TMW Spreads Eastern European Culture

The third edition of Tallinn Music Week will be boosted by the fact the city is this year’s European Capital of Culture, although conference and showcase organiser Helen Sildna hopes the event draws attention to the wider Baltic region.

After further integrating itself into the European community by adopting the euro currency, Estonia and its capital city are still a step short of being a regular stop on the European touring circuit.

That may change if the rumours of Live Nation’s planned expansion in the area turn out to be correct. If the Baltic region is to be in the spotlight, Sildna and primary sponsor Skype are determined TMW will be at the centre of it.

Their aim is to integrate the Estonian music scene effectively into the European music industry circuit, thus providing a new platform for the country’s best talent to spread beyond the country’s borders.

The event regularly attracts 100 or so delegates from outside the Baltic region, including such talent bookers as Paul Cheetham from Germany’s Popkomm, Robert Meijerink from EuroSonic in The Netherlands, and Martin Elbourne from the UK’s Glastonbury and The Great Escape festivals.

All are on record saying they’ve been struck by the quality of the acts they’ve seen at TMW, with Meijerink suggesting the gathering has “a huge potential” to become the ultimate platform and gate to the Estonian and maybe the Baltic music scene.

Iiris, Svjata Vatra, Metsatöll, Kerli, Maria Minerva, and Bedwetters have hardly become household names throughout Europe, but their profiles are higher because TMW has drawn attention to the Estonian music scene.

This year there will be nearly 150 acts from 10 countries, largely because the festival invited applications from across the world.
Of the ones that made the cut, 124 are from Estonia, 11 from Finland, three from Latvia, two from Russia, and one each from Lithuania, Sweden, UK, Canada, Japan and France.

Estonia’s Positivus Festival July 15-16 will be looking to book acts for this year’s event.

This year’s Tallinn Music Week is March 24-26. At press time the panel schedule was still being confirmed.