Caption: Joseph,
Rodney, and Robin (front).
By MATTHEW VARI
THE end user of produced music has by far the easiest job as the consumer in pressing the play button to digest melodies that resonate for years in their hearts and minds. Little is known about the struggle and process involved in making music in the country. The average artist in PNG has a rough ride ahead, with the age of file sharing and duplication rife in the country, most or even all just scrape it through the business.
This week Sunday Magazine decided to bring to our readers the realities of making music in PNG and the costs involved- we also bring you a story of how a small band of brothers in 2003 up in the mountains of Ialibu could have given the country more hits to its existing body of music.
Owa Unit was formed as a means to make a point and that was that everyone has potential to be somebody. Coined out of the a reference to of being unproductive and menaces to their society back in Pangia, Southern Highlands- the founding four consisted of band leader Rodney Tonge along with younger brother Robin, Joseph Koas, and Wesley Karaiye.
The band begun with tragedy before they even started- which was when Wesley Karaiye tragically passed away in a vehicle accident before they recorded their first demo that brought to us much loved tracks like “O Mama”, “Sori Perendo”, and “Souths Mix” in their first album.
“The incident did not dampen our spirits, but motivated us to complete what the four of us started out in our kunai (bush) hut back home,” Rodney Tonge recalled.
“How we started was that we used to play the guiter under our kunai hut, and that is how the interest came from there.”
“Then we brought Joseph in and we started writing songs and from there on we made our first demo, which I then brought down here in Port Moresby giving it to music producer Emmanuel Muganaua from Cyclone Studio.”
“He accepted the demo and worked on it, and in 2006 we first released a first track titled ‘O Mama’.”
Their first album came out in 2006 recorded through Cyclone and produced by Chin H Min. Their title track ‘O Mama’ entered the Top 20 countdown on Yumi FM on 16th place and after a week there we jumped to number one place.
“We held the number one position for 14 weeks; with our other track ‘Sori Perendo’ holding an additional 9 weeks on the countdown also,” Rodney said.
When asked about how piracy has affected their music, they revealed how bad it has been for them since 2008. As a band in 2008 to 2010, their royalties dropped, down to even less than K50 every two month for their music sales. Because of this they ceased producing music through album sales for years and concentrated on live performances where they said money was to be made. With new plans now in 2015 to get their second album, the band revealed the method that they would use to get real value for their work, along with calls for more protection of local music.
“Since then till now we have not recorded and this is the first we have come back as a group. Our music played on various mediums there aren’t any royalties given for our music,” Tonge added.
“In terms of protecting local music, we know about APRA but the thing about it is that it is an Australian based organization that is not well established here and we cant that meet them easily- we should have one under the Arts and Culture Department looking after our properties and monitoring the use of it.”
The band is now hosting a fundraising dance this Friday with the proceeds aimed at funding the costs involved in making their second album with dates being finalized for recording. With many fans not understanding fully the process involved- Rodney explained why they needed funding for their project.
“We do the demo recording at home, and after that it goes to the recording studio, especially with well established studios like Cyclone we have to pay some fees, before everything was done at CHM, but during that time piracy was not huge so we got royalties through sold cassettes,” he said.
“Today that is not the same, so now we just get our music played over the radio and play live to get some financial gain out of our work.”
“The selling of cassettes and CDs is no longer viable for us as musicians to gain anything out of- now in order for us to benefit we do that through playing live, the other way is for us to produce our own CDs and organize our own launching in an open air place for the general public to attend and to sell to them our CDs.”
A total of 10 songs will be recorded, and when completed around June this year- three to four weeks after completion, they announced that two tracks would hit the airwaves on radio for fans to sample.
“We want all our fans to come out and support us for this fundraising dance. Most of the time they have remained with us wherever we played even when we went quiet, but this is the time where we are asking them to come in and support. “
“During the fundraising night (this Friday March 20th) we will play the whole first album with a live performance of two tracks from the new album we are to make.”
“Our new album will not be much different from the old one, but the difference was that the old one was rushed and we as young musicians we used it as a practice run that turned out well for us.”
He added that with the new album their experience of the first Owa Unit album would nurture every song for a good experience for their fans. The title track for the new album is called “Innocent”.
“O Mama was dedicated to our mother, but this title track is dedicated to the children, where they are not mistakes born into the world.”
“Parents bring them into the world but sometimes don’t take their responsibility right and the innocent child suffers as a result,” they said.
The venue for their fundraising night is at Sports Inn I nPort Moresby, with presold tickets going at K25, K30 at the gate. Those interested to support the band can call Rodney Tonge for presold tickets on his cell number on 70754420, and those willing to donate can also get in touch with him.
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