Discussions at EUrope stage

EUrópa Stage will have an unusual boarded space (Zikkurat) and equally extraordinary debates. On Friday and Saturday, the topic of the potential of Slovak music and institutionalized musical export will be discussed by prominent figures of the music industry.

07. July 2015

Fridaysʼs programme includes the discussion about the potential of Slovak music, “Will Slovakia find its Bjork?”. Discussing will be Greg Parmley, the head of the ILMC (International Live Music Conference), with Login Kochinski, perhaps the most significant Balkan promoter, then Vic Galloway, a BBC Scotland presenter, the agent Jamie Wade (X-Ray), and Oliver Rehák, a longtime head of the cultural section in the daily SME and currently holding this position in Denník N. Of particular interest will be the second part of the discussion, as the present gentlemen received 10 tracks of Slovak artists from Michal Kaščák and Monika Satková, and they will evaluate them directly in front of the visitors. This way you will learn who of the Slovak artist would British agents like to represent and who could be frequently played in British radios.

This will be linked to the theme of Saturdayʼs debate “Will institutes save the Rock & Roll?” According to a survey conducted among Slovak professional musicians, the major problem of the weak position of our music abroad that we do not have an export office. The question is whether a similar office in our country would turn into another bureaucratic institution or it would successfully promote our music along the lines of the Nordic export offices. The discussion will be held by Gordon Mason, the chief of the magazine IQ, with Sigtryggur Baldursson, the head of the Icelandic Export Office, then Olaf Furniss (Wide Days), Codruta Vulcu, a Romanian promoter, and Tibor Holoda, the director of the festival Waves Bratislava.