Bend Over 2:The Woes Continue!

Good evening viewers,it is my great horror...sorry...honour (maybe both) to continue with this painful analogy.
This fine lady, @mwixxy7 shared in my agony and dug deep into her experiences in the not-always-as-glamorous music industry to continue with some of those not-so-pleasant scenarios I shared in Bend Over. Without further ado, I present, Bend Over:Part 2.

So in solidarity with @msupastar and the other gigging musicians out there, we continue with the peeves of those working their backsides off in the music industry and facing almost insurmountable but not totally impossible mountains.
 
Scenario 4:

Every musician has friends. Unfortunately there are friends/fans and “friends”/”fans”. Friends/fans will hear or read about your gig and show up with five or more pals in tow, buy an album or two and yell the loudest as you do your thing. “Friends” or “fans” will however keep your phone ringing off the hook, pestering you for complimentary tickets, asking you to put their name on a ‘list’ so they don’t have to pay or not even bother to show at all. All the notable greats began in their backyard, local watering hole, church and school-borrow a leaf? No make that the whole tree.

 

Scenario 5:

Back to the corporate gig clients; surely! Must an artist send a tutorial along with their bid so as to get decent moolah?  After weeks of negotiation only to hear, “We’ll just go with a regular DJ” is so inane I can barely type. Package 101: Bands have people. These people play instruments and sing. This combination of instruments and singing is entertainment. Entertainment is work. Work denotes pay. Pay the workers. Or should I highlight this in corporate blue?

 

Scenario 6:

Dear Viewers,

(especially to all ya’ll who think being on tv or radio means rolling in the benjis…)

Videos, singles, albums and all that goes into brand building cost money to begin, grow and maintain. Not even some of the big names in the industry can lay claim to living solely on their trade and so the pressure for gigging musicians to dish out ‘hits’ every two weeks(tongue in cheek) or so is simply nonsense. Resources go into rehearsals, equipment, transport, wardrobe, extra hands, promotional material(including those free tickets ;-) It’s basically insane.  Cut an artist some slack, will ya?

                                                                                                 Signed: Gigging Musician

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The Song I Sing

There are many things that a musician can draw inspiration from, and put forth through lyric and rhyme. From chirping birds to breath-taking scenery,from life's greatest gift...to life's ups and downs.

I find that the song I sing today,is not a new one. It has been put forth differently,but the story remains the same.

Many an artist has/will at some point or other sing about Africa,about its woes,about its troubles. We will sing about change,we will sing about hope,we will call out to Mama Africa,sing her many anthems,sing in her many dialects...

The song that resonates in my heart,in my mind,is this very song. When will Africa show its full potential? Hunger,drought,disease,poverty,all these I sing about. Deceptive politicians,hopeful mwananchi,war,peace...these I think about. This past week,and the news it has brought have been close to depressing for me. And the song I sing chokes at my throat. Choked by anger,despondency,bitterness,confusion. Numbed by apathy,indifference,disillusion. Why must this be the song I sing? When does the script ever change?

It's the same old story,
It's the same old tale,
It's the same old worry,
It's the same old game,
We're still fighting the same war,
We're still crying out for more...

Who is to blame?
Who is behind this?
Who is in the shadow?
Who lights the flame on this raging inferno?
And watches from high windows?

You are chicken to change!

Bwana Mkubwa,here what we say!

What happened to L.O.V.E.?
Gimme that L.O.V.E..
The hate is killing me...

Freedom is coming tomorrow...

The song I sing,as you can see,is one that's been sung before. And now my mind,struggles to draw inspiration from less than pleasant realities to sing this song yet again,because the song hasn't resonated enough to foster some change! So I draw out my God-given weapon,and take to the battlefield.

The song I sing.

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Bend Over: For Rose Nasimiyu I Will

In my previous post,Bend Over, I confessed the dilemma(s) that I believe many a musician have faced,especially when it comes to charity events. Often,one has to 'bend over' and accept gratitude as their day's wages upon performing at one of these concerts.

I am reminded of my dear friend, Karimi Wandiri'srhetorical question to artistes, at last weekend's POWOconference: 'Do you want a 100% of nothing,or a smaller percentage of something big?' True, this is one's career,one's mode of earning income,and it's understandable to walk away from pro-bono events,especially if they seem to be the only ones calling, but just how far doing them anyway can take you is a matter well worth considering.

