27 September 2011

Moonraisers the END


Moonraisers

Moonraisers was for me more than a band, a project or even a idea of not only making music, but a way of simply doing things differently in a only profit dictated world! And it took me 100% of my time, my energy, my passion, my priority, my thoughts and for sure, by the way I live FOR music and not FROM music, all money. Over all this time!

Im very aware that, for many people the ending of moonraisers, will be something that will missed! And I'm the first! 
That's why i write this to the ones who, not like to understand! But to overstand my décision, to stop making music!
It is also about the whole music business general, but mostly in switzerland, the country who' to supposed to support his culture!

I prefer to stay proud and real for what we have done and achieve with moonraisers, without breaking our self-in-stored rules!
We had quite clearly ideas of how we want to do what, or mostly what we don't want to do! :) To stay in a non-fake line!
And for sure this made many times things not easier!
But thats why i prefer to end the Moonraisers project, before we have to take an direction, that would no longer be in the way we want to do the moonstyle!

Making music with enough musician, to play what we recorded on the songs in the studio! Something that only seams to be reserved to Bands who sold huge amount of cd/vinyl's. Mostly only International Bands had this amount of musicians as moonraisers over a so long a period!
Having a equal sharing from musicians to technicians and crew!

In a way we had a chance to do what we did in switzerland, because we found quickly rehearsal rooms, we could borrow money to buy equipment (even if we had long to pay back!) We could invest to start to produce our own moon style reggae Having Professional surround, the one we also build during the years!
If we was in a less developed country we would have problems to get all this ... but maybe more general cultural support!

But the struggle always followed us!
The moonraisers band need almost 20 years to excuse their self for being so many people on the road! Is much for space, equipment, transport, hotel, food etc etc! But all this problems were only before the concert! After a concert all this was almost never a problem! We had all this time, defend with more or less success, our artistically choices !

In 1992, when we started, there was no swiss music scene! Was no swiss reggae scene! (The 2 only known reggae bands was not interest to having/supporting other reggae bands in switzerland!)

And making music was not an occupation! (is it today?) 
So everything had to be done by our own!
I knew that to impose the Moonstyle Reggae (in a time where white people where not really aloud to make reggae music!) will take it's time, in this whole circumstances !
For sure in the first 6-8 years we could not call us as an professional band!
But with 10-14 non payed musicians we reach to make quit professional shows and productions (Albums)!

Almost everything was homemade! But we shape it as much professional as we could, with (almost) all the time no (or minimum) of budgets!
We invest 2 of 3 part of the concert money, into productions.

Almost everybody who presented moonraisers, on the market, in the media, to the promoters or found raising, struggled to sale moonraisers to their professional relations!
Almost from the beginning in the band was a talk about a bad star, a unlucky or other strange things that makes we had to struggle all the time!

There was a couple of big promoters in switzerland (mostly swiss german part!) who looked us doors from the early days , swiss cultural subventions where never something that moonraisers have gotten! (even if over 12 years, every year we try to get something somewhere!) 
As example one of the hugs culture Money (to not name it! but everybody make is grocery shoppings with a big M;)) ! is one of the only money you can get for music in switzerland! And last 3 following years, the same label got the main support! And wonder the director of the label, is the president of this culture support! And one more wonder, this label have the first reggae artist who made gold in switzerland!!!
Suisa is, the from the swiss confederation payer organization, that is supposed to give composers their money from songs played on radio or performances.
They mess up numbers and numbers and they are payed over 6000.- each month, each and there are hundred's working there!
They have millions every years to spend from money they don't know to who is! And spend it only to traditional swiss music or already subvention classical orchestras!
Before 2010 you only got money (as composer) from the radio who play when the songs was play-listed on a national radio!
Just as information Yves Larock Rise Up was not play listed in swiss national radios!!! (even with 88 week swiss chart!) And by the way Suisa is not able to know what is played in restaurants, night clubs, local radios etc etc) you are only payed after the songs played in the national radios! The count is quick done!

In switzerland is not the musician who can live from music!!!
(only the one's who work in the official music offices etc)
And musicians are considered less than refugees and the one's who got social support!

If you saw moonraisers posters or got a flyers, you can be sure that 80% was done by our own!
There was almost never an article in any press before or after show of moonraisers even not when we blast up the place! (dreadlocks are maybe nothing for standard swiss family to show) 
The only interview i was supposed to give, to the hugest swiss newspaper! I had to refused, because there was not ONE question about music! Only personal stuff (But I'm not a VIP!)

The only support for swiss reggae music in switzerland is the website www.reggae.ch and also the 3 swiss reggae compilations, that broth reggae music to the swiss radio, but this website/compilations we made by our own! Night and night of programming!

