By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
JUST like a star twinkling far away in the galaxy is the music career of a local musician Harold Gibson.
His story is a mini run of the movie Pursuit of Happiness, staring Wills Smith, which depicts the real-life success of millionaire, Chris Gardner.
The 54-year-old of mixed Northern and Central parentage is neither a big-time local music star nor an unknown local musician but a twinkling star in the struggling yet promising local music industry. In fact, Gibson has been a struggling local musician since 1990, with a renowned recording studio rejecting his demo (sample music).
He is a born musician and loves to sing whenever he is free or just in a jolly good mood.
“After completing Grade 10 at Gordon High School (now secondary) in 1986, I worked with SP Brewery for two years,” Gibson said.
“I then left to pursue my passion for music.
“I was a backup vocalist for the popular 1980s local music artists like the late Steve Lahui, late Musa Roge and late Simon Tazy.
“I only did live performances, no recording.
“I then decided to establish myself as a music artist and approached a renowned and a popular recording studio that boasted of promoting the local music industry.
“However, they rejected me.
“In fact, I approached them three times and every time they rejected me, saying my style of music was unacceptable.
“But that didn’t discourage me and I kept on playing music as an unknown musician at small parties in clubs, villages or at venues that asked for me.
“I was mostly approached to perform by people who knew me.
Gibson said he felt no other studio would want him after being rejected by the ‘big studio’.
“But I was slowly getting recognition and Don Sebea, who operates a private studio, invited me to do a recording with him,” he said.
“I went with my band, Sibela, and we recorded a song Susain 2008.
“The song is from the Doura areain Central province.
“In fact, Sebea is also my brother-in-law and his studio is called Pikinini Studio.
“After recording the song, we tried to secure airtime with the radio stations but were unsuccessful.”
Gibson again had another break in his music career when another family member helped him out.
“My cousin William Arek, who was employed with Kalang studio (FM100), came to my house and I played the song to him,” he said.
“He was impressed and took it to the studio and asked the announcers to play it on air.
“I got by first airplay from FM100.
“It became a very popular song but I didn’t know about that; people heard it and told me that my song was been played on air.
“I called up my cousin and enquired and he said yes.
“That was how I became popular in the music industry now.
“Yumi FM station also requested for my song Susa so I took it to Kasty Turner Arifeae, who played it and it soon became a hit, entering the Yumi Fm countdown in 2009.
“It then went into the top 20 countdown.
“People were surprised because only popular music artists who record with renowned music studios always fared well in the countdown.
“I was an unknown artist and my song was recorded and produced by an unknown back-street private recording studio.
“That practice of playing songs from only established recording studios still happens to date that is why we have very talented local artists still struggling because the ‘big’ recording studios reject them.
“But if they do record songs with private recording studios, radio stations don’t air their songs.”
Success continued for Gibson and in 2012 his band, Sibela, did a recording with a local multimedia production firm owned by Fred Vaibu, where the hit song, Satisfy Me, was produced.
“We did a duet with my niece, Vanessa Potul,” he said.
“I was the band’s lead singer and that song stayed in the Yumi FM top 20 for the whole of 2012.
“The band also got the award for the longest charting song during the Yumi FM Music Awards and we were paid K1000.
“From then on, I got hired to play at events like Independence Day and this time I was recognised as a prominent local artist.
“I even performed at events organised by a prominent events company – Next of Kin Productions.
“In 2014, the National Capital District Commission hosted the Independence anniversary celebrations at Jack Pidik Park and I was invited to sing.
“When walking up to the stage, I saw the sound engineer of the renowned recording studio.
“He was the one who had rejected me three times when I was struggling to break into the local music industry.
“Anyway, he saw me and gave a guilty smile. I just smiled at him.”
In 2015, Gibson’s band recorded the song Sailor Boy with private studio DeRecs Production, owned by Ila Momo.
“That song is a mixture of rap and raga,” he said
“We also featured two talented musicians – Joe Black and Drex Blunt.
“They did raga and raps for the song for me.
“My band got another award for the best collaboration on Sailor boy.
“Both these young artists are now the leading raga and rap performers in PNG.”
Gibson’s talent also went international when a Fijian-based multimedia company, NewCorn, saw him performing at Port Moresby Country Club in 2013 during the Yumi FM music awards.
“Their agents spotted me and took an interest in me,” he said.
“While I was performing, they took a video and send it over to Fiji.
“Their boss there told them to look for me – and so I signed the contract with them.
“I was paid monthly in US$ when they marketed my songs in Asia, Pacific and South America.
“The monthly payment was about K3000 and so far, I have been paid a total of K70,000.
“With this money coming in from my music sold on the overseas market, I was able to send my eight children to school.
“Now they are all adults and pursuing their own careers.
“I also have eight grandchildren. But I’m getting less payment now because of the piracy of my songs.
“Piracy is a threat to the local music industry.
“People steal songs online and market them.
“If your songs are played on radio stations, some people will download it and distribute it on YouTube and they get paid for it and not you.
“For instance, there is a video clip of my song Sailor Boy. Someone produced the video clip from my music without my permission.
“Anyway, I’m an artist don’t mind much, actually I’m happy with it bBecause that clip also promoted my song and also exposed the hard-working lives of seamen.
“COVID-19 has also affected the industry; piracy and Covid-19 have affected my means of an income.”
Gibson said his latest song, Pearl of the Pacificka, is now out and is being played on Lalokau Fm.
“Of course, another private recording studio – PNG Local Musik Production Studio – was involved and the song is also becoming popular.
“The video clip of this song will be produced next month.”
