Live Music Aruba’s booking agents decided to speak with local musicians about how the ongoing pandemic has affected their livelihood in the music industry. These are the stories they shared with us;
Sergio ” Checho” Silva – Bass player (Bambu, Bandilama, Dub I Tree, Party Posse, Robin and The Rebels, Kawana)
“Everything came to my mind when the Aruban government first announced all the new COVID 19 restrictions in means live music entertainment. Everything that I had worked for, especially the well being of my family, the house and all the expenses we had and still have. How am I going to cover all that if I’m not going to have an income?”
“All my bookings came to a halt. Going from a steady income to having nothing to hold on to. Being a bass player to some is very difficult to come forward as a 1PC musician, unless you can play and sing simultaneously. This is in comparison to other musicians that can play instrumentals and background but, bass is not a solo instrument.”
“It just feels like our trade is not considered a real trade, so to most people that don’t live from the performing arts or know someone who does, they don’t feel the pain and impotence that we feel towards these strict decisions.”
“I started listening to different types of music, and writing a little. Also, I kept practicing my instrument to stay up to date with the turning of the world.”
“The pandemic and restrictions set me in a very difficult positions and at a certain point I started thinking that this wouldn’t change for a now and that seeking another career was the only option, but even that was blocked for us.”
“My daughters and family inspire me every day.”
“Hoping that it will be over soon and that they let us live again from what we love; music and the spread of good energy.”
Hubert Thiel – Pianist/Producer (Oruba)
“At first I was thinking that it would only last for a month or two.”
“My bookings stopped 100% since I am not a singer nor a soloist.”
“The music industry is the one that got it the hardest. It seems like we are the last ones to get back to the “normal” conditions.”
“Fortunately I own a recording studio which keeps me busy doing music, either for myself or for other artists locally and internationally, looking to make music and I am thankful to get the opportunity to give piano lessons to the younger ones.”
“I sure do miss that feeling being on stage every week.”
“I went over to follow online music classes to keep improving my knowledge of music. Music never stops.”
“If you are passionate enough with music you will notice that it’s everywhere. There is music in everything if you listen carefully.”
“I am looking forward to connecting again with my colleagues in music.”
Chris Kross – Guitarist/Producer
“My initial thought was that the arts community is going to go through a tough time. Moreover, entertainment of all sorts would probably be canceled.”
” I usually perform in different settings; solo, duo, trio and with a band. Now I am limited to performing solo, which means many of my bookings were dropped. On top of that I lost a couple of existing gigs”
“I feel that the arts community in general has been neglected many times. We can remark by witnessing funding in the arts community. Also, the social and financial support to all artists is lacking”
“My band and I decided to make a virtual album seeing that we wanted to keep creating music.”
“Every second I miss the thrill of performing with fellow musicians and being at an event.
“The inspiration comes from the love of music and looking forward to better times.”
“What I am looking forward to the most is the feeling of being on stage and performing my heart out.”
Pierre Koolman – Drummer (Blue Boulevard, Groove Machines, Mercedez)
“At first, when the government announced all the new restrictions, I was mad but at the same time concerned. I was participating with a group of musicians for the “Un Canto Pa Nos Himno y Bandera” annual festival and we had just qualified for the finals, but the government imposed the Shelter in place protocols and canceled all events one day before the finals.”
“At the beginning of the whole lockdown, everything and everyone were canceled. This was very scary for me personally, because I was coming from one of the best years in my drumming career. I was constantly gigging throughout the whole week, and if I wasn’t gigging, I’d be at a rehearsal for a gig. After almost a year, protocols started to lighten up and we even started to do gigs with small bands at the end of 2020/ beginning of 2021. After that, the number of Covid cases started to increase again and the Government immediately reimposed stricter protocols. However, recently, I’ve been observing venues and businesses in every industry, and noticed that basically every business is operating with close to almost 100% staff, where as bands of are running at less than 25%.
