It just seems like yesterday when bands would plan months long or even year-long tours following the release of a new album or just to do live gigs across the country. Days spent out on the road helped push up sales as well as ensure the paying public could put a face to the voice they were hearing on the radio or the vinyl record. It was long and arduous work and yes it was fun.
For Goa’s musicians and other performers, who would be signing gigs for the season and even during the monsoons, the music has almost died. Perhaps the last thing on anyone’s mind right now, even for those who have weddings to plan and organise, is book musicians People are using this time in different ways. Some are just relaxing; others are upgrading their skills. Actors and actresses are uploading content everyday about life in the age of the virus. Bands are uploading old shows and reminding fans of their hits. That is happening around the world and even in India. But what is happening in Goa? Colin D Cruz bassists extraordinaire and jazzman has migrated to the digital platform a while ago. Colin said “I have uploaded hundreds of my musical compositions online and I earn a percentage whenever someone downloads it. It may not be a big sum but I earn something every month. You have to understand that people stopped buying CDs a while ago. Everything has migrated online and it was important to make that move. The revenue may not be much but its fine”. Speaking about his fellow musicians in the state he said he had organised a workshop and a representative had a person from America to talk about the importance of being online and importantly how they could monetize it. He said from the large number of musicians present in the state barely ten to twelve turned up. He said “Local musicians want everything on a platter. They think of weddings and other celebrations as their objective and nothing else. They want everything on a platter”. Sonia Shirsat noted Fado singer said it was important for musicians everywhere and notably in Goa to think of an alternative plan. She said “ The very high dependency on tourism means, the future does not look very bright at least for the near future. Musicians have to go online. They have to learn to experiment. One cannot expect life to return to the times one experienced before the virus. The musicians will have to understand its potential and the way of utilising these platforms. Most of the musicians in the state look at weddings and performing in restaurants as their goal. That is not going to happen very soon. It will take a while for the economy to bounce back. The musicians will be not earning money and so they will have to stretch themselves to earn money”. A view point presented by someone who is involved in the promotion of folk music in the country in Goa pointed in the direction of the importance of going digital. Amitava Bhattarcharya of BanglaNatak.com, which till very recently a base on Goa for projects and coordination, and to host the renowned World Peace music festival Sur Jahan said they had adopted the digital model a while ago. He said “We promote rural musicians and the usually get around 1800-3000 viewers on the platform. Over the weekend we have around 4000 people watching a show online. Musicians need money to survive and these shows certainly help them to connect with people. There has to be a way to monetise. We are doing our little bit. The government of Rajasthan giving musicians Rs 1000 per link. Some musicians upload four links and earn Rs 4000. The government in West Bengal is doing something similar with musicians and they are giving musicians a similar amount per month”. He said it was very important for a body in Goa to do something similar. Platforms like Facebooklive was used extensively to conduct shows he said and to provide a connect. On the flip side of that coin is the musician in Goa stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. Tidal Wave Goa, one of the state’s more popular bands which tours extensively around the country. Tony Fernandes, the lead singer and bassist for the band said they were waiting desperately to start performing again. He said “We are doing nothing now. Yes, I am aware of these digital platforms but how does one monetise it. I can do shows to entertain people online but we believe that to stay connected we have to perform live.” That is going to be a battle as bands look at traditional revenue streams because it has worked so well for them for so long. But this virus is changing the way the world is living. One can only hope, it works out well for everyone.
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