This Q & A with Founder/CEO of GlobeSonic Entertainment and former Head of A&R at Palm Pictures Fabian Alsultany continues a periodic DubMC series called Pro.File in which we engage a professional within the music field about where they fit into the world music network, what they do, and insights they can offer colleagues in the field. Here Alsultany talks about the history of thematic world music tours in the U.S.A., strategies for getting major funding for these tours, and the future of the music business.
1. Exactly how many different world music jobs have you held?! What were/are they?
I have worn many hats in several organizations, from roadie to publicist to radio promoter to fulltime musician. I played in a rock/reggae/world group called 32 Tribes that played regularly at SOB’s and I became good friends with Larry Gold, the owner. This led to working as a buyer/booking agent back in the mid/late ’90s, where I worked for over a decade. While at SOB’s I started Uprise Management and Productions, started producing my own events at the club and developed a roster of management clients starting with the classic reggae band The Abyssinians and the modern reggae band John Brown's Body. My profile at SOB’s attracted some new friends, which led to a meeting with legendary producer Joe Boyd, and which in turn resulted in my being hired to produce Africa Fete 1999 with Baaba Maal, Taj Mahal, and Toumani Diabate’s ‘Kulanjan’ project, and the North American debut of the Zimbabwean legend Oliver Mtukudzi. That tour allowed me establish myself in the industry and develop a relationship with Dan Storper (CEO/Founder of Putumayo World Music) who I worked for in 2004-2005.
Africa Fete also resulted in a friendship with Chris Blackwell (founder of Island Records/Palm Pictures), who was my employer up until a few weeks ago. During the five years between Africa Fete and my joining Putumayo, Uprise Productions and Management went on to represent artists such as Hassan Hakmoun, Karsh Kale, Susheela Raman, Tabla Beat Science, Ex-Centric Sound System, and several others. Additionally I was hired by The French to produce a tour called Vive La World with Amina, Ekova, and Lo’Jo. Later there was Drums Around the World at the Pyramids of Giza; the Asian Massive Tour with Karsh Kale, Cheb I Sabbah and the MIDIval Punditz; The Lonely Planet Passport to The World with Michael Franti, Karsh Kale, Hassan Hakmoun, etc.; and a few others in between. Through all this I produced a few albums and developed the GlobeSonic Sound System in 2000, which is extending into GlobeSonic Entertainment.
2. What do you do now?
My title at Palm Pictures until October was Director of A&R and Festivals, and I am also CEO/Founder of GlobeSonic Entertainment which is growing into a multimedia company. The last few months have been focused on two major projects. The first is the Musica Fresca tour which featured Yerba Buena, Mexican hip-hop heavyweights Akwid, Reggaeton superstar Voltio, and the Palm Pictures band Radio Mundial, whose new album has just come out on the heels of the tour. That tour crossed America from September 15th – Oct 10th. The prior month was spent listening to a TON of bands that fit the profile of ‘modern Latin’ artists, since part of the deal I made with the sponsors was to produce a ‘Battle of the Bands’ during Hispanic Heritage Month. I hoped that this ‘Battle of the Bands’ project would show the world the developing scene that is emerging out of the U.S. – a hybridized American Latino bi-lingual sound that not only exists in urban cities, but also throughout the country.
In addition to the Musica Fresca tour, I’ve been focusing on a project I’ve been dreaming of for close to a decade that is called ‘GlobeSonic Presents Bob Marley International’. It is not going to be a reggae album. The whole idea is to point towards the growing modern global scene and to have artists recreate Marley classics into THEIR SOUND. Antibalas recorded a pulverizing version of “Rat Race,” Karsh Kale recorded a cinematic version of “So Much Trouble In The World” and produced a deeply emotional version of “Waiting In Vain”, sung by Susheela Raman. I got an e-mail today that Ojos de Brujo are almost finished with their version of “Get Up Stand Up.” All that being said, my days are spent listening to a lot of music, on the phone hammering out deals for visionary ideas, and inspiring my crew and musical friends to reach beyond themselves to deliver the best work ever. I’m blessed in having a great team around me.
3. You've been involved in a lot of thematic world music tours. Tell us about them.
Let’s try to remember… Africa 1999, Drums Around the World in Giza in 1999, Viva La World in 2001, Asian Massive in 2002, a bunch of “Putumayo Presents” national tours such as ‘Women of Latin America,’ ‘Mali,’ ‘New Orleans,’ and the ‘Putumayo World Music Festival’ in Singapore with Youssou N’Dour, Sidestepper, Poncho Sanchez, Susheela, and a few others. And currently the Musica Fresca Tour, which Yahoo! and Telemundo are sponsoring.
