"Reality Shows" these days. Every single competition with the same motive - to promote, explore and give platform to the hidden and untapped talents.
Being an artiste myself, I have
been watching and studying the market for all these years, but unfortunately,
it pains me to say that once the competitions are over, there is hardly any
participant or winner who makes it big or carries on with his/her dreams. I can
only remember and see a few of the names of those who have made it, though
still struggling, while the rest perish slowly after their moment of glory, and
most of them stop dreaming altogether.
Here are few of the points why I
think Reality shows in Nagaland are unable to create wider avenues and more
opportunities for the artiste to be able to make use the most of it and also
why most of the participants fail to make it big. I am not here to blame the
participants nor the organizers but I am writing this with the hope that it
will help improve our reality shows so that they will give more platform and
recognition to the artiste and also help the artiste achieve bigger &
better goals in the days to come.
THE ORGANIZERS:
The problem:
I am approached almost every year
to judge in these competitions but when I ask the organizers their vision and
what their plans are after the season is over, most of them do not have much
concrete plans besides the prize money, recording deals, music video and few
gift hampers and yes most of all, platforms to these unknown artiste or
singers. Now my question is, are these artistes competing for money, gift
hampers, music videos, recording deals and a few months of glory or do they
want something more than that?
Don't you think they can use the
voting money to do all those things? Get vocal teachers, grooming class,
recording, and music videos? No they are there because they need guidance,
mentoring, and the experience, exposures etc. because they are new and blind,
and don’t know where to go & what to do.
Now many people do complain about
the voting cards system etc., I say its fine with me because they need revenue
to run the business and yes it is a business at the end of the day and trust
me, the production cost is huge FYI but the problem here is, most of the time,
money is more important than the goal for most of the organizers honestly. And
this is one of the reasons why the shows are getting more unpopular season by
season and I believe TRP also goes down every season. My suggestion is why not
give more reasons to the audience to come back again by making it more
interesting every year.
I want to request the organizers to
think big and out of the box and make the goal or vision more important than
the profit -look at it as a long-term business. And ultimately more revenue
will follow once the show is a hit. The audience will judge the show according
to the final outcome, which is after the show. I believe you guys are still not
making use of the whole potential of what your show can do.
The Solution:
I know that as an organizer there
are so many obstacles and challenges in organizing these shows. And also
instead of appreciating you for the effort you put, people always say negative
things instead of participating and above that there are very less big sponsors
or proper TV channels, FM radios to help you reach out to the masses. Now the
competition is high since every fortnight, some new reality show or the other
is coming up, so its up to you to make your show better and give the audience
the chance to wait for your show every year.
I am not here to teach you how to
do your shows, since you guys know it better than I with all the years of
experience but am here to give, my insight on what to do after the show.
According to me I think Instead of
giving prize money, why not use that money and promote the artiste. The reason
they are here is because they need guidance and if you yourself are blind, how
do you help them? Do some research; do some vital networking before you plan
out your season.
For example instead of giving the
winner the whole money, take out 50k from the prize money and give it to
professionals producers/songwriters to write and compose songs for them
according to their genre, maybe a song or two and then use another 50k to make
a decent music video. Now take 50k and use it for publicity on social medias
like Facebook, YouTube etc. for a month intensively and send the music video to
all the leading music channels and blogs etc. Now do a pocket road shows around
Nagaland and later book places like Hard Rock Cafe, Blue Frog or any pubs,
church, cafés around India to open up for some bands, with 2 Lakhs do the
transportation, food lodging etc. Now with another 50k print some few CD's
& merchandise to carry around with the artiste. This is just a simple
example; you can do more than these. Send them for vocal lessons, Grooming,
fashion, photoshoot etc.
Now offer these two prizes options
to the contestant and am sure most of them will chose the second one. The main
problem for me is that the organizers after the hectic season is over they want
to take rest and they care less for the artiste. Why not form two team or hire
some PR people with the prize money and let them handle the after result
activities. You got nothing to lose.
 |
| Contestant from Naga Hindi Voice |
THE CONTESTANTS / ARTISTE/ WINNERS:
The Problem:
Why do you participate in the first
place? Is it because you want fame, money, a platform etc.? Most of the
artistes started acting like Superstars even before they hit the stage. Mind
you, in the studio you can re edit and undo your mistakes, but on stage it's
just one go. Make it or break it! Most of the participants get the platform and
recognition during the show but most of them are forgotten after the show is
over. There are just few names of those who have made it to the top and remains
in people’s heart. How many of you remember the names of the winners of the
many reality shows in Nagaland? Very few of you I guess, or may be none.