“It’s evident that the music industry is being kept on a tighter lease, almost as if we’re being punished. “
“I decided to take this opportunity to relax and take a long awaited vacation. After a while, I started to get bored and started to explore my hobbies which included cinematography. For the last 2-3 years before this pandemic, my schedule was completely dedicated to music and gigs and rehearsals, but I finally took this new free and open schedule and started taking pictures, recording videos and editing.”
“Music is not something I love doing, it’s who I am, so not being able to perform like this feels like I’m not being allowed to be myself.”
“Without performing, I definitely feel like a part of me is missing.”
“I feel like I make music everyday to some extent. Even if I hear a bird singing, or I hear water droplets make a certain rhythm, or even putting my phone down and it sounds like a beat, I would sing along or repeat the rhythm with my hands or mouth. I’m like this the whole time. I look forward to being and feeling like myself at 100%.”
Kevin da Silva – Sound engineer
“My first thought was that the live entertainment would be the first to be cut off, so I knew ahead that the entertainment world would need to adapt or take a long vacation due to the nature of a pandemic. We did not know for sure what COVID-19 was at the start, or what its spread rate was. We knew that venues and performances would have to adapt, but we unfortunately never had the chance to do so.”
“All my bookings were immediately cancelled since I mainly worked for 4pc bands or consulting on corporate events. Many outside companies that usually hold corporate events on the island cancelled right away due to travel restrictions as well, so there simply was no gigs for me. At the start of COVID, I worked as an independent sound engineer that focuses only on mixing. I didn’t own any equipment, so for the little gigs that I had left it was shared among production companies.”
“The only regulations are when it comes to paying taxes. That is the only time any industry really matters.”
“Luckily I have my own home studio with guitars, bass, and a keyboard to keep busy. I kept working mostly on other markets like Youtube cover artists or singer/songwriters in the US. So it gave me to time to focus on those markets and also experiment with other things.”
“Of course, doing live sound has and always will be a new challenge, no matter how long one has been doing it. Sound is basically kinetic energy, so it involves a lot of physics which was always a favorite subject of mine. A lot of inertia laws and geometry involved, so no two shows are ever the same. You can’t just “save” a show as a preset and expect it to sound the same next time. So I miss being a problem solver when it comes to that. Most times it’s stressful, but fun regardless.”
“I always loved music and sounds. I was never a good musician, but I can put my love of music in live shows for making others sound good. Nothing beats having the feeling when the band is performing perfectly and full of emotion. I feel it transfers to the audience as well, so its quite hypnotic really. Seeking that feeling, keeps me doing what I love. Not only that, but learning more so I overcome new challenges as well.”
“Honestly, the rock gigs I miss the most. Mixing for bands at bar venues or concerts is simply fun. I know a lot of the musicians too, a lot of them are amazing people. So I miss hanging out with them. Together, we all made it feel like its more than just simply work, but an experience that simply can’t be put in words.”
The PwC Masterclass Leadership started years ago with approximately 15 to 20 participants and it has grown into a full blown event where more than 500 participants to be expected this year. We sat down with PwC’s advisory director Mr. Goedhoop to ask him how he paved the way combining the corporate world with his passion for music making the formula for a new kind of Master Class.
Following our interview:
What role does music play in the PwC Masterclass Leadership 2017 and to what degree does this impact the audience?
We started to incorporate music about 4 years ago and 3 years ago we started to incorporate live bands in the event. Live music has a very big and important impact on the audience as it boosts the energy and the momentum during the event. This year we took it a step further, where we were involved in the song “Together”. This song will be the key element before, during and hopefully long after this year’s event.
How did this song come about?
The song “Together” is the symbol of the fact that we all have to step up as individuals, as an organization and as a nation and the realization that if we truly work together, we can achieve great things. This is further symbolized by the fact that most of the prominent speakers of PwC Masterclass Leadership 2017 also participated in the actual song “Together” by means of background vocals / choir.
Once an event is accomplished, how do you find a different source of inspiration to create a new concept for the next edition?
