This time, our guest is an artist who has left a unique mark on the music world through his voice, rhythm, and creative energy. His story is a musical epic that began on stage in childhood and is filled with hard work, determination, and journeys across different countries. Born in Georgia, taking his first steps in music with the endless support of his family, later mastering the art of jazz in Germany, achieving success on international stages in America, and writing the song “Azerbaijan” with great love — our guest is Brandon Stone.
— Welcome to Fortuna magazine! Could you please tell us a little about yourself?
— First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to come and meet me at Sea Breeze. I am very happy that I can now visit Azerbaijan more often. The reason for this is Emin Agalarov and the songs I have written for him.
I was born in Tbilisi, Georgia. My family was not involved in music: my father was an engineer, and my mother was an economist. It was my parents who first discovered my musical abilities, and thanks to their support, I began this journey.
Very often, parents do not want their children to become musicians because they see music more as a hobby than a profession. However, when my parents noticed my strong interest in music from an early age, they decided to encourage me in that direction.
My mother used to tell me that when I was three years old, she had already invited a piano teacher for me. At the age of five, I passed a major selection process involving ten thousand participants and was accepted into a vocal and instrumental ensemble called “Nergebi” (“Sprouts”).
There, I learned percussion instruments, piano, and guitar, while also developing as a performer. A large part of my childhood was spent in the world of music.
By the age of six, I was already touring with the ensemble across various cities of the Soviet Union, including Leningrad, Minsk, and many others. My childhood was spent on stage.
Unlike other children, I did not play football or spend time outside in the streets. My life revolved around the stage, rehearsals, and traveling with my fellow ensemble members.
There were thirteen of us in the group. We became close friends and grew up together.
In 1991, my family left Georgia. Our first stop was Israel. We had originally planned to move to America, but eventually we settled in Berlin, the capital of Germany.
I lived there for more than twenty years, received my musical education, graduated from the conservatory, and became a jazz pianist.
Later, I moved to America and began working with a well-known production company. At that time, I had to adopt a stage name — Brandon Stone. It was important for recognition in the American market.
Our goal was to be nominated for a Grammy Award. Today, I have two Grammy awards. They are not the American Grammys but awards from Indonesia, often referred to as the “Asian Grammys.”
I received them in the categories of “Best Producer” and “Best Soundtrack.”
So my creative journey began in Georgia, continued through Israel, Germany, and America, and today we are sitting here talking in Baku.
— What was the turning point in your life? When did everything completely change?
— In general, I do not really believe in astrology, but for some reason I feel like talking about it now.
My zodiac sign is Taurus. I was born on May 18, and according to the Eastern calendar, I was born in the Year of the Monkey.
I have many friends who are Tauruses and many who were also born in the Year of the Monkey. One thing I can say is that none of us had an easy path in life.
Nothing was ever simply handed to me.
My parents were not wealthy. We lived from paycheck to paycheck. When we emigrated, we had only one suitcase.
From childhood, I dreamed of becoming a famous singer. My father, however, wanted me to become a jazz pianist.
In the end, I fulfilled his dream — I gave him my conservatory diploma. But my own dream was to become a successful artist who could financially support himself and his family.
At the very least, I wanted to be able to provide for my family and travel comfortably.
After emigrating, the four of us lived together in a single room of only eight square meters. That was my childhood: work, work, and more work.
Yet success — or “Fortuna,” as your magazine would say — arrived only twenty years later.
At sixteen, I officially began working in Germany. First, I played in cover bands, and later I started signing professional contracts.
However, true success came only when I was thirty-seven years old.
More than twenty years of hard work…
Perhaps that was the right way.
When success comes too quickly, it can be lost just as quickly. Success can be dangerous for someone who is not prepared for it.
I spent twenty-five years preparing myself for success, and now I feel deeply grateful for every concert, every listener, and every hit song.
I have not yet reached the point of filling stadiums, but we regularly fill concert halls with several thousand people.
