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NCCA taps agency to mount music confab with Taiwan

By Ma. Cristina Arayata

October 3, 2019, 8:01 pm

<p><strong>SONIK PH CONFAB</strong>. Homonym founder Mike Constantino says the Sonik Philippines conference and festival would be an avenue for both Filipino and Taiwanese artists to learn from each other, as well as give opportunity to get invited to perform in each other's country. Constantino said the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has tapped him to organize a music conference that would tackle and address the issues concerning the music industry. (<em>PNA photo by Cristina Arayata</em>) </p>

SONIK PH CONFAB. Homonym founder Mike Constantino says the Sonik Philippines conference and festival would be an avenue for both Filipino and Taiwanese artists to learn from each other, as well as give opportunity to get invited to perform in each other's country. Constantino said the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has tapped him to organize a music conference that would tackle and address the issues concerning the music industry. (PNA photo by Cristina Arayata

MANILA -- The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has tapped music solutions agency, Homonym, to mount a music conference and festival -- set on October 4-5 in Makati City, in cooperation with the Taiwan Ministry of Culture (MOC).

The event, dubbed as Sonik Philippines, will showcase talks as well as performances from both Filipino and Taiwanese artists.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday, Homonym founder Mike Constantino said the NCCA has tapped him to organize a music conference that would tackle and address the issues concerning the music industry.

"We did a research and we didn't find anyone who has done such conference here in the Philippines," he said.

Constantino noted that as an artist himself, he is glad for the support of the government, through the NCCA. The Tourism Promotions Board and the Department of Foreign Affairs also assisted them in organizing the conference, he added.

Constantino said artists in this conference and festival could learn from each other, apart from talks that would tackle topics on intellectual property, the role of major and independent labels, and importance of government and private sector support in advancing the music industry, among others. 

Furthermore, artists would have the chance to be invited to perform in each other's countries in the future.

"We could learn, for instance, that the foreign artists just need one hour for the sound check. Also, we have invited record labels, so both artists might get invitations for performances in the future," he said.

According to Constantino, the MOC has approached them because Taiwan has an ongoing Music Exchange program. The MOC, he said, expressed interest to have a music exchange conference in the Philippines.

Wider reach

Meanwhile, Constantino said he plans to have this type of music conference yearly.

"Japan is interested to do something with us. Australia had invited us to go there to learn about their music industry," he shared.

Constantino said it was Homonym who chose the Filipino artists who would be part of the conference festival.

"We would showcase the best of contemporary OPM. We chose those who have a global appeal, those whom we think would get the nod of the Taiwanese and might get invited to perform there," he explained.

"This (conference/festival) is just the beginning. The NCCA is committed on supporting us. We hope we'd have the government support on a larger scale," he added.

Constantino said that government could also earn from the creative economy. "Can you just imagine we brought around 47 foreigners for this festival. They will go to the bars, shops. (The government) would earn from them," he said.

He is also hoping the Philippines would have an official Music Export Commission. (PNA

 

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