Swiss radios did almost not play moonraisers before the Label Swiss in 2004 (exept Couleur3! They supported us with our own composed songs since 2000!) after this the whole swiss music scene got at least a little support! (after law 5% swiss music have to be played!!!)
But to "only" be a accepted band in switzerland you need to be as top as an international bands, that ones are coming with full professional support, to make one or two show a year in switzerland! 
For us, without any support, going out of switzerland, was a too expensive operation! (we payed almost every time something when we played out of switzerland!)
We even tried to reduce the amount of musicians, but then the moonstyle was not 100% represented!

For sure as soon we start to sale a few album's, the whole music marked started to crash and i think 70% of moonraisers downloaded music, was for free from the internet!
This could also work longterm, if at least the promoters would give the chance, to all the people who downloaded for free our music, to come to one of our shows!
But for sure if the radios refuse to play the music, the newspaper are not interest and then the promoters will not take the "Risk"!

It is a circle that should at least after a while (20 years?) start to turn!

As i knew from the beginning that Moonraisers was an utopia project that will only slowly gain credibility!
But i though that, after a while with always progressing, we could at least count on a certain support!
But even after 19 years we struggle to finding shows, media coverage, radio plays (on national radios with our own songs!) etc. ect!
And with this for sure you can't get sales, and with this no chart (swiss chart is under judgement!) and with no chart you never come into a circle where you get finally, the right to enter into circle, where you get coverage and maybe the sale and the money to continue to produce albums!

Going out of switzerland!
I think swiss people don't know what kind of image we have out the border of switzerland!
And over border promoters got supported band for less, than a unsupported self produced band, who have to pay the whole logistic, band and crew!
So the game is over even before you can start to play!
So a homemade extension to switzerland was already "mission impossible"!

Even if your goal is just to life from music, without getting rich or at least not paying for it, is also "mission impossible"!
Then we would need allot of money, to continue our utopia project!
Money that would not come from, made by music! If its other money, then our ideologic would not fit with what we try to spread over our music/message!


Music Biz!
The today music BIZ, do not let much place to music or cultural !
Is more about VIP and fame! And if you are not! then you do not music!
Myself i never felt like a singer ... i felt like a musician! I start to sing in moonraisers because we had no singer who could do the job!
For me the vocal was just another instrument in the orchestration of the band!

And in this sense it was surly not easy to promote moonraisers on one side with 10 musicians you have changes and moonraisers was not my solo project to only put myself in all media!
Also in this sense was not an option to make cheep story video clip's, the one would not fit with what we had to present in front of a camera!
Faking was never an option for moonraisers! We select for sure the live videos we posted, and posted only the good ones!
But what we posted out, happen for real in the moment the videos was captured!

I had start prepared a solo project, but for this my only goal was to prepare territories for moonraisers... but this territories are not in the near region and finally moonraisers (17 people on the road!) would not be requested!


For sure this are mostly technical mind explanations, even if they explain already quite enough, why I'm not able to continue!

But after all, is my heart who make the final decision!
Like i wrote already a while ago on my homepage: Music biz to rough for a sensitive soul like mine!
And this is true! In the music biz everything is based on ... everything else than music!
VIP, People, Money, Car's, glimmer, sex, slackness etc etc!

I just wished to do music ... in the last years i made from 1 a half hour to maybe max 10h music a month!
The rest of the time i worked in the offices on finding solutions!

I was told to do this and that and then and if .... and we tried almost everything if it was still under the "moonraisers rules"
I was told we need love songs ....! Well i admit, that love songs was never something that i was able to write!
With the simply explanation, that i think, this is something to personal!

Also to show up and playing the rockstar, was never something that i was really happy to do! 
(If i was not on stage!)
I think allot of people need to identify the artist with his creation!
And i think if the people like an artists creation they don't need to like the artist!
An artist is like every other human, with the same problem as everybody!
I like to say: we got all the same position on the throne! ;)))
If the people like our creation, then we did a good job!
I think in the show biz we are there, to sale dreams ....! (dream's or nightmare's)
But to write a good song or to make a good show, don't makes us a better humans!

Today all is focused on the artist and not on his creation!
And this is not how i like to give credibility to my creation!

In a way I'm very proud that we arrived, to be, where we are today, without having failed on the way we want to do, what we want to do with moonraisers!
And a next step up could no longer be achieved, with the non-support we have today and in the way we have done it the last 19 years!
Not with the morality we in-store to The Moonraisers Moonstyle Project!