For me, that is already a tremendous happiness and a great achievement.
— How did you motivate yourself during difficult times?
— Every time, I found motivation from different sources. Germany was especially difficult for me.
I was born in Georgia, but I left the country at an early age with a dream of reaching the European music scene. However, we are people of the East, and our perception of music has always been different. We have our own style and our own approach.
Conquering the European stage was not easy.
America was a completely different story because the level of competition there is enormous. Nevertheless, we managed to sign a contract with a major company and started working.
Unfortunately, the tragic events of September 11, 2001 completely changed all our plans. I had to return to Germany.
Later, I participated in the New Wave music competition. At that time, it was held in Jurmala, Latvia, and that became the turning point in my life.
It is worth mentioning that I represented Spain in the competition because I was living there at the time. Despite that, the Russian-speaking audience welcomed me very warmly.
I was named “Singer of the Year” in Latvia. Radio stations began playing my songs, and they quickly climbed to the top of the charts.
That was the moment I realized that people genuinely liked my music.
After that, I started traveling to Moscow for performances and television appearances, and I decided to focus on presenting my music to Russian-speaking audiences.
— In other words, during difficult times, people should not be afraid to change direction?
— Yes, exactly.
I always told myself: “Never give up!”
That has been my life motto.
There were days when I worked twenty-three hours a day.
But I never stopped.
— What advice would you give to people around you, especially those who are facing difficulties?
— The most important thing is to believe in yourself.
However, there is a very important detail here.
Some people work for one or two years, fail to see immediate results, and then give up.
In reality, many of them are simply lazy.
They think they are working hard, but the truth is that they are not doing enough.
Take Emin Agalarov as an example. If I work twenty hours a day, he works forty.
He performs concerts, oversees construction projects, and manages numerous business ventures at the same time.
I focus only on music, while he operates in many completely different fields.
Hard work is everything.
You cannot write two songs and expect instant success.
Sometimes only your twentieth song—or even your hundredth song—becomes a hit.
That happens.
If things are not working out, spend some time doing something else, gain experience, and then return to your creative work.
Work, work, and work again—that is the real key to success.
Laziness is the greatest enemy.
— What can you say about betrayal?
— I meet many people, and if I feel negative energy from someone, I simply do not keep that person in my life.
When something unpleasant happens, I treat it as a lesson.
Even if I suffer because of it, I do not hold grudges.
I believe that negativity always comes back like a boomerang.
I simply say “thank you” and continue on my path.
— What has been the greatest stroke of luck in your life?
— Meeting my wife.
She accepted me when I was still a poor musician.
She gave me love and supported me through everything.
We have been together for nineteen years.
Now we have two wonderful children.
I believe that my greatest luck and my greatest blessing in life is my family.
— What advice would you give to young musicians?
— Today is a completely different era—the era of the internet.
When I started, there was no internet.
Now everyone writes music, sings, and shares their work online.
The problem is that thousands of songs are uploaded every single day, making it increasingly difficult for listeners to choose what to listen to.
My advice to young artists is to first build an audience on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
Create videos.
Sing with passion, sincerity, and energy.
Even today, I perform songs in different languages and receive millions of views.
First build your audience, then present your music to them.
That is an essential condition for success.
You should become a professional in at least one area.
This principle applies not only to art but to every aspect of life.
If you have an audience, your music will eventually find its way.
Even if you have only two thousand followers, that is already a reliable foundation.
Among those two thousand people, some will listen to your songs. If they enjoy them, they will share them with their friends.
It may seem small, but that is how success begins.
For aspiring musicians, having their own audience is the most important foundation.
That is how the music industry works today.
— What is your attitude toward music and artificial intelligence?
— Very, very negative.
Now there is a trend among young people: “Why should we learn to sing or study music at all? There is artificial intelligence.”
And this is a big problem.
Jobs are disappearing. Soon, people may not even need to approach anyone for creative work.
At the moment, artificial intelligence cannot go on stage and sing instead of me—that is its only advantage.
