While I think promotion is definitely needed to boost the coffers of our local musicians, it’s not the most important factor. The most important factor is, and always will be, the songs themselves. No matter how much you spend on the promotion, if your song’s no good, I will not buy it - I’ll not even take it, even if you give it for free.

Here are some incidences where I came across good music where I might have never known about it otherwise. There was probably no promotion from the marketers at all .

Late 1990s : I bought one of those “MP3 collection CDs” (read: pirated MP3 collections) containing rock songs from familiar American bands with one never-heard-of-before Japanese band. At home one day, it was playing random tracks, then I heard a beautiful chorus melody sung in Japanese being repeated over and over again. The song? X-Japan’s Forever Love, which was released July 1996. That song led to the discovery of other classics like Tears and Say Anything, and I didn’t mind paying RM100 for an import CD of the Dahlia album.

Early 21st century: There was this Mandarin song, which I have never heard before, with a mega hook, included as a ring tone when I first purchased my handphone. It was Dang Ni Gu Dan Ni Hui Xiang Qi Shui by Malaysian Nicholas Teo (Zhang Dong Liang).

March 2005: I was reading Dr Liew’s blog and came across a video of MMU students goofing off to a tune called the “Numa Numa Song”. It turned out to be none other than O-Zone’s Dragostea Din Tei, which was a huge hit in the dancehalls of Europe in the summer of 2004. Of course it was just a matter of time before it reached the shores of Malaysia, but I heard it months before it was played non-stop at Wisma CKS in Donggongon and countless other places until you’re sick of it already. Lesson learnt: should’ve grabbed that golden opportunity to market the song first!!!

January 2006: I was in La Face Jalan Lintas when the DJ played this beautiful Mandarin song which I’ve never heard before, and most likely never will since I don’t listen / watch Chinese radio or TV. The song? Guang Liang’s Tong Hua, which was apparently a hit in April 2005.

April 2007: My friend and I were walking around in Low Yat Plaza, Kuala Lumpur looking for a laptop (it’s not a Toshiba Satellite). when we passed by a booth with a PC playing a Japanese song. Transfixed by the beauty of its melody, we went into the shop to find out the title of the song. It was in Japanese characters, but the person or group’s name is Kokia. I only made a mental note of it, so later when I searched, I was looking for names like Kaiko or Kiako - so I didn’t find it, until several nights ago. The song? Kokia’s Arigato, which was released way back in 1999. Immediately, she became only the 3rd Japanese artiste which I really liked, after X-Japan and Kiroro. Have you heard it yet?

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