- This topic has 1 reply, 12 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
[quote=”maravilla”]i don’t see why this isn’t viable. there are all kinds of bands, some on the has-been side, that still have a big audience in latin america. there are bluesfests in an around san jose, heavy metal is big here, although probably not so much with the expat crowd.[/quote]
Thank you for your info. I’d be interested to know the names of any of the blues festivals in CR. Blues is among my personal favorite genre’s and Blues artists are often not that costly to retain for Shows. I have personally performed with Ernie Williams on 5 occassions and all of them were benefits where he played for free. Blues also appeals to music lovers young and old.
Another benefit to solo blues artists is that you can often combine a number of them and provide a house band that backs them. This keeps costs down and provides a festival like atmosphere.
Bob, have you ever been here? I think before you get too far with these ideas you should see for yourself what CR is like. I can’t think of many decent venues, outside of the Central Valley, for a real live music experience. As for your audience, I just don’t see Ticos turning out in big numbers for music other than Cumbias, Meringue, and Salsa. They will dance their sandals off (who wears socks around here?) to that kind of music. I – and this is only my personal opinion – just don’t see that many gringos willing to travel any great distance, and willing to pay much money for a true music festival. And, before y’all jump all over me, I’m talking about a music festival on the order of SXSW, something of which I do know a bit (my son has been very involved in this festival for more than ten years).
Regarding venues, you should know that they would have to be outdoors, and I know that can present its own problems, especially with sound systems. So, ultimately, my advice to you is to come here and travel around the country – a lot – before you get too deeply involved in this kind of project.
Anybody remember that disaster a year or so ago, down by (where was it, now?) Jaco, or somewhere like that? A promoter advertised all over the place, named names, and ultimately had to cancel ’cause he just couldn’t sell tickets…………
John,
Yes, I’ve been coming to Costa Rica Since 1984 when we bought land in the Southern Caribbean region. Still haven’t decided what to do with it but it has been fun mixing it up in court with the local pirates all these years. Most of my friends in CR are Tico businessmen. I really don’t know any local ex-pats which is why I joined this group. I have spent very little time researching the demographics to date but having spent 30 years in North American consumer marketing. I don’t approach anything that takes my time or investment casually. I’ll be down there soon enough but I enjoy connecting with people through social media. The advise of locals such as yourself is quite valuable.
I know there are a decent amount of North American ex-Pats in CR as well as tourists who either just visit or own second homes. On the East Coast there are cruise ships coming in to Limon at least once a week. That market would be perfect but their involvements are currently centered on River Rafting and Rain Forest activities. They tend to spend one day and then get on the boat and leave that night. Who would blame them? Limon isn’t exactly a mecca for tourism.
With Mr. Sanchez recently signing a bill to prioritize and incentivize North American retirees I believe there is going to be a significant increase of people getting tired of the USA Politics and government intervention in their lives. You add this to those who were close to retirement having seen half of their retirement portfolio wither away and I think you have a potential for a significant number of gringos to hit the trail
I’m probably not interested in running festivals. They tend to be very risky and in my limited experience the promoters who are most successful tend to operate with less ethics than I employ in business. Larger events or festivals normally draw from a pool of 25 year olds and younger. I’m focused on 250-750 person upscale club gigs.
Bob
Younger Ticos are definitely into american music, so they may well be the bigger audience. for me, personally, i spent 20 years in the music biz. you couldn’t pay me to go to a crowded venue to hear anyone, and i know a lot of expats who feel the same way. it’s the been there, done that thing.
Bob said, in part: “With Mr. Sanchez recently signing a bill to prioritize and incentivize North American retirees I believe there is going to be a significant increase of people getting tired of the USA Politics and government intervention in their lives”.
Bob, who is this Mr. Sanchez you referred to, and what does he have to do with encouraging retirees to live in Costa Rica?
Beyond that, I am totally with Maravilla. I have no interest in being part of a large, noisy crowd, in a crowded venue, simply to hear music played too loud.Love your work maravilla – you know that – and my comments below are not a reflection upon your talent but …
I must confess that in this day and age when so many people are suffering financially that the excess involved in the “two panel mural” for the church which will cost about “$15,000 or more just in tile because a lot of it will have 24k gold in it” strikes me as being somewhat obscene.
Scott
I’m with you on that. The best entertainment venues are first and foremost where the musicians enjoy playing. A good sound means having the the right gear and tuning the room so the sound guys can get a good mix. The atmoshphere needs to address intimacy without the sense of overcrowding. A lot of venues that serve food think of entertainment as an after thought crowding a stage into a corner that is convenient to them. Musicians and audience are integral to each other. You first pay atttentionto the detail of what causes great entertainment then you let magic happen.
“two panel mural” for the church which will cost about “$15,000 or more just in tile because a lot of it will have 24k gold in it” strikes me as being somewhat obscene.
when you consider that the two panels are each 12 x 17 feet, and the gold tile will only be around the Negrita’s head in the form of rays of light, it isn’t obscene at all. by mosaic standards that’s very cheap, considering the quality of the work. jejeje if you want to see obscene tile work, look at what they did in Dubai. millions and millions were spent on those murals. what we will wind up with in the finished product will rival Ravenna.
[quote=”Boaterbob”]I’m with you on that. The best entertainment venues are first and foremost where the musicians enjoy playing.
[/quote]i can’t even imagine that Costa Rica has a plethora of clubs that would hold 500 – 750, mas o menos. this isn’t NYC or LA. but i could be wrong. i’m certainly not up on the “club” scene in SJO.
I know a few places that could consider an event of 75 to 100 to be viable. This, in my opinion, may be more preferable size venue for both musicians and music lovers. American music is in demand here, from blues to oldies rock and roll, amd combined with food, drink and dancing could be wonderful.
Be careful considering 500 to 750 people event in CR, its a different animal, full of traps as you probably already know.[quote=”maravilla”]”two panel mural” for the church which will cost about “$15,000 or more just in tile because a lot of it will have 24k gold in it” strikes me as being somewhat obscene.
when you consider that the two panels are each 12 x 17 feet, and the gold tile will only be around the Negrita’s head in the form of rays of light, it isn’t obscene at all. by mosaic standards that’s very cheap, considering the quality of the work. jejeje if you want to see obscene tile work, look at what they did in Dubai. millions and millions were spent on those murals. what we will wind up with in the finished product will rival Ravenna.[/quote]
I think you have missed Scot’s point. He meant, I believe, that it is obscene to think that so much money could be raised for this project in a location that is considered – by most standards – to be poverty stricken, and which might well benefit more by the provision of some basic items, like food, clothing, shelter, than they are likely to need any work of art, however religious in nature it might be.
Well, John, isn’t that the irony of so much of what’s been built over the centuries by churches? Breathtaking amounts of money have been spent to build edifices that might have gone to some practical purpose. Of course, there’s probably an argument that the long run payoff lies with glorifying the House of God.
I pass no judgements . . .
poverty stricken? i don’t see that here, not in my area anyway. and art has a place in society, especially for this church which is a pilgrimage site for thousands, that goes beyond basic needs. our community is proud of their little church, and this is our gift to our community. If no money were spent on art, it would be a very ugly and mundane world.
[i]Oh Bob,[/i] the cruisers don’t get off the ship in Limon to listen to the music they can hear at home. Or they can just stay on board to hear [i]the oldies.[/i]
There’s no way we would head to a concert either.
There has been some outdoor concerts on the Pacific side, but I can’t say if these still happen.
I think the performers would need to be ‘pretty popular’ to get the younger or even the ex-pat audience to attend.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
