Local News

The House of Culture on Regent Street is today the venue for a consultation through the collaboration of the Belize International Film Festival, NICH and the Music Industry Association of Belize.  Singer, songwriter, model, and director of MIAB, Melonie Gillett gave Love News the details on this event

MELONIE GILLETT, Director of MIAB (Singer, Songwriter and Model)

“We have a music manger by the name of Hoc Islam present at sort of a meeting not really a seminar but a one on one interaction with the artist and the manger talking about music on an international level.”

NATALIE NOVELO, Reporter

“And how will this benefit Belizean song writers or Belizean artist?”

MELONIE GILLETT, Director of MIAB (Singer, Songwriter and Model)

“Well I think it will benefit Belizean artists and the music community by the knowledge and the information that we can gain from somebody who have experienced the international market and have worked with people like Sisqó, Maya, Dru Hill, you know I mean any kind of knowledge that you can acquire helps a lot and it’s good to build contacts you never know.  Hoc Islam is actually searching, he says quote on quote he is searching for the diamond artist in Belize.  So who knows you never know what good can come out of it.”

NATALIE NOVELO, Reporter

“Do you think that Belize has that talent to get to those international grounds?”

MELONIE GILLETT, Director of MIAB (Singer, Songwriter and Model)

“Oh of course, we’ve had that talent for a very long time and I could start calling names but the list is so long but we definitely have that talent here in Belize.”

NATALIE NOVELO, Reporter

“Who is your audience today?”

MELONIE GILLETT, Director of MIAB (Singer, Songwriter and Model)

“We invited producers, singers, song writers, mainly the people associated directly with music and who will be interested in interacting with a music manager.  It was on Facebook and we invited a few people.  I mean we couldn’t get in contact with everybody and that is the sad thing because we would have wanted to reach out to a lot more people.  Even myself, I tried reaching some of the artist I know but their contact number have changed and stuff  like that so it was a bit difficult getting in contact with everybody but I do thing on behalf of – through the film festival crew and NICH and MIAB we did get together a group of artist in time.”

NATALIE NOVELO, Reporter

“Do you think that for Belizeans to gain more acceptance of local artist there has to be an international influence?”

MELONIE GILLETT, Director of MIAB (Singer, Songwriter and Model)

“I don’t think there should be, I see that that does occur if you go international Belizeans accept you more but I don’t think that it has to be and I think with this new change and this new Music Industry Association of Belize in coordination with NICH is – we’re working hard and steadily to get this to make a change come about so that this doesn’t have to be the case.  So we can be accepted here and then go outside and it doesn’t really matter if you’re outside before the Belizeans accept you but I mean, numbers is the main thing so being internationally known is a great thing as well.” 

Gillett says the next step for artists in the music industry is for more work, more push and more drive.  She says that MIAB and NICH are working in a five year music plan with several projects in the works and today’s consultation may open bigger doors for the music industry.