Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Reonda performing an intimate gig at “Pin-To Musica” on January 9, 2016
In a statement published on Friday, Anson Ng, owner of the bookshop “Pin-to Livros” and CD store “Pin-to Musica,” announced with sorrow that the 10-year-old music store would be closed by the end of the month.
The store sells alternative and independent CDs and vinyl records, and has also served as a small performance space for artists and musicians visiting the territory.
The store is closing because the owner has been notified that the shop’s lease will not be renewed, according to the statement on the store’s Facebook page.
“This afternoon I learned that our lease would not be renewed,” wrote Ng. “Looking back to why I launched Pin-to Musica [in 2006], I suppose it was partly out of a curiosity to see what sort of reaction my music selection would cause in a market as narrow as Macau’s.”
“By bringing over many fabulous recordings from around the world, connecting with many awesome independent labels and inviting many brilliant musicians to perform their protest music, improvisation, experimental electronica, noise, post-rock, nu-nakasi or Cantonese blues, we have tried our best to let different sounds ‘happen’,” continued the statement. “To some, such music may lack ‘influence’ for having too small an audience, but to us, giving a platform to such music is Pin-to Musica’s raison d’être.”
Regulars of the two shops quickly became acquainted with the friendly staff and the bold household cats that sit on the shelves amongst the CDs and vinyl records, occasionally knocking some onto the floor as they stretch indifferently. The store became iconic as a gathering place for like-minded music enthusiasts and those looking for records seldom sold in other shops.
Pin-to Musica’s Facebook page has been flooded with comments and well wishes from customers and fans of the shop in the days since Friday’s announcement.
Many called the store’s closure a “shame,” while others enquired as to whether Ng would open a new shop in a different part of town.
According to Ng, on the day he was notified that the shop’s lease would not be renewed, one customer told his colleague that, “you [the shop] are an oasis in Macau, keep up the good work!”
Ng said that the memory will stay with him and serve as a “strong motivation to keep going.”
“Some of the comments really touched my heart,” Ng told the Times in a separate conversation. “They really understand the meaning of this small music space. I really appreciate this.”
He said that numerous events will be held in the coming days, such as a sale and a closing event on July 30.
Ng also admitted that they are already looking for a new location to open a “place to combine books and music,” perhaps as soon as December or in the early months of next year. The statement casts doubt on the future of the bookshop, one floor below Pin-to Musica, which has already been the target of speculation regarding its future.
No Comments