Sent from my BlackBerry® -----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. Sent from my BlackBerry®
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. Sent from my BlackBerry®
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