Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine April 2017 | Page 88

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Explore | Interview
INTERVIEW
the same, they rap the same and they look
the same. It’s really hard to separate
them unless you really know them.”
The sound of the music is not the only
thing that is changing. The industry itself
is growing in a new direction. This Jean-Paul
‘Bluey’ knows for sure. As a musician who
has led the British acid jazz band Incognito
since its formation in 1979, Bluey knows
the music industry now is not the same
as when he started.
“Record companies and record shops do
not exist the way they used to, because
of the advent of the Internet and the way
that music is marketed,” Mauritius-born
Bluey explains. “The industry now depends
on two things. First, become successful from
a ‘celebrity’ point of view – for example,
become famous on TV or by luck on
YouTube. Secondly, you have to have
the skills to play live.”
Naughty by Nature
NAUGHTY BY NATURE, AFGAN AND
JEAN-PAUL ‘BLUEY’ MAUNICK OF INCOGNITO
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NOWADAYS
Interview by Yani Lauwoie
In early March we sat down
with three performers from
Java Jazz Festival 2017 –
Naughty by Nature, Afgan and
Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick of
Incognito – to talk about how
technology is affecting
opportunities for musicians
and the joy of playing live.
They each come from different musical
backgrounds, different generations and
different styles of musical delivery, but all of
them agree on one thing: the music industry
is changing.
“Back then everybody had their type of
music. They sounded different,” agrees
hip-hop trio Treach, Vin Rock and DJ Kay
Gee, who comprise the Grammy Award-
winning Naughty by Nature. “Today, artists
are doing the same thing. Every beat sounds
Years ago, one of the measures of a successful
musician was how many physical products
they would sell, such as cassettes, vinyl or
compact discs, but as technology continues
to evolve, so do the mechanisms for
delivering new music. “Selling CDs is a very
hard thing to do nowadays,” says Indonesian
singer Afgan, who has released five
studio albums since his debut,
Confession No.1 (2008).
Today, success is dominated by digital
measures, with digital downloads,
streaming services such as Spotify and
Apple Music, views on video-sharing
platforms like YouTube, and followers
or fans on social media.
“Social media is a very important thing for
musicians,” says Afgan. “There are many
positive things we can get from social
media. I use it to promote my music and
to reach a far bigger audience.”
Afgan sees that the opportunities offered
by social media far outweigh the drop in
physical sales. “Back then you needed to
join a competition to be heard. Right now
it’s easier if you want to be a musician
because there are many platforms that
you can use to showcase your works.
Many talented singers are discovered
from YouTube,” says the 27-year-old singer,
who has collaborated with singers including
Raisa, Rossa, Yura Yunita and Rayi Putra.
Without a doubt, social media has helped
musicians from around the world to be