Do you participate to get fame just
during that short period? No I don't think so. You are wasting your parents,
family, friends, well-wishers money and above that your precious time and if
you don't have dedication, please don't participate from the very beginning.
Most of you do it because it's cool, because you think you can sing and dance.
But it is beyond that, you need real passion, hard work and dedication and
wisdom to remain in this business.
The solution:
The platform is a big opportunity
so makes the most of it, think beyond the competition, use the show as a
ladder, and reach out to the maximum.
But the ugly truth is you are still
in many ways a nobody, and even though you participate or win any competition,
that is just the starting stage and your first stepping-stone. Don't wait for
opportunities, make use of the platform and recognition you got and go and
grasp it. Humble yourself and look around for shows, try your best to promote
yourself as much as you can, initially. Once you are known, people will start
looking for you. But now dude you are nobody, and just because you have few
thousand likes on facebook, and your few family, friends, and well wishers know
you, it doesn't make you famous. And I am sure your dream and goal is bigger
than that. Think BIG, why target only your people, your locality, your
district, your state ... Think national, think Globally. Never be satisfied
with what you know, learn and learn and learn. Professionalism comes with
experience.
 |
| Moanungsang, the first Naga Idol, and one of the most successful artiste. |
The Problem:
One of the biggest enemy of the artiste
in Nagaland is the PUBLIC. My manager told me once if you make a song and
impress Nagas, you can impress the whole world, it's the most challenging thing
to do because people fail to appreciate talents always. The most popular
artistes in Nagaland & outside Nagaland are the ones with the biggest
critics, talking about Tetseo Sisters, Nise Meruno, and Abiogenesis etc.
As an artiste, my band and I we get
more support outside Nagaland than here at home. People always find fault no
matter how you perform out here, the worst thing is they started judging about
your lifestyles too. They fail to recognize the good things and rather point
out the little mistakes and always find a way to discourage you. They troll an
artiste thinking that it’s fun and cool to laugh at someone but they fail to
realize that they are killing them slowly and silently.
Be proud of our accent, as long as
people understand your English or can communicate it's ok. Why do you never
laugh at German, French, Jamaican, Spanish, Russian speaking English in their
own accent but always laugh at some artiste because he or she has Sema, Ao,
Chakesang, Angami, Konyak etc. accent?? Be different at least, & be proud
of it.
Most of the artistes are not from
good educational backgrounds and above that our English teachers those days
equally spoilt our dictions and pronunciations. Please go and help them instead
of mocking them.
The public should know that you
always end up comparing us with the west, but remember that we are like 40-50
years (or more) behind them in almost everything. But you fail to recognize the
struggle and hardship that went through to be where they are today. We still
have a long way to go, we are just starting and infact the first generation to
take music outside and making Music as a career, and if you continue to bitch
and pull us down like that, congratulations we will always be where we are.
The only platform to earn money for
an artiste is live shows these days because people don't buy music anymore. But
even live shows in Nagaland always run at a loss because the public doesn’t
come out to watch and also for lack of corporate sponsorships, while the
production costs go higher every year. You will be shocked to know the
production cost to bring up a show – Lights, Sound, Generators, Stage, chairs,
publicity etc. The funny fact is that the organizers pay more to the production
than the artiste who always get peanut or nothing at all most of the times. So
most of the organizers are scared to organize concerts and it is often very
hard for artistes to organize their own shows.
 |
| Tetseo Sisters, One of the most popular groups from Nagaland |
The solution:
First of all, learn to appreciate
the talents and try not to judge much, instead correct us personally and advice
us to be better. If you have criticism kindly give solution also.
Support us by coming to our shows,
buy our music. And the most important of all, try to promote and spread words
about us, share our music to your friends etc. around the world. I was so encouraged
to learn that Assamese, Mizo and Meitei communities residing overseas, organize
shows and invite their own local artistes to come and perform, but
unfortunately I have never experienced any initiative like that by our people
living outside the country.
We cannot do it on our own; we need
each other to promote our talents - our artistry. Please help us. Music scene
in Nagaland is almost dead and only few of us are struggling and working hard
towards our dream, so please, PLEASE DON’T KILL US.
Lastly I am not writing this
article targeting any Organization or individuals, but if I hurt your
sentiments unknowingly I am sorry but I hope this small write up will help some
artistes or organizers to do better and even encourage the public to support us
more in the days to come.
Thank you for reading, Kuknalim!
