By Steven Leong
In recent years, more independent bands appeared in Macao as more youngsters became interested in pop music. For almost all of these musicians, playing music is just their avocation. Unlike the neighboring city Hong Kong or some other cities in South Korea, Japan, mainland China, which have their own pop scene, Macao’s music stage is dim and dark. Delving into the reason why Macao’s music cannot take shape, we have traced back to the problems of the shortage of governmental support and a lack of opportunities for young musicians to perform.
(Second from the right) Ellison Lau and his group members of WhyOceans.
“Macao’s economy has developed faster in recent few years, the rental charges for band rooms have also grown more expensive, such as some factory estates we used to rent for performance, so the burden becomes heavier,” Ellison Lau, a 23 years old audio engineer in Macao and a member of a local independent band WhyOceans said. Independent bands (commonly known as indie-bands) produce their music by their own on a low budget. As the rent keeps increasing, they need to consider the site problem. They have great difficulty in finding places to perform and practice, to share their music. “Though there are some associations providing some places that allow musicians to share their music like the Live Music Association, most bands in Macao lack performing opportunities,” Lau added.
“My dream is to share my music with others all over the world,” Lau said. Apart from the place problem, the Macao government does not give enough support for the musicians. Although the government has some financial plans to support musicians, it is far from enough. It involves a complicated procedure and was carried out only recently. Bands also compete for the chance of performing overseas to achieve their dream of standing on the stage and sharing their music. But it is difficult for all bands to perform overseas, most of them still are struggling for chances of public performance. The government doesn’t allocate enough resources to promote the music industry in the city. It is falling far behind, said Lau.
Additionally, the development of music in Macao also lacks a channel of communication between the government and musicians. “I wish the government can provide some fixed performing locations to independent bands in Macao and offer more support and promotion. The venue is the biggest problem in Macao for us now,” Lau emphasized. If the Macao government can pay more attention to the music development, the music in Macao will be a new career and more people will have a chance to experience the power of music, said Lau.