This is a part of my idea to making music!
And this, is no longer possible for me.
Thats why i decide to quit the music scene and concentrate on other priorities!

For sure i know that all who supported moonraisers passively or actively for longer or shorter and/or found a reason to dream, as occupation, as evasion, the one who could identify them self, with our utopia doing!
It is a sad moment! And i have to admit that it is, not less for myself!
It is one of my hardest, but necessary decision, i had to take in my life!

Allot of people don't overstand why i decide right now to stop it all.
Yes Moonraisers had a band like never before with all very good musicians, performant  staff, Technical crew and our long year angel Domi! And and a real good ambient in the band! (the one i hope will find a project to continue to play together!)

We knew how to make music ...! But thats all ...! Today this is not what it counts!

I thank you all from my deepest heart to giving special moments, very special remembering's!

I wanted to tell you a little story about a small natty, who lived behind the nighty light!
Moony: came, told and wished us the best

All i can say is, live from your heart and don't let the mind control your feelings!
Thanks 4 all
Much love
Jaba

11 March 2011

Consciousness Awareness and Curiosity

Well this is not a easy topic!
And allot of things i will not even talk in here... maybe when the time is right ...


I know that for allot of people my opinion, ideas and thoughts are not as what they hear usually ! 
And most of the time i take care to who i say what and when...


for sure i grow up in a quite conscious environment with many different people, where; sharing, acceptation and overstanding, was just the way of living together.


But when i came out of this environment and came in the "REAL" world i start to overstand that the outside was not the same!
Suddenly the priorities where not the same no more ... suddenly everyone looked for his own ... you need to make closer friendship that the people don't look at you as a stranger ... almost everywhere i was, i was a stranger ... 
For sure my look never help in this way ... or ... yes i think it helped allot ... because i saw the straight reaction of the people and with this, if they are open or not ;)))))


My father teach at school that i saw dwarves and talk to them when i was kid ... ;))) i just remember that we build houses in the forest for dwarves and brought them food ... and when we came back days later the food was gone ... but yeah there also animals who likes food ;)))
But this was the way, i was free for imagination what ever and without being looked strange at me ... as kid!
Then in the s(h)i(s)tematisme square formatted outside wold ...is another story!
There you better keep your though's for yourself ... or then only to the ones you really trust!


or better to say this was before because now is revelation time .... !
i think the humanity will soon be forced to overstand certain things!


First of all is not mankind who will have the last word, but the planet earth!
And soon we will no more talk about "save the planet earth" but "save the humanity"! because the planet regenerate by it's self (but maybe in a million of years!)


I take the base that we use max 30% of our brain ... what could we do if we could use 100% ?
this is still in my daily Curiosity ... what could it make that we can start to use more of our brain?
and i think this is the point... because in the square formatted s(h)i(s)tem, where we are concentrate as working ants, to keep the power pyramid alive, we are not allow to do so!


But finally the people wake up, stand up and rise up their voice against the oppressors!
or to say that "some" already begun... i think the western world need first a complete money crash down before they wake up and start to concentrate on the essential! 
But everything at it's time....!


i think even the blog title says it all: Consciousness Awareness Curiosity


I've study the world happening since ever, with allot of interest and follow the even the smallest information in the media (all kind!) and for sure in my live with my personal experience and people i've meet and observed ;))))
and even more interest in nature and animals!


And yeah it is a special time we are in ... and more is to come!
i'm looking forward!
Stay aware and curious !!!

03 February 2011

The world is changing !

I think right now we don't need to be a prophet to say that the world is in full shift!


Yeah we are right in! The earth and the ones who live on it are in a full transformation!
Everywhere in the world the people stand up for their rights, justice and freedom!
Everyday in the news you can find more and more about what is happening or changing ... or changes that are requested!


Since i was kid i hear that big change only will happen over war... !
But today i think that the change will come in completely different ways....


I sticked in Kazastan 2010 while the Iceland Volcano ... and i realized that is really not much need to block the whole system ... Our society stands on so fragile basement .... just a little volcano and the complete systeme get stuck..... Whole europe get sticked ... 


Today even huger natural phenomena are on the way.... 
- huge storm in australia
- snow like never in america
- the poles are moving
- volcano in bali/japan


Governments are struggling to keep the people as sheep's and the diplomacy don't seams to work 100% since Wikileaks!
All around the world the people start to wake up and stand up for their freedom!
- Tunisia
- Egypt
- Jordan
and most of the other under-pressed countries .....! and i think more is to come!


