INTERVIEW: Ismuki (SOL) on 'SLOWLY', musical taste and his newfound confidence

Ismuki is now a household name in the Solomon Islands after the success of his 2019 single, Slowly.

To date, Slowly, which features Chris Young and Stegga Bwoy, is Solomon Islands' fastest-growing original song on the internet after it reached 1 million viewers on YouTube alone in just 5 months.

The 26 years old artist, who is currently training to become a secondary school teacher, is banking on the newfound firm to produce more music. Recently, his latest release Aghoi Moh has topped the TOP 9@9 Chart on the Honiara-based PAOA FM radio station.

The Solomon Review sat down with the quiet-spoken Ismuki to chat about Slowly and other stories related to his musical career.

How are you Ismuki?

I'm good, thanks for asking.

I've always wanted to ask you this question and now that we're here can you confirm if Ismuki is your real name?

[Laughs]...no! My real name's Bryce Runimetu.

Well, I think Ismuki is a very catchy name for an artist. Can you tell us the story behind the name?

 

In the Kolobangara language, [that is in the Western Solomons], ismuki literally means a stuffy nose. If you go to Bekabeka Community High School, it's actually the name of the place where their wharf is located. I stumbled upon the name when I went there for my practicum as a trainee teacher. The name appealed to me at that time so I instantly decided to use it as my artist name.

 

You're new to music in the Solomon Islands but people are slowly getting to know your name through your songs. When did you start singing?

I started recording in mid-2017, but back then I used Bryce instead of Ismuski as an artist name. I featured BlackM and Rojay in a record we called 'Ke Mama'. That was my first time recording. One year on, BlackM and I did a few more songs together like Love Bite, Tatali Mbaelelea, and Ngealkin Aufasu. I also did a few more collaborations with other Solomon Islands artists like Stegga Bwoy, Nonzii White, Sean Rii just to name a few. That's before that song Slowly was made.

Talk to us about 'Slowly'. What inspired you to write that song?

'Slowly' is pretty much an idea of how relationships should be handled. We live in a world where a lot of things are rushed because people do not have the time. But if one is looking for a relationship that'll work, they need to take their time to do everything. Love is a pretty thing, and we need not rush to show it.

Did you expect 'Slowly' to become such a huge hit?

I honestly never thought that it would be that big. To me, it was just one of the songs that I wrote. My aim at that time was to sing with Chris Young and Stegga Bwoy, because they were getting popular at that time.

Was it easy singing with Stegga Bwoy and Chris Young?

It wasn't. At first, I was held back from approaching them as they were big artists in their own rights. You know, Stegga made a lot of hit songs with Kumara Vibes and Chris too was making waves around the Pacific with some of his songs at that time. But when I introduced the song to them, they fell in love with it right away and said, 'let's do this!'

I must tell you that 'Slowly' was an instant hit for me when I first heard it on the radio. How did you feel hearing your own song playing multiple times on the radio?

To be honest, I was over the moon. I mean, think about it, the song that I wrote just played over and over again on the radio and it even goes as far as the Pacific and better still the USA. Honestly, words couldn't able to describe my feelings at that time.

How are you using the newfound firm you got from 'Slowly' to shape your career?

'Slowly' has really taught me to become more creative as an artist. In order for a song to become popular, it has to draw people's attention. Lots of artists in the Solomon Islands still rely on old ideas and I think that has worked against them. You're producing music for others to listen to, so you have to make them feel happy.  

Certainly! I've noticed your songs on Spotify lately and you have more than 6,000 listeners listening to your songs on that platform on a monthly basis. That is huge for an unsigned artist from a place like the Solomon Islands. How did you do it?

All this time, I've been using YouTube to release my songs but a friend suggested Spotify and he's the brain behind getting all my music on those online platforms now.

I've noticed that you're really good at handling criticism. Recently, some irresponsible individuals bad-mouthed you on social media, but you seem not to be giving up at all.

We're all living in a world where none of us will escape such ups and downs. But honestly, I felt bad about those degrading comments, but if my music can go as far as the USA, I think I have no reason to listen to those haters.

That's very heartwarming. Your new song 'Aghoi Moh' has recently topped the TOP 9@9 charts on PAOA FM. Why do you think people like that song?

I don't know exactly but I guess it's something to do with the beat of the song. I found out that today, even if people do not know the language used in the song, they will still go for the beat if it suits them.

What can fans expect from you in the coming months?

I don't know exactly. The social bullying I received from certain individuals online has truly degraded me, but I know that quitting is not the solution because if I quit, they will think that they've won the battle. So I guess people will still hear more music from me.

Any advice for young artists out there?

Very simple, don't give up on your dreams. It will be difficult because you will spend money to record and some people will bad-mouth you and all these. Never think that success only belongs to the big artists. If you work hard, you will see the results. It's good to slow things down and remember not to rush.

Thank you so much for your time. All the best in your future projects.

Any time.