Four years ago we were thrown on stage for the first time. I was surrounded by friends that had a passion for music. Our desire to perform on stage was strong but no one wanted to be a leader. They were not ready to start a career in music yet. We worked together as a group and visited each other’s house on weekly basis. I started trying out solo performances without a band. I was kind of limited, stuck in the middle of song hooks without adlibs expression. I could remember my friends would shout, “Dig it boy, ma jio tutu’, keep it jamming. I could not meet up to their expectations but they knew I was good in my act, but limited as a solo performer. One day I realized I was ready to launch into the music industry I took up the challenge of starting a band after longs months of sleepless nights. I was not sure who would join the band or be a part of it. I expressed my invitation to my friends after sharing my vision and aim with them. It was a six vocal mix gender band and we were all excited about it. Different people with distinctive talent abilities.
The low tone tenor, high pitch sopranos, a stage moving dancer who became a tenor singer, “always jealous” altos and others with various abilities. My elder brother who was six years older than me would always sit with us and record our rehearsals on his laptop. He was interested in joining the band. He would wake me up at night and tell me how to get the music going, plan my school assignments, and work with rehearsals. The always motivating brother soon became our manager. After three months of planning and figuring out our abilities, we started working on our first outing concert.
We would practice stage moves, expression and dance steps in front of the mirror. Long hours of serious rehearsal and blending our abilities as one became a habit. Our manager would shout, “One band, one sound. Put away your personal ego, blend it in. Ema lo bugbane concerti o. ” You cannot make a mess of yourself at the concert. As the concert dates drew closer, our uniqueness and artistry started coming together. We would playback our rehearsals and celebrate the good sound and dynamics. O bunun, “it feels like fire, the whole house chanted.
We knew we were ready for the concert. Our manager spent a lot on our costume and stage effects. He even went to great lengths announcing the concert theme, dates and venue to the city radio station. Our manager wanted us to try out a live performance with heavy crowd just before the concert date to see our stage capabilities. We were excited about it and he got us a slot in a major concert in downtown. We sent text messages to our friends and made Facebook announcements. It was the second day of the New Year 2010.
We had planned to meet in my parents’ house before moving to downtown. Everyone came late, looking nervous with fake smiles. I was sweating in my suits. My hands were wet, I could barely hold steal. The band mood was different. On our way to the venue, everyone was quiets. “Talk to me guys,” I said, “speak out your mind, you are nervous right? I can see it all over you. ” Still trying to act like a leader, they remain quite still. We’ve never felt like this before, “ahwaof ! Arriving at the concert, I took a deep breathe.
Courage rose up within me. I found an inner strength. My brother came to me and said “This is it, this is what you always wanted to be, what you do now makes a record and history in your life . I became bold but my band members were still nervous. The manager spoke to them individually and nothing did changed. It was all fake smiles. I could read it from there face. We were the opening act of the concert. The stage was set, crowd clapping, and music jamming hot. The MC made the call. “And here comes AK Peter & CLF. With fast heart beats, we walked to the stage. The musicians made the prelude and we all stood there waiting, mouth closed. No one could sing. There was a deep silence in the hall. One minutes gone and we were still looking at the crowd. The crowd started bullying at us. Just about time a force moved my vocals singing “so we wanna wish you happy new year today! ” And the band kicked in. We sang our heart out, the crowd cheered warmly and we left the stage. I was not up to everyone expectation. We felt like crying.
However, after the event, a huge boost of boldness emerged in us. The great feeling of a real band came in place. We felt a heart of care and warmness to one another. All egos were taken away because we believed we are one team and everyone power and expression counts. This marked the beginning of our career and since then we promise to make a great show out of a dull crowd. Four years gone, we are still together touring very city with our unique style and sound. The memory of the first time on stage always resounds in our mind. What an unforgettable experience!
