Music Export 101: Filipino artists go international this August

This 18 August, 22 Tango Music Group, the British Council in the Philippines, and Sonik Philippines are hosting Sonik Sessions: Music Export 101, a boutique conference and artist showcase bringing international music experts, Filipino artists and creators to talk about music and how we can bring Filipino talents to the forefront of the global market.

The event will be held at Making Space in Cebu City, the first Sonik event outside Metro Manila.

In this 2^nd installment of Sonik Sessions, Filipino creators will learn how artists and the music industry can benefit from increased recognition, access to new markets, revenue streams, and cultural exchange. The conference will dive deep into ‘music export’: the process of promoting and distributing music to foreign markets, showcasing and marketing artists to audiences outside their home country.

The theme was inspired by Filipino music mavens and the organisers’ personal experiences as British Council delegates to the recently concluded Great Escape Music Festival in Brighton, England.

Sonik Sessions: Music Export 101 is led by the talented singer-songwriter and founder of 22 Tango Music Group, Cattski Espina, alongside musician-entrepreneur and founder of Homonym, Mike Constantino. Upon their return after the Great Escape delegation, Cattski and Mike organised the event in hopes of sharing their experiences and knowledge with Filipino artist communities.

“I came home re-energized by what I saw and the people I met. After not being able to attend live conferences due to the pandemic, it reminded us that we can do so much more with the EU, especially the UK. We are excited to finally take Sonik outside of Manila and are raring to share what we’ve learned [in the Great Escape] through Sonik Sessions in Cebu,” Mike shares.

Cattski adds, “I’m on a mission to learn more about Music Export to pivot my vision towards learning from other cultures and eventually becoming an ambassador in bringing Filipino music to the UK and the world. I am thrilled to have Sonik Session as an opportunity to kick off our work in music export and bring more Filipino artists to the global stage.”

The British Council’s Head of Arts, Mich Dulce, elaborates on how the organisation advocates collaborative growth and art between the UK and the Philippines. “There is so much talent and potential in the Philippines that deserves to be shared with the entire world. We look forward to the exciting future of Filipino artists as we continue to work together and share what the UK has to offer and vice versa,” she says.

Sonik Sessions will serve as a venue for experienced and up-and-coming musicians, artists, and creators to share their different inspirations and innovations. The event will feature four global and notable artists in their field, sharing industry trends and global practices:

• Fil-Brit publicist, consultant and international music marketeer from EMPIRE Cat Lazarra will elaborate on what music export is;
• Another Fil-Brit – singer and producer RJ Belo of State is Flow London will share his experiences and dreams of bridging UK Asian artists with other cultures
• Founder of SRM Booking and Services and co-founder of AXEAN Music Showcase Festival Satria Ramadhan will share how to grow music and fanbase in foreign markets;
• FOCUS Wales’ co-founder and music programmer Andy Jones will talk about applying and participating in music festivals and conferences; and
• Primavera Pro’s head of partnerships and programming Camila Anino will discuss how government support fuels the exploration of Filipino music.

The event will conclude with a singer-songwriter and artist showcase, featuring some of the best Cebu-based artists.

Sonik Session: Music Export 101 is a free event and will be simultaneously streamed on the official Facebook pages of 22 Tango Music Group, Sonik Philippines, and Homonym.