This 'modern Latin' tour idea is one of many concepts that I presented to Blackwell as I was about to join Palm. This idea has been cooking for a while, since Andres Levin (record producer and band leader of Yerba Buena) and I have been talking about producing a modern Latin tour for the last two years. Before I landed at Palm I was already speaking with a few agents and bands about the idea and when it came time to turn on the machine Yerba Buena's agent Michel Vega at William Morris stepped up to the plate. Back in January Andre's publicist suggested that we stage the tour during Hispanic Heritage month. As we were working out sponsorship we were playing with different versions of the line-up. Between the line-up that showcases everything from rock, hip-hop, funk, reggaeton, all with a heavy American Latino expression, and this Battle of the Bands I had hoped we were really going to be able to show the emerging modern Latin scene happening all over the U.S. I hoped it would nurture the scene in the same way the Asian Massive tour influenced a multitude of young South Asian artists and bands to emerge in the U.S.
4. I understand there were some major bends in the road with the Musica Fresca tour. What happened?
That’s a tricky question. To put it mildly, some greedy bastards who knew nothing about the touring business or the music industry got assigned to the project by my superiors at Palm. This sadly led to negative results. When the heart of a project is removed, it inevitably suffers.
5. But prior to those problems, you tapped into some serious sponsorship on this one. How did that come together?
The sponsorship for the Musica Fresca tour was pretty major. I scored a solid sponsorship agreement with Yahoo! through a relationship with an old friend who I knew from my musician days. He loved the concept and he knew of my previous works and connected me with his counterpart at Yahoo En Español and they loved the vision as well.
6. How does one secure major sponsorship for a thematic tour?
Luck... hard work... imagination.... when approaching a potential sponsor it's not about placing their logo and a banner in exchange for money; it's about making your team, your concert, your tour, whatever it is - making it an extended marketing arm for the sponsor. Getting a sponsor is beyond money, it's about bringing added value and flavor to a brand. When there is a common vision between a music brand and a telecommunication or retail brand, and both parties are excited about working with each other, it can unfold from there.
7. What will the fall-out with your sponsors be from the problems with the tour?
I can answer that question in a month. I do know that Yahoo will not be involved with these characters of no integrity ever again. Fortunately, my relationship with Yahoo! is still strong as my old friend there knew the story as it was unfolding.
8. Have you seen anyone else in the world music realm succeed at this level of sponsorship?
Outside of major stand alone festivals, I cannot say that I have. The last major sponsored tour in the U.S. in the 'world music' arena was Africa Fete, which American Express and the Kennedy Center sponsored. I've seen lots of logos for sponsorships of various tours, but those logo placements are usually for free goods for the artist, and/or additional marketing muscle. Scoring real financial support for a tour in our industry will occur more regularly as the eyes of every corporation are recognizing the changing face of a multi-ethnic America and how our music brings people together from various ages, financial backgrounds, and walks of life. There are more people in corporations who are of my generation and are interested in being a part of supporting emerging new cultures.
9. Why don't more world music tours, concerts, and festivals get more major sponsorship? What should directors do to change that?
I don't know how to answer that question... maybe people are not knocking on the right door, or perhaps they are not thinking outside the box in a way that impresses the potential sponsor. These individuals meet over a dozen concert/tour producers a week. You've got to come with new ideas to get someone really excited to shake their company into sponsoring your artistic endeavor.
10. What is your dream thematic tour?
My dream thematic tour is outside of ethnic and genre specifications. I want the 'We are the World' tour, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual tour, multi-purpose. A true artistic representation of a borderless world that exemplifies the balance and coexistence of the modern and ancient world, a tour that brings together all cultures with a unified voice. Music is a vehicle to bring people together for great celebration, but I want to create tours that go beyond the music and can raise the awareness and consciousness of some important issues facing our planet – be it the environment, hunger, health, sustainability, etc.. I won't go into politics here, but music has got to be used for something beyond a good time. As Fela said, “music is the weapon of the future.”
11. In addition to your day jobs at world music labels, you have always maintained the Globesonic DJ crew. How has that been to manage both?
The GlobeSonic Sound System has been running now for over five years, but I've been DJ’ing for over 20 years; since the birth of hip-hop. Through GlobeSonic we are not only spinning our favorite songs, but we are able to expose people to this scene happening all over the globe that is marrying ancient and modern forms of music. The world is becoming smaller and smaller and the music happening outside of the mainstream, specifically in the modern global scene, will become the new mainstream in the years to come. GlobeSonic is here to help usher in that scene.
12. Now that you have left Palm Pictures and the Musica Fresca tour has wound down, what will you do next?
I’m exploring several options as invitations to join other organizations have been coming in. There is the dream of taking GlobeSonic Entertainment to the heights I see it growing into as this new chapter of the entertainment industry is unfolding. That dream will manifest at its due time. All I really want to do is create large gatherings that bring people together and allow them to discover the amazing music, arts, films, teachings, and sacred rituals of the world in unique environments where they are safe and can help further their consciousness and the betterment of the world. The citizens’ world can be more understanding and united. I only want to contribute to that positive manifestation.
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