Artist, NIAZ, is a man of many talents. Singer, songwriter, and producer, NIAZ has been making music for 15 years.
Although he has lived in New York City since the age of ten, his musical roots go back to his native Bangladesh. NIAZ has produced over 30 songs on his own, in his own recording studio, the “Sound Zone.” While most up and coming singers may have penned the lyrics, NIAZ also composed the music and operated the recording studio equipment.
Though he has produced his music as an Independent artist in NYC, NIAZ has been signed with several records labels in Bangladesh, such as G-Series, Agniveena, E-Music, and Gaanchil Records.
In addition l to being an accomplished artist, NIAZ is a Sergeant in the NYPD and has been serving the city since 2007. Not only does NIAZ supervise officers and detectives in NYC, he is pursuing a PhD in Criminal Justice and Criminology.
We sat down with the artist to talk more about the music, what inspires him and what projects we should know about…
Bridge: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, and thank you for your service on the police force!
Let’s start at the beginning, How long have you been making music?
NIAZ: I’ve been making music for roughly 15 years now. However, I’ve been around music since I was a child.
Bridge: Wow! Quite the longevity! So, for those who don’t know you…how would you describe your sound to a first-time listener?
NIAZ: I would hope that a first-time listener would find my music to be soothing. I have tried to experiment with intertwining different genres of music together (i.e., Reggaeton with Bengali). However, my music will likely not make someone jump up from their seats and start dancing wildly. A vast majority of my songs are romantic, and I would hope that they provide some romantic form of excitement to the listeners.
Bridge: What do you want your fans to feel when they listen to your music?
NIAZ: I want my listeners to feel the freedom in creativity that music provides. Yes, music exists in many different forms and genres. However, I’ve tried my best to create music in ways which show the listeners, that as a music producer, you don’t always have to abide by all the rules of creation.
Bridge: Can you give us some insight into what is your creative process like?
NIAZ: Up until now, every single one of my songs has been written, tuned, and composed by me. By no means do I take on the various roles myself in order to prove that I can do it all. Actually, creating a song entirely on my own promotes a sense of freedom that simply cannot be expressed with words. There is an infinite level of creativity that exists when you’re producing a track that is entirely your own. I don’t actually sit down and write lyrics when beginning the process of making a song. Some random tunes usually fly into my head, and when that happens, I immediately run to my studio, turn on the equipments, and quickly record the tune before it permanently disappears from my mind. Once the little bit of tune is captured, I build on that, and the lyrics usually come after the fact. I know; it’s weird.
Bridge: What is your go-to song when you’re going through something difficult
NIAZ: I don’t really have go-to songs, per se. However, I find myself listening to songs by composers Fuad Al Muqtadir and Habib Wahid, who are some of the top music producers of Bangladesh. Aside from that, I listen to Don Omar’s music just about all the time.
Bridge: Who would be your dream collaboration?
NIAZ: If I could work on a song with Don Omar, life would be complete, literally. He has been my idol for many years, and I have performed his songs many times at different events. What I have found to be quite interesting is that at a vast majority of my events, the attendees are Bengali, but they always seem to enjoy Don Omar’s songs through my performance.
Bridge: Tell us about your current projects…
NIAZ: I have been working on some singles for some time. However, they are not quite complete just yet. I think that the time has come where I have to finally collaborate with another artist. In the past, when I had released new romantic songs, many of my listeners would question why I was not incorporating female artists into my songs. I never really had a good enough answer for such a valid inquiry.
Bridge: What else do you have going on that our readers should know about?
NIAZ: Music has been an integral part of my life for a long time. However, I am a full time law enforcement officer. I have been with the NYPD for 15+ years as a uniform police officer, and currently, I hold the rank of sergeant. It is a demanding profession which makes it quite difficult for me to do things outside of the job consistently. Aside from law enforcement, I am currently pursing a PhD in Criminal Justice and Criminology at Keiser University. I started the PhD program in October of 2021, and God willing, I will graduate in June of 2025. The school work is really intense. For the most part, I find myself just going to work, coming home, and then immediately diving into school assignments, and then repeating the same cycle again. It has been quite difficult for me to work on my unfinished musical projects. However, when any bit of spare time presents itself to me, I spend it at my recording studio.
