Page 39 - IB October 2021

People People

to Niue at a young age and falling in love with my culture and the COVID pandemic.
heritage I realised I could utilise both worlds – both platforms “We did a little bit of an outreach to people through social
without selling myself out to one genre of music. Even saying media about if they would be interested to buy products from
Pacific hip hop and R&B is still too generic. My music is a wide Niue and then we launched niuemarket.com, and the flip side
spectrum of genres and influences.” of it is that it died.”
His time in New Zealand also saw Jackson perform with the “What I love about this story is that I learned so much not
Kila Kokonut Krew. He says that team remains his family to just about [online sales platform] Shopify, but myself as a
this day. “I may have moved to Niue and [am] doing my own business and an entrepreneur. I cannot call myself an entre-
creative journey but our bond is beyond borders, it’s bound by preneur if I’ve never tasted failure. It gave me the opportuni-
respect and loyalty to each other.” ty to understand e-commerce so much more. So niuemarket.
Part of his commitment to Pacific hip hop and R&B has com isn’t on its feet at the moment but it’s not an idea that
been making sure his language was at the forefront. I would let go of. The platform definitely works, it was just
“It’s to let people know that this is my identity, this is my the shortcomings on my end to kind of connect things prior to
background and this is what I pay homage to – to my country.” launching the product and launching the branding and mak-
One of Jackson’s most popular songs is Lele Haku Lupe, with ing sure that all the little bits and pieces like in any business
more than 15,000 views on YouTube. It translates as ‘fly my pi- should be as nice, clean and tight as possible.”
geons’ and was inspired by seeing village dancers who “looked
like a whole bunch of pigeons.” COVID strikes again
Another track, ‘Only You’ is influenced by the Afro-Beats “At the beginning of 2020, literally like two weeks before
that his kids were listening to. the gates were closed and COVID had made its world impact,
“Every time I start a project, I invest one hundred, 10,000 I had picked up another music contract at the Scenic Matavai
percent to it,” says Jackson. “When I start a new one, it’s a Resort - our local resort in Niue,” says Jackson. “I was already
different energy and I don’t compare them. So I want to make playing my acoustic set, me and my guitar on Sunday nights
sure that every time I start a new project it’s fresh.” down at the pool bar at the resort, playing for guests. I played
“In theatre we always talk about the second night curse. every Sunday for a year, and they (the resort management)
Usually what happens is that the second night will flop said Hey we are wanting another night from you. I was already
because we’ve tried to better the opening night with more making good money for that one year. When they offered me
people there, the number of people laughing and your energy a second one – I said wow the same rate? And they said yes, if
changes towards the show,” says Jackson. “So you go onto the you could host a karaoke. That income would have been awe-
second night expecting the same type of reaction as the first some for 2020.”
night crowd, but you don’t, and you kill the energy yourself. “That was two weeks before it was made official that the
So you treat every night as the opening night and every night gates were going to close, and no tourists were going to come
as the closing night, so you start every show as its own energy in. I not only lost two gigs, but I lost a really good income. I
and don’t compare it with the night before.” had to really think as an entrepreneur - what now – that was
“And with regards to my music projects I do exactly the money to keep us comfortable and money that put food on
same thing. I make sure all my energy is invested into every the table.”
single song. It’s different in its own way and I’ve done this “We started an online TV channel on Facebook live – Rock
right from the beginning.” Steady TV - where I was going to do one episode a week on a
Last year Jackson was a finalist in the Best Pacific Gospel Saturday where I would produce content during the week and
Artist category at the Pacific Music Awards. While he didn’t stream it live. It was a one-hour TV show. But how was I going
take the win, he says he was happy to again put Niue on the to make money?”
map. Jackson sold commercial breaks which was “enough to keep
us ticking over. I did an eight-episode season and I was able to
Indigenous Entrepreneurship have an income from that. As a producer and a content maker
“At the moment, I’m not surviving as a musician but as an I didn’t want to lose any creativity, but I also wanted to make
indigenous entrepreneur,” says Jackson. sure that my family was being fed. So, during COVID it was a
“Rock Steady Entertainment (on paper it’s enterprise) is our great opportunity to build that content.”
breadwinner and is the income for our business and our fam- Jackson’s message to young entrepreneurs is to not run
ily,” says Jackson. “And it definitely keeps the lights on and away from fear, rather face it, analyse it, get people around
the power and water going. It allows me to do my music.” you to support you, and see where you can apply your skill
The company produces video content for clients, for the set. And just as he is happy to fly the Niuean flag, he is will-
corporate world and for the community. “We do graphics and ing to support young people, be they musicians or entrepre-
designs, audio technician services, DJ services and live perfor- neurs.
mances. We also do youth engagement for mentoring.”
Jackson has also learnt from failure. editor@islandsbusiness.com
Another venture, niuemarket.com was built at the start of

Islands Business, October 2021 39