But not only this countries ... also in europe and finally also america could wake up soon!
Imagine if the actual world financial deficit calculation would be reveled as wrong!
oh sorry we forgot few 0 behind ... and the value of the money can collapse in a short time!
This can be the moment where we even here in switzerland can find the people in the streets!


but ... one by one .... ;)))


changes are on the way and i'm looking positively forward, then i think that the humanity deserve a chance to come back to the essential: consciousness, love and sharing! 

22 January 2011

Living the day like it would be your last!

yeah i think is really important to think how fragile we are!


A sad new came to me this morning: my 28 year old cousin pass away last night after a whole life full of health problems and injuries ...!
The doctor already gave not allot of life chances after birth to here!!!


But she still was here ... yeah ... wonderful person... i think we all could learn from here!
The doctor always say she should stay calm and home and not making to much stuff ... bla bla bla .... she was living traveling, animal lover, she wanted to be independent all here life! but allot of things was not possible for here ... but she had a character ... knew what she want and what she don't want!


Last summer she came to ma place few days... and we was talking about allot of stuff... and she was saying that she prefer to life here live until the last breath...


And she did it!


Much blessings to here and that we profits of our days like it would be our last!

17 January 2011

Words

How we use the words in our daily life is so important! Words are so powerful! And everybody know witch words we are good or not! There is for sure a educational or/and growing up environment! But everybody knows witch are the bad words! And the youth think that they are cool to use...
But how you talk so you are and this is what you gonna be!

In all languages there are words used and we should take care what they really mean!
I even suppose that words are especially turn in another sense to having power over people!

i take an example: UNDERSTANDING do it really mean what it says???
i would say it should be OVER STANDING!!!

because understanding is that we accept without having our opinion!
overstanding is that our opinion fits totally with what we agree...

Another word is BELIEVE sounds quit like (BE LEAVE) could also mean LEAVE your BEING is searched a bit far i know ... ;) but this is the impression Believing gives to be! Thats why i would propose BEME = Be yourself!!!

words are powerful ... let's catch the good and positive one!

16 January 2011

Rise Up

Rise up Rise up Rise up will be a gain

Rise up Rise up Rise up for my mind and my brain ....!


Around the world people told me that they hear the song ... and for sure i saw it my self when i traveled myself almost around the whole planet!


I not did ASIA and not AUSTRALIA ... if not i was on every continent!

Allot of people was discussing about who made the first version of rise up ... and i admit that we left this question open, it feed the buzz ;)


But the first rise up version is the one we made with Yves Larock! He gave me a House track to sing on it... there was already the main instrumental and the melody... I made the refrain ... after a long reflection how could house being mix up with reggae ... in the studio with Yves and P.Brunkow we work on the chorus ... and there came out RISE UP .... then the rest i wrote quite quick ... all this happen in 2005-2006 ... the first version was maybe too much reggae and not enough house ... even the professionals was not really interested in RISE UP !!! so Yves continue to mix it more and more House until a version that became "interesting for the marked!" beginning 2007!


mai 2007 everything went fast... BBC 1 played rise up on heavy rotation... and then it went everywhere...


Rise Up was then just the right song presented by the right persons at the right time! But not only!

Rise Up was also a song that that catch many people's heart! Yeah many people from all around the world from different regions from young to old the people love rise up!


Often people ask me if I'm not bored to sing Rise Up one more time and one more time! And no!!! I'm happy that it was Rise Up that Hit ... i think is still a nice song! But also as longest the people want to hear it ! I will sing it!


I personally learn so much out of Rise Up!

I flight all around the planet and yes i admit that my ecologic karma must be very bad!!! I had all kind of experience from hysteric to ignorant, from happy to sad situations, from countries that i even don't know their existing to countries that i never though to go! (I will develop Rise Up Stories later ... have many of them :))


The most funny thing was always when i came in this Snobby Clubs ... they was looking at me and though, who is this hippy ;))))) and after the performance all of them want a picture with me ;))) Some of them say :(even promoters!) ahhh YOU are Jaba ??? i though you where black !!!! .... my answer was: hmmm nobody is perfect ;)))))) One of the phenomena is that the poorest countries they have the hugest clubs, cars and the most expensive DJ's!

$10'000 bottle Champaign in the club and outside the club the worse ghetto situation i ever saw...!

Another phenomena : More the people pay at the door as less they have fun ;)))

I don't judge all this at all ... is just my own observations .... (more to come...)


I will come back to the question that allot of people asked:

Why i was not in the Rise Up clip???


Well first of all ... all went really quick ... lucky that yves was in the video!

Then also i don't want to be in the video from the beginning because of a couple of reasons!


