.
How James became famous
During his teens, James developed a strong interest in Western rock music, listening to bands like The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Dire Straits while learning to play the guitar. He joined the band Feelings in 1977 as the lead vocalist and guitarist. After several line-up changes and local performances, the group traveled to Dhaka to record their first album, Station Road, which was released in 1987.
The band achieved mainstream success with their second album, Jail Theke Bolchhi, released in 1993. Feelings became a pioneer of psychedelic rock in Bangladesh and was recognized as one of the Big Three of Bangla Rock alongside LRB and Ark. James later renamed the band Nagar Baul, releasing the album Dushtu Cheler Dol in 2001 under the new name.
Career highlights
Alongside his work with his band, James established a successful solo career with albums such as Ononna in 1989, Palabe Kothay in 1995, Dukhini Dukkho Korona in 1997, and Thik Achhe Bondhu in 1999. His distinctive vocal style and guitar playing earned him a big following across Bangladesh and West Bengal, where he has remained a prominent artist since the 1990s.
James expanded his career into the Indian film industry by working with music director Pritam Chakraborty. He performed the blockbuster track Bheegi Bheegi for the Bollywood film Gangster in 2005. He subsequently contributed songs to films like Woh Lamhe in 2006, Life in a... Metro in 2007, and Warning in 2013, while also winning the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer twice.
Family and personal life
James was first married to film actress Rathi from 1991 until 2003. He later married Benazir Sazzad in 2000, and the marriage ended in 2014. He married his third wife, Namia Amin, on June 12, 2024, in Dhaka after meeting her in Los Angeles in June 2023. Across his marriages, he has a total of two sons and two daughters.
Outside of his musical pursuits, James is an enthusiastic amateur photographer. His own photographic works have frequently been used as cover art for his music albums. Also, he co-owns the production house RED dot Multimedia Ltd alongside Gazi Shubhro and Jewel Paiker, which was established in December 2005.
Birthday and age
James was born on October 2, 1964, which makes James 62 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. James shares the date with 62 other famous people.
Explore more
