‘How can we make our music, our people, our culture, be heard? We have to do it together,’ says AXEAN Festival co-founder Piyapong Muenprasertdee
What happens when you mix a music festival and a conference with industry professionals from across the globe? You get a music showcase: a space designed for artists and the business side of the music industry to connect, share knowledge, and build opportunities together.
While music showcases have existed for decades, in Southeast Asia, the concept has stayed relatively new. Enter AXEAN Festival: a music showcase organized by a collective of show promoters, festival organizers, label representatives, and more — from various Southeast Asian nations.
Over the past five years, alums of the AXEAN Festival have gone on to perform at festivals and other showcases all over the world. For example, after performing at the 2023 edition of the showcase, Filipino artist Ena Mori went on to perform at the recently concluded Jakarta Music Con in Indonesia.
This year, the AXEAN Festival was held in Bali, Indonesia — the organizers’ first time staging it outside of Singapore, and their third time holding it in-person instead of online.
Building bridges
“When we talk about why we want to go to other countries [in Southeast Asia], I think we’ve demonstrated now that we have a really amazing platform in this event…and we have an opportunity to bring that network of people to help grow the music business and create opportunities in the industry and other places in the region,” shared AXEAN Festival team member Josh Kahn, who works as an independent business development and artist development consultant in the United States and all over Asia.
AXEAN Festival co-founder Piyapong Muenprasertdee continued by saying that even if the Southeast Asian music industry consists of only 1.4% of the global market share, the region’s population and gross domestic product (GDP) is within the top five of the entire world.
“So, there’s a big difference. We’re 1.4%, which is down the line of the music industry, but in economic terms like in market size, we are big. So, how can we make our music, our people, our culture be heard? We have to do it together. Hopping cities gives an opportunity to spread this opportunity and [bring] more awareness.”
“Dilaw” hitmaker Maki — who represented the Philippines this year along with electronic artist crwn; Eco del Rio of surf rock outfit bird.; R&B pop singer Mix Fenix; “makata-pop” band Munimuni; and violinist-singer-songwriter Muri — shared to Rappler that joining AXEAN Festival was a “great opportunity” to meet other artists and branch out into Southeast Asia.
“Kasi sabi nga nila now na (People say) we’re starting to support each other when it comes to music, because I know that Southeast Asians are very talented and it thrills me to be in an event where I could meet so many talented people and I get to show myself as an artist and musician,” he said. “I prepared myself socially, because I really want to meet a lot of people, [like] producers, event organizers, artists…I also told myself to be firm with kung sino ako (who I am) as an artist, and to be able to showcase the Filipino music scene.”
Maki, who also joined the fest’s post-showcase songwriting camp to collaborate with fellow producers and artists across Asia and Australia, continued by saying that he wanted to grab the opportunity to platform Filipino music in the region.
“I get to show the people here in Indonesia and also all over ASEAN that this is Filipino music. For me, if there are opportunities — small or big — if I get to be a part of it, I need to show who I am as an OPM artist,” Maki said in a mix of English in Filipino.
Sure enough, during his set at the festival’s Dragon Stage, his Filipino and local fans came out together in full force with placards and fansigns, while other AXEAN attendees filled out a sizable crowd during his set.
For rising Indonesian band Grrrl Gang, who performed in Manila last year, they see that the Southeast Asian music community is one that needs to be continually nurtured.
“Most of us [Southeast Asian] artists are on the same page, we’re doing the same thing, so why not we connect all the dots and create something bigger and better in ASEAN? [That’s why the] AXEAN [Festival] is one of the initiatives that we really love and respect,” continued Grrrl Gang member Akbar Rumandung.
Paving the way
Aside from the performances, the showcase featured panel discussions that touched on a variety of important topics in the music industry, such as how artists can advance their music careers in the Australian market and the power of cross-regional collaboration; “survival” tips for music festivals; and more. Labels, festivals, and businesses were also given the opportunity to pitch themselves to other international delegates.
The Philippine delegation was rounded out by Cebuano music festival September Fever co-founders Gino Rosales and Karl Lucente; independent record label manager Jam Abella of Filla Killa; and Offshore Music A&R representative Otep Tumambing.
“Being a delegate at AXEAN Festival and being able to represent Cebuano artists was an eye-opening opportunity,” shared Abella. “We’re learning so much about how our artists can make a name for themselves on the international stage and how we can better our artist development initiatives, which is really important for us as an independent label.”
At its core, the AXEAN Festival is fueled by the mission of creating closer ties between Southeast Asia, beyond the formal halls of governments and diplomacy. Kahn adds that there is still a lot of infrastructure in the region that needs to be built, and when you look at what various countries around Southeast Asia can do both independently and by collaborating, there’s a lot of good work that can be done in making a more equitable and thriving music ecosystem.
“At the end of the day, it’s a platform to bridge the gap between people and the business,” added AXEAN Festival co-organizer Kanita Sichantha, “It’s [a way for] artists who may not have the resources to come together and share and learn and create something beautiful.”
“Music is somewhat a friendship business,” Muenprasertdee said, to close. “It’s a business of relationships, it’s a business of trust, and sometimes you have to get in the social situations that are common in those cultures. So, we have to be culturally sensitive and culturally intelligent. We need to understand each other’s cultures to speak the same language, and that language somewhat is friendship.” – Rappler.com