But it is already composing music, writing lyrics, and even creating interior design concepts.
We are losing jobs.
People study architecture for years, and now everything can be done through software.
I’m not even talking about music. Programs already write songs and perform them, making humans unnecessary.
We are moving toward a “Terminator” era, where robots will eventually replace humans.
For some, this is convenient. For others, it helps. But if artificial intelligence becomes so dominant that humans no longer need to do anything themselves, humanity will quickly start to decline.
Young people will simply sit online, press a few buttons, and talk to ChatGPT.
Artificial intelligence can never fully replace melody, because it has no soul or energy.
Recently, a young man sent me a song and said he had written it himself.
I asked him: “Did you really write it yourself or use a program?”
He did not answer.
But it was obvious that he had not written it himself.
Composers spend years creating music, and then they are told: “Why should I pay you when I can buy a song from ChatGPT for ten dollars?”
We need to be very careful about this.
If AI helps—fine.
But if it starts to control people, then it becomes dangerous.
Human energy is irreplaceable.
— Indeed, the song “Azerbaijan” was written with great love. Even AI could not create something like this. My family often listens to it, and we get emotional—it brings tears to our eyes. It carries a completely different energy.
— Thank you very much.
— Many people nowadays suggest using artificial intelligence to write poems, texts, and even songs. I, however, see it differently. So I would like to ask: what is your formula for success?
— Work, work, and work again.
Never give up, and do what you truly love.
I love music.
It does not matter whether there is one listener or ten thousand.
If you perform for one person, you should do it as if you are performing in a full stadium.
Music must come from the heart.
I always knew I could make people happy through my music.
After concerts, people leave in a positive mood.
There is never negativity in my songs.
Only positive energy.
My concerts are motivation.
Songs like “For Love,” “Beautiful Life,” “You Are Not My Match,” “Chemistry,” and “I Will Always Be There” bring positive emotions.
My recent concert in St. Petersburg was called a “Motivational Concert.”
After it, people wrote to me that they continued feeling happiness for a whole week.
If you create music, it must bring joy to people.
In my opinion, this is one of the main paths to success.
— Has there ever been a moment when you thought you might not achieve your dreams?
— That is an interesting question.
I now see reality more clearly.
For example, my dream is to fill an 80,000-seat stadium.
I know I could do it.
But realistically, without six or seven consecutive hit songs, it is difficult to fill a stadium.
There is still hope, and it is not too late.
But even if it does not happen, I am already a happy person.
If you are not a global superstar, you still have the chance to live a normal life.
But if you become world-famous, like Michael Jackson, you cannot go anywhere unnoticed.
Maybe my destiny is to create music while maintaining a relatively quiet life.
I have no regrets.
I still have one dream—to perform in a fully packed stadium one day.
— Apart from this dream, what would you wish for yourself?
— Peace.
I want peace all over the world, so people can freely visit each other.
And of course, health for my family.
That is the most important thing.
Everything else can be achieved, but health cannot be bought.
— What are the three most important traits for a man?
— The most important thing is that a man must remain a man.
He should not betray others.
He should remember his parents and treat them with respect.
He should raise his children properly.
For me, this is what a true Caucasian man looks like.
The main thing is to remain a human being.
If you are a good person, you will not betray others and you will not do harm.
— What qualities would you like to instill in your children?
— The same values my parents passed on to me: to be a good person and to treat others with respect.
My wife and I try to raise our children to be well-mannered and decent.
In today’s world, sometimes rude people become visible and prominent. But in the end, people still judge you by your reputation.
For me, it is important that years later people can say:
“He was a good person. He lived a dignified life.”
That cannot be measured by money.
Today, thanks to the internet, young people can access almost any knowledge.
But in the most important matters, you must listen to your parents.
Parents never wish bad for their children.
I have always listened to my parents.
Imagine a child preparing to enter a conservatory, where you must practice twelve hours a day.
But you are sixteen years old—you want to meet girls, go to parties, and spend time with friends.
