Sildna Slams Freedom Day Stories

Estonian promoter Helen Sildna has slammed “outrageous” stories in a national daily that suggest she short-changed the city of Tallinn when booking entertainment for its Freedom Day Aug. 20.

She’s furious with Eesti Ekspress for reporting that she failed to get the acts she targeted for the big Estonian showpiece and spent the reported euro 200,000 budget on lesser lights.

Sildna, who also organises the annual Tallinn Music Week, says the story’s author got “too excited” after gaining access to the original project plan she submitted when pitching for the contract to book the show.

She told Pollstar she’s considering taking the matter to the Estonian Press Council.

Freedom Day, which drew a 70,000-crowd to Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, was a special event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Estonia’s restored independence from Soviet rule.

Sildna admits Tõnis Mägi and Ivo Linna were named in her original plan for Freedom Day, but – as key figures in what’s become known as “the singing revolution” – were only given as examples of the sort of acts the event might attract.

It turned out that neither was available and so, with the full knowledge of the city of Talllinn, she turned her attention to other acts.

“What Eesti Ekspress does not understand is that it is not unusual for a cultural event or music festival to have their lineup change in the process of preparation, based on artist availability and confirmations,” Sildna told Pollstar.

She said Tallinn 2011, the organisation that oversees the city’s year as European Capital Of Culture, understood this and was happy that she had fulfilled her side of the contract.

“This was not a headlining concert but a festival with a broader concept,” she explained.

She says she believes the original project document must have been the source of the story as it was the only place where Mägi and Linna were named.

Neither was named in articles regarding Freedom Day and they were never mentioned in advertising or on posters.

The Aug. 20 bill did include Estonian superstar Kerli, who has become something of a global success since signing to Universal’s Def Jam label. Others on the bill were Sinead O’Connor, Latvian rockers Brainstorm, Finnish jazz accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen and Norwegian folk and jazz star Mari Boine.