Before Rise Up i already had moonraisers over 15 years ... with a very clear line how the things have to be done (I will write about this, also later!) with Moonraisers we still don't found the investment to make video that could really represent the music and the message we want to spread out! I though is maybe not a good idea to having as first clip a house track in my career ;) That was one reason!

Second reason: House was not a new thing to me! I worked already on couples of House productions, but more as musician or then songs that was not came out huge! But i did not want to become the house singer ... i was not agains to mix my reggae style with other stiles, but i want to stay the moonstyle reggae man ;)) And this is also the reason why i refused more than 2000 House production from all over the world ... even big names ... but the songs often not permit a reggae mixup...


And another reason, the one i fully support, is that you can not bring two Artist Up the same time and Rise Up is mainly Yves work, but also P.Brunkow is a main part in Rise Up and I'm happy to had the chance taking part of it!


In the end the financial aspect .... For sure allot of people think that all the ones who worked with Rise Up are millionaires!!! And let me make clear that if we made rise up 5 to 10 years earlier .... yes we would be!!!


But in a time where everybody download more than he buy, in a time where (almost!) all mobile devices having bluetooth sharing for songs and ringtones, where the most countries or clubs not even hear from musical rights (for house music)! i a time where you can have 24 millions youtube views without a cent, where developed countries sale almost 80% less CD's ...


The reality is there ... 3 years later ... don't count on money from a world hit like this!


yes there are live performance that i can make ... ! everywhere in the world ... in places where i would never pay to go in without performance ... being away from my family almost every weekend without sleep (or only in the plain ;))

And musically it is very poor ... i think I'm more a musician than a singer (will also talk later about this!:))


But all in all i have no right to complain!!!

I had a wonderful experience that i will remember my whole life!


RISE UP RISE UP RISE UP!

more to come....


2012 etc

Yeah we are facing a special time and i'm really happy to take part of it!

Every body who is a little conscious and see how planet earth get treated... see that she is changing... and right now even more!

"The one's who say that 2012 is the end of the world ... they are maybe right ...!
because:
if is the end of all lies, suffer, un-justice, money-power illumination ego trips .....
then we would be able to start over again and make out of this beautiful planet earth a real paradise!"

People getting more and more conscious: truth can longer be hidden (wikileaks) the people will not longer let other decide for them (Tunisia, Ivory Coast etc etc) more and more people will go to the street and take over the foolish governments who steel from the people since too long now!

And the world is shifting for real ... RIGHT NOW!
There are many videos, news etc that talk about that!
Just look out what happen to the world .... Take your information if you need to get convinced what happend... RIGHT NOW!

But more important! is to look to yourself!, the ones you love and taking care to our planet earth ... now more than never!!!

2012 is just a number and a year .... (thats why i call it: 2012 etc. ) but no human being knows when it will happen ... but it's started already ... we are in...

Spread Good vibes, Love and respect

Fame

Yeah Fame ... !!!

The thing is that the most of the people, identify what they feel when they like the music, in the persons (musicians/singers) who make the music ... and put them up to a higher level ...


i experience this with Rise Up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH5q5M6Ok2Y i saw the backstage of the world's tops music business ...


And for sure the attention the people pay for the one's who produce they're favorite music, is so immense that not every ego can resist to a such attempt ... to think that they are really something special and stay normal!


For sure is a biggest pleasure when the people like your music ... your artistic work! but that is it!

That makes us not more special than anyone else!

Because everybody is special in his way and have to be appreciated and be loved!


Many times people told me after a show that they love me ... and i overstand that they love my music, my artistic performance, my work!

But is not me they love ... is the music ...


And also not to forget is the people behind the artists ... a good artist have good people who work hard in the shadow ... and they often got the smallest peace of cake our of it!


As biggest the artist is, a more people work in the background!


But we as artist should never forget them and for me the first rule in music buiz:

in 10 sec on stage in 10 sec down the stage ... physically and mentally!


Words used in Music

Music is a very powerful transporter for messages ... any message ...

you don't need to UNDERSTAND the words ... your sub-conscious always get it!

And this is also the problem with allot of bands ... and i think they ignore this or pay no attention to it!

I experience it to myself and thats why i know that the people don't really need to talk the language you sing, they will feel the vibe trough the music!


I think that the people who listen constantly to your music they will get the words ...

And that's why is important to choose the right words!


Words are also very powerful ... but for this more later!


Good Vibes

My Thought's

Many thoughts in my mind feel like must coming out!

So i create this blog ... i especially separate it from my musical part because i think i will talk a little about everything !
For sure also about music! but also about everything what arrive to us in this special time!

we will see where we will go...

So welcome and thanks to came here in this huge internet!

Good Vibe and love!
Jaba