I just try to be open for it and let it come to me. Trust the process and don’t be easily satisfied until you feel it is the right call.
An event of such magnitude as the PwC Masterclass Leadership 2017 takes a lot of time and effort. You are extremely enthusiastic about this event; why do you enjoy organizing it every year?
I enjoy the creative process behind it. I enjoy the journey that I see in ideas materialize in an actual event. And I enjoy seeing that people are getting enthusiastic and motivated to work on the event and more importantly that they believe in the overall message and objective that we are trying to do here which is to elevate the level of leadership in Aruba and now also an additional theme of Only Together We Can Make Music.
Exprodesk’s music business workshop.
Last week the Aruban government contributed to Aruba’s musical development by organizing Exprodesk’s first ever music business workshop under the guidance of Sharon Mejier and Susanne van Ness. The three day intensive workshop was conducted by Mr. Carlos Delgado Imber from Nex consulting and Guïra Music Publishing. In those three days Mr. Delgado elucidated all the instruments that music stakeholders and entrepreneurs need to successfully export their music and generate (more) revenue outside Aruba. He covered 5 different topics in depth among others: Live Music, Music Distribution, Publishing and much more. Various talented Aruban musicians and entrepreneurs attended the workshop including two musicians that Live Music Aruba manages and Sunny Ray Aruba associates. We are very proud of everyone that attended the workshop and received their certificate. We believe in their ability to use all the information they gained and skills they learned at the music business workshop to propagate Aruba’s music internationally.
An enormous thank you goes to Sharon and Sussane for granting Aruban musicians and producers this amazing opportunity and Mr. Carlos Delgado for the priceless knowledge he passed on about exporting music. Our congratulations to all attendees for wanting to educate themselves more on the music industry, for having that drive to grow professionally and most importantly for their passion to cultivate Aruba’s musical culture overseas. 
Aruba | Local
When we walked into Sunny Ray Aruba’s recording studio located in the renown touristic area of Palm Beach, Aruba we found Honeypot’s lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Chayo Tromp in midst of a vocal tracking for a brand new album. After discussing Aruba’s music scene, Chayo was kind enough take out a few minutes of his time so, we could conduct the following interview;
When was Honeypot established?
The band Honeypot was established in the early 1996’s.
How many albums has Honeypot already released?
Honeypot has released 4 recorded albums and 1 live album.
Which are the band’s major or most significant songs? Please describe why.
Our biggest hits to date are Borracha, Living Easy, Away From It All and Sunrise Dub and the all time favorite Only Wanna Be With You.
Why: These songs are always requested at every show we perform at.
What is to be expected from this new Album?
This new album is full of surprises; all the songs are good from beginning till end.
What is the new album’s title?
The new album’s title is “Blood Sweat & Tears”.
What was the main source of inspiration for this new album?
Our inspiration comes from Aruba’s beautiful nature, waves, landscapes, kind hearted people, our island lifestyle but, mainly from our struggles that’s why we chose the title the title Blood, Sweat and Tears.
How have you changed since the album Milk and Honey?
Compared to Milk & Honey this new album has more reggae tunes on it from start to finish. Also, this is the first time we have an album with 15 tracks on it.
Do you have any collaborations on your new album? If, so who were the invited artists?
Yes, we have various collaborations on this album with artists such as Awaras, Smiley, Ashwin Jade, and more.
Are you pleased with the sound of this new production?
Yes, we are very pleased with how this album sounds.
What kind of sound were you looking for in the back of your mind prior to entering Sunny Ray Aruba’s studio.
We were looking for clear vocals, tight drum sounds, heavy and thick bass sounds. Clean sounds all in all.
Is there anything else you want to add to please your loyal fans and new ones?
The album Blood, Sweat and Tears will be released in 2018. We will also be releasing a couple of new video clips for this album.
Honeypot has managed to inject new life into Aruba’s reggae industry with just a few songs. Drawing fans by effortlessly fusing Rocksteady’s relaxed sounds with the easy recognizable musical elements of Rock, Roots and Dancehall. 