My father once told me words I will never forget:
“If you want to live well in the future, work hard now, and later you can do whatever you want. If you want to live poorly in the future, go to parties and waste your time now. Use this time wisely, and everything else will come later.”
I listened to my parents and kept practicing.
At sixteen, I was already admitted to the conservatory.
At that time, most students were 20–25 years old, but I entered at 16.
Four years later, I graduated from the jazz conservatory, received my diploma, and began working as a music arranger.
My parents always told me:
“Anyone can sing, but not everyone can create music.”
And that is exactly how it turned out.
So listen to your parents—they will not give you bad advice.
— If someone suddenly wins a large amount of money, how should they manage it so they don’t lose it?
— Let’s imagine someone wins a million.
If a person is not prepared for that kind of money, they will quickly spend it.
When a dream suddenly becomes reality, it is easy to spend irresponsibly on things that have no real value.
If there are no people around you who can guide you properly—or if you don’t listen to them—that money will disappear quickly.
I have a real example.
A friend of mine from Germany started his career with me.
Later, he became part of a very famous German group and earned around one million marks per year.
Money was flowing in constantly.
He bought a studio, expensive microphones, computers, and equipment, and also started investing in stocks.
But in the end, everything collapsed.
The hits stopped, the band broke up, and the studio stopped generating income.
His earnings dropped from millions to just a few thousand marks or euros.
The most surprising part is that all of his investments failed.
His stocks lost value.
Meanwhile, I—without major hits—kept moving forward step by step.
After about six or seven years, he asked me if I could buy some of his equipment so he could at least get some money back.
So I ended up buying his gear to help him recover a little financially.
This is what happens with poor financial decisions.
Where did he go wrong? Not only in investments, but in mindset.
He likely believed success would last forever.
If I suddenly received one or two million today, I would definitely consult a professional financial advisor.
It is very important to have someone you trust who will never betray you.
Surround yourself with the right people.
Without them, everything can fall apart.
The right people are extremely important.
It is also a form of happiness.
Reputation and being a good person matter the most.
You need an honest professional who can guide you correctly.
In my opinion, the best investment is real estate.
Not stocks—they can lose value.
But property is more stable.
Even if its value drops temporarily, it usually recovers over time.
Only people who are truly close to me can be around me.
I test people for years.
This is very important.
Many can give advice, but not everyone will be sincere.
If you are honest and surrounded by people who have proven themselves over time, they will stay with you.
When success comes, it becomes shared success.
Those people will support you because they see themselves in your achievements.
— What did you feel when you created the song “Azerbaijan”? What images came to your mind along with the music?
— The story is very simple.
Emin asked me to write a song dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
He called me and asked:
“Do you love Azerbaijan?”
I said:
“Yes.”
He said:
“I need a song for Azerbaijan’s 100th anniversary that I can proudly perform on stage. It must be beautiful.”
At that moment, I was in the studio.
The song came almost instantly.
Within five hours, I sent him the music and lyrics.
It happened naturally.
I started singing:
“Live, my native Azerbaijan, always live in my heart…”
I cannot even explain how it happened.
Both melody and lyrics came at the same time.
Emin asked:
“What is this? Where did you get it from?”
I said:
“You asked me to write a song, and this is how I felt it.”
He said:
“Wow! This is exactly what I needed. Let’s finish it.”
We completed the arrangement together.
I am very happy and proud that this song lives in people’s hearts.
It is taught in schools and performed at events.
It is a beautiful feeling to know that a song continues to live on its own.
— What would you wish for Fortuna magazine?
— I wish you success in your difficult work.
Publishing a magazine today is not easy.
It is very important to fill it with content that people will not just flip through, but actually read.
I wish your magazine further growth, interesting publications, and continued success.
Interview conducted by Saida Musayeva, Editor-in-Chief of Fortuna magazine.
“Notes of Success and Creativity: From the Stage to the World Arena” — Brandon Stone