Rose Nasimiyu. There is no shortage of compliments to pay to this 9 year old angel. She has enough optimism to save Africa from its woes,in my humble opinion. She wants to model,she wants to be a doctor. And I see why. She's at home with medical terms such as: biopsy,leukemia,lymph nodes,chemotherapy. She was featured on K-24s Capital Talk (The Bench), and previously at the launch of The Africa Cancer Foundation ,where,on and on,she talked about her condition, with such ease and eloquence,not forgetting her infectious smile. At some point I was confused, hers was the countenance of a 9 year old talking about gummy bears and fairy tales!But no...the matter she addressed? The cancer she's battling.

Rose's story has tugged at my heart's strings. Instead of giving in,she's fighting back,and fighting hard. She has released a single, I Believe, to help her parents raise funds to meet her medical bills. How about that!!! Sir Bob Collymore has agreed to put her song on Skiza Tunes, and all proceeds from the downloads will go to Princess Rosie's medical fund.

Back to Karimi's question. My response? I want a part of the 'something big',in this case, giving Rose a chance to fight for her life! She wants to sing her song to the world,and with the confidence that oozed from her,enough to leave Jeff Koinange speechless (did I see him tear? :-D).

Thus,ladies and gentlemen,for Rose,I will bend over,and accept her smile alone as my wage! I invite any and all ideas to help out 'Princess Rosie'. She doesn't know if she can still be a model with all the scars from the chemo deals, to which I reacted, Photoshoot PAP! Let's give this angel of hope a reason to reignite any lost hope in our very selves.

I gladly accept this Bend Over :-D

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Bend Over

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-----Original Message-----
From: nimsupastar@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 06:17:25 Reply-To: nimsupastar@gmail.com
Cc:
Subject: Bend Over

Man must eat. Whether politician, hawker, billionaire,musician...we all must eat.

Music is a great art,possibly the greatest (*insert heavy bias*). It's ability to sustain its artistes is something that I challenge statisticians to give an accurate probability measure!

There can be seasons where artistes are in so much demand that they can say no to some gigs,and they are those seasons where almost any gig goes! Artistes are forced to bend over every now and then.
Allow me to break it down a bit further.

Scenario One: Corporate gigs:
Sigh...
I... have a strong dislike for such gigs.I even have a heartburn stirring within at the thought. But before I go there, corporate gigs in Kenya seem to have reached an all-year-round status.
I will definitely have someone else...a more experienced musician on this particular issue tell us more.

My soul dies a little each time I'm told there's a corporate gig that we've been 'invited' to play at. This is when corporate secretaries assume the role of music event managers and dictate to you ridiculous terms. This is when even respectable bands,except for a very select few, are transformed into juke boxes! This is when artistes who command attention on stage are reduced to event props. Did I mention costume? This is when you find your stylish celebs choked into ties and 'formal' regalia because it was part of the contract. At the end of each song played, it becomes safer to clap for oneself to avoid bursting into tears.

So why do a corporate gig?
Money. As my good friends Tim Rimbui and Karimi Wandiri always say, 'ni pesa ya Pampers' for their bundle of joy,Rithi. Who doesn't want to make an extra buck?
After a few of these gigs, you realize that they provide perfect practice opportunities ,and great bonding sessions too,seeing as not much attention comes your way whilst playing. So I've had a good laugh every now and then while providing background entertainment. You wanna shout at the organizers, 'why not get a friggin juke box,or a DJ!'...But when counting the extra coins earned,you remember why not.

Scenario Two: Charity gigs:
There is no shortage of these! Noble causes,trying to raise money will often call on sensational musicians to put up a concert. Well...and this is a difficult one...usually they'll sweet talk you, try to fine-tune you to play such a gig pro-bono! Imagine with me, telling a hawker to give you all his oranges for free,coz you cannot afford to pay for them,but you offer him eternal gratitude instead. Yeah...that's what a whole lot of artistes go through,on an increasing regular.
The dilemma presents itself. Your humanity cries out to jump into the cause and help out. Your empty pockets demand a fill,and fast. Now, do you ask for a percentage of proceeds from starving children? Do you play the gig pro bono,put up the show of your life and go home with a sense of satisfaction as your salary?
It is not the kind of bend over you wanna be forced into!

Scenario Three(My personal favourite):Bastard songs.
These are perhaps the most lucrative venture for an artiste in one go! Wealthy NGOs, government agencies,politicians and corporates will often approach 'artiste extraordinaire' and ask them to record a hit single on MDGs, Census results, 'Vote for politician X', 'sing about our products' respectively. And the cheque dangled as the kill for hungry hunter sends many an artiste into the studio; they can afford to forget the silliness and ridicule of the lyrics drafted for them. Just this one time, they can overlook their creative element.

You thought it was all glitz and glamour for a musician. I forgive you.
This is just but an overview glimpse of the life of a gigging musician.

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