Bachido member on NHK radio today. Did anyone hear this?

Events
#1

Woa guys! Something really awesome but also somewhat upsetting just happened. Anyone in Japan happen to be listening to NHK radio this morning between 11:00a.m. -12:00 ? That’s today oct. 5. 2012.
There was a radio special. Something about hougaku today and Shamisen music today or something. They played Asano Sho and Agatsuma and sandwiched in between them was my song Sushi Furusato which is off my EMI Japan release from 2009. It was a big surprise cause well frankly NOBODY FRIGGIN TOLD ME!
My first thought was “Law suit!” then my next thought was…wait a minute this is kind of cool actually. Some major exposure. I mean, this is national radio so who knows how many people just heard my music. 10,000 people? 50,000 people? 100,000 people? Who knows. Could even be more than that!

I don’t know what to think guys? It’s mostly upsetting to me because EMI pulled my CD off the shelves after it has been released for a while. So there is really no way I can “profit” from this. But I’m confused. Why are they still promoting me when they are no longer producing my CD?

I guess I shouldn’t worry about it and just be glad to have gotten some major exposure today but somehow it bugs me that neither NHK or EMI contacted me to least let me know they were going to do this!

What do you think guys?

#2

Aw nuts!! I completely missed it! :-(((

Sorry to hear that, bro. I can just imagine the frustration.
I sympathize with a story about my friend Billy (Billy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUGyOsuOCj07V_g0NPXTDFKQ&v=8OAdjMbMb-Y&feature=player_detailpage#t=97s ) who used to be in a truly local legendary Santa Cruz band called Square Roots.

Yes, that’s Billy singing, and he actually wrote the scat lyrics word for word. Anywho, he told me that for years, he’s heard many bands on the radio covering his songs and that they claim they wrote them. He wrote a lot of songs, and says, “Man, I had no copyright, nothing… I don’t even call up the radio station to say that I actually wrote it.” So he has no choice but to have the frame of mind of a monk who makes sand art and then sweep it away.

Anywho, just a story that came to mind. Who knows why they put it on, though it was pulled. Maybe they weren’t aware?

All I can say, just wait 'till you blast ‘em away with TWO NEW M.O.S CDS!! That’s what I’m sayin’ BRO!!!

#3

Oh, no! I missed it!!! Someone should have told me in advance, too. I could have listened to it.(T_T)
And I think MOS should profit from it.

#4

Did you give up your copyright? I mean the song writer should always get a piece of the cake. Maybe they played it as a coup from one of your unknown fans?

#5

I think you should profit from it as that’s fair, its your music!
However, I’m really happy for you :D.
Your song has been played as an example of great shamisen music, in between songs by two of the greatest players ever, making you one of them, well done man!!!

#6

To add Kevin, maybe a lawsuit isn’t the best thing to engage in, but one thing you should not tolerate is if people think another artist made your song. I mean you want publicity and fame right?

Since they played it, perhaps you should contact them about it and see if they would want to make a followup program where they interview you. You could then really make people know who you are.

I think the video where Kyle and Grant are playing outside the store and people are mostly walking by, but when they start playing Kita No Hibiki everyone stops to listen. I think that shows that there is a lot of interest in modern shamisen music.

#7

Here comes the popularity.
If they mentioned your name of course :smiley:

#8

cool! as for the profit do you not have some organization in japan that takes care of that? as far as I know the situation in austria and germany is that there is akm and gema which handle the processing of fees for composers and performers so radio stations can play what they like without informing artists but they have to send information about what they play and pay fees to the organization which then distributes it to the various artists . . . and this goes on and on I heard a couple of interviews where members of earlier bands would say how nice to still get a monthly check for air time of their 20 year old hit songs that are still played on the radio . . . although I like Karl’s approach of contacting them rather neutral about this and also ask them if they are interested in a follow up or whatever . . .

(of course I know nothing really about the music business I just ran into that once when I got permission from a local band (Lungau Big Band) to put some tracks up on my snowboard website . . . as it turned out this was not cleared with their label Universal which also advised me that it is mandatory to inform the fees handling organization of this use or it would be piracy well I told them I got permission from the band leader and no one sued me . . . another local band said samples to promote the band itself can be an exception to this so I could still use their songs even full length since they gave me permission so who knows I definitely took the Universal stuff offline back then :slight_smile:

#9

:slight_smile:

#10

Thanks for the comments guys! Looking into this I found out that EMI had nothing to do with it. Probably didn’t even know about it. It was all NHK ! Which is cool. Apparently they still have my CD on rotation there and have the right to play it anytime for any sort of “presentation” as long as it isn’t a sponsored program for profit in which case they have to pay me dammit! (haha). It seems they may have been playing my music off an on and I just wasn’t aware of it until yesterday.

But this is actually totally cool! Yes they mentioned my name and all that , an American Shamisen player etc. and mentioned it was my original music. So no lawsuits are needed ! Hah!

So now I’m not worried about it anymore and think its actually pretty cool! I mean putting me right in between Asano Sho and Agatsuma!
Quite an honor now when I think more clearly about it. Guess someone at NHK digs my music!

Well to go along with Kyle…this Definately means NHK will be getting a package in the mail in the near future! Or not so near future depending on how long it takes to do the final mastering of the new
MONSTERS OF SHAMISEN presented by BACHIDO! Would be cool to hear them mention Bachido on the radio or even in some kind of TV special! It’s coming guys! I’m sure of it!

Anyway thanks again for sharing your thoughts!

#11

awesome then just awesome . . . on austrian radio there was a special on the “sounds of japan” in september covering shamisen, koto, shakuhachi and tonkori . . . unfortunately I missed it but then again I could at least look up the track list on the radio station’s website and it did not feature any Kevin Kmetz so at least what I missed wasn’t totally epic haha anyway yeah too bad but funny a taxi collegue told me about it that he listened to this on the radio a day after I had showed him my shamisen inspired instrument :slight_smile:

#12

Hey B H
I don’t know if you’ve ever posted a video where you are playing /demonstrating your three stringed creation? I only remember seeing it in your taxi while “Rage” played. But if you ever get around to it, I’ve always been curious as to what it actually sounds like!

#13

It was a sad day when EMI pulled the CD bro.
I still remember it.
However, it makes me warm and happy inside to know that it is still spreading its divine energies throughout Japan and possibly still creating interest and calling attention to your good name.
I really believe that NHK would definitely be interested in doing an interview with you, and even having you play live on air.
You should really go for it and see what happens! It would be super awesome for you to get on there and talk about Bachido and what’s happening in the community!

#14

@ Kevin I had a mp3 once that got lost in a computer crash (as well as a webspace start from scratch for safety because of a virus) it was up here on my profile as a sound sample and that rage video features the recording equipment I currently have so it’s no use but and even though I am camera shy too sometime the time will come for me to also record a video for bachido . . . :slight_smile:

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