Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/685221
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 MAY 2016 15 thing Eurovision needed was an international superstar to endorse it. Then, hey presto: Justin Timber- lake came into the equation…" It was in the context of this gradual transition that Ira Losco took the decision to compete this year. "But coming back to the ear- lier point about subcultures and non-mainstream music: these will never fit into this environment. It's a completely different approach. And it should be completely dif- ferent. I experience this with Earth Garden: interestingly, it is one of the only non-mainstream events that charges gate-money, and it at- tracts some 20,000 people. I think it's an interesting stat: we are talk- ing about ska, reggae, maybe some hip-hop, world music… at other times, each of those acts might per- form to 50 or 60 people in a bar… or maybe 300 to maximum 600 at a concert. Earth Garden provides a platform where they can play to thousands…." Are there enough opportunities, though? Inherent in Degabriele's complaint is that attention to Euro- vision comes at the expense of at- tention to other genres and niches. What sort of investment is there, for instance, in infrastructure to support artists looking to make a career in music? "Apart from the one show we do each year ahead of Eurovision, there is no investment in local infrastructure at all," he replies. "If you look at the Arts Council funds, you will see everyone getting helped apart from pop artists. That is a fact. So yes, I do share Oliver's assessment on that…" This brings us to another reason for the importance of local arts funding. One characteristic of to- day's local band circuit in Malta is the sudden proliferation of acts which incorporate the Maltese lan- guage – in rap, in indie acts such as Brikkuni, in punk bands like Xtrup- paw, BNI, etc. Nor is it just the lan- guage: the lyrical content, too, is becoming more noticeably Maltese in character. In brief, there seems to be a concern with infusing local music with an identity that makes it part of the national culture. But given that the market is so small, how realistic is it for this kind of subculture to thrive… with- out any of the assistance which is generously given to Eurovision art- ists (who arguably need it less)? "I think it's hard. One has to have a reality check. But it's not impossi- ble. But let's not ignore the fact that there may be other people outside Malta who are intrigued by the lan- guage. Having our own language is undeniably something we should all be proud of. But it doesn't mean it also has a value in the music in- dustry…" That doesn't sound very encour- aging to local artists who want to promote local music. How difficult is it, for instance, to get a record produced locally? "To get a record produced? To- tally doable. In fact I just did it, with The Travellers. It's an inter- esting example, too. They original- ly came into the studio with a va- riety of songs written in English. I listened, but I didn't 'believe' it. As a producer, I need to 'believe' what I'm hearing; it has to touch me in a certain way. In the English lan- guage, those songs were not telling the story as I felt it could be told. This was about three years ago. I suggested that they tried writ- ing in Maltese instead. But even then, when they came back with new material it sounded too simi- lar to other bands before them. The switch to Maltese brings out a certain rebelliousness, a certain political conscience, that is quite unique to us… but how many times have we heard it before?" Following a second managerial suggestion, the band tried a more mainstream pop approach. "It be- came a challenge for me to get one of their songs played on the radio. Which isn't easy, because radio stations have their own restric- tions: the first question they'd ask is whether the track fits into their playlist, appeals to their audience demographic, etc. I'm pleased to say that the Travellers' single be- came the first Maltese-language song played on Bay radio. And they played it a lot too…" So there is a future for Maltese music outside of Eurovision, then? "Yes, definitely, as long as you are aware of the realities involved. You can't exclude any possibility, re- ally. If you look at rap, for instance: for some time now Maltese artists have been rapping in Maltese. I am told that some international rap labels have expressed an interest, because it 'sounds different'. You can never tell. What I can say is that if you choose that route, it will be harder. But ultimately, it's not that different from pop culture. The pop circuit is almost impos- sible at the moment: it is too satu- rated. It would cost 2 million just to have a marketing plan in place to break into the American mar- ket. And just because you break in, it doesn't mean you're going to gather an audience… you're just going to have a shot at the market, that's all." Here, non-mainstream genres have an automatic advantage. "With a niche product, the mar- keting expenses are much lower. Subcultures also tend to have their own dedicated followings. A group like Etnika, for instance – I produced their album Zifna some years ago – incorporate the Mal- tese language into their music: but the music had a life of its own. The lyrical content did not overshadow the musical content: when that happens, your chances of appeal- ing to a wider audience increase." Etnika falls into the broader cat- egory of 'world music', which has its own inbuilt markets. "Coun- tries like Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Spain would find that very intrigu- ing. It would interest other Medi- terranean countries, as we have also seen with Tribali. But I very much doubt a country like Sweden would be very much interested, to be frank. Ultimately, the band or artist has to decide: what story am I telling? Where do I see myself fit- ting into the market? If the story is a lyrical story – and Mario [Vella of Brikkuni]'s story is very much a lyrical one – then every lyric has its own weight. If the story is told only through the music, then the language doesn't matter so much." Interview Music producer (and Ira Losco's manager) HOWARD KEITH DEBONO counters criticism that the Eurovision Song Contest eclipses all other aspects of the music industry Eurovision? Ira Losco and manager Howard Keith Debono