Hi PNG! My name is Martin Rawali and I started music as a kid still in school, I would be found playing a ukulele atop a tree branch serenading passersby with the songs you now love, dance and listen to.
My love for music created the well-known Azzimbah Band back in the 80s and after some time I decided to go solo.
I formed the Froggies Band a while after performing at bars and hotels building a repertoire of local favorites that are still a hit whenever played on either the airwaves or stages.
As an artist, music has helped me a lot in ways to putting food on the table, paying bills and getting my kids through school and of course being recognized as an artist on local and international platforms.
The music industry today has not changed much since my time when I was starting out, and being a part of the Central Music Association today, gives me and others the opportunity to make necessary changes that will allow todays artists to be recognized and appreciated while safeguarding their original material.
Artists nowadays have adapted a more Solomon Islands and the western world style of music, but I prefer staying to our local and contemporary style of music, as it remains the best because of its authenticity and originality.
The music you hear now has adopted more of a digital approach in its delivery, and though I do not object to the choice of setting, it is vital that artists remember that studio performance involves tricky mixes and it is different to performing that same song on stage in front of a live crowd.
Record a song in a way that you are able to perform it live, deliver it well and be remembered on digital footprints left from someone’s post of you or just the experience you gave from your live gig.
I encourage young artists that if you are passionate about your music dedicate rehearsals to getting your songs done right, record in a way that allows great live stage performance and experience and educate yourself in knowing your worth via awareness programs on the commercial and legal side of music.