Ilvess Drops By Positivus

Ilves, who’s becoming known in the European music business for his excellent keynote speeches at the annual opening of Tallinn Music Week, also appears to have an almost encyclopedic knowledge of music.

He acquired this when getting educated in New York, devoting hours to the subject while hanging out in CBGBs.

He was at Positivus to support the lineup of acts that TMW founder Helen Sildna had booked for a special stage showcasing Estonian talent.

The festival’s the most successful in The Baltics and regularly does 30,000 people per day. The fact this year’s edition was covered by more than 200 foreign journalists – including some from UK papers such as NME, The Independent, and The Sunday Telegraph – indicate it may be on the point of building an international reputation.

The acts President Ilves could have checked out included Sigur Ros, Noah & The Whale, The xx, Imagine Dragons, Two Door Cinema Club, Crystal Castles, and The Joy Formidable.