Turkish music days to shake German fest

ISTANBUL - TDN with wire dispatches

Turkey will be hosted in one of the most important music festivals this year, besides being a guest country in the Frankfurt Book Fair. Popkomm, a festival which gets more than 400 bands from all over the world onto the stages of Berlin's hippest clubs, will promote Turkey in the German capital and to the worldwide music scene. The festival has been held in Berlin since 2004 and is now well established as the meeting place for the music and entertainment business around the world.

During the festival there will be 15 live performances of Turkish folk, pop and art music. The streets of Berlin will be dancing to Turkish music for three days starting from Oct. 8. The festival starts right before the Frankfurt book fair.

Third biggest festival

Culture and Tourism Ministry Copyrights and Cinema Manager Abdurrahman Çelik said that Popkomm is the third biggest festival in the world and stated that the chance to perform live during the festival makes the event different than others.

“The festival creates a big chance to promote Turkish music to the world. Turkey will have advantages while it is hosted as this year's guest country,” said Çelik. At the opening of the festival, there will be an open air concert in the center of Berlin.

“We gave importance to evening schedules. One night there will be a concert of folk music, one night classical and art music and on the last night of the festival there will be hip hop, rock and pop concerts. Turkish music will also be performed in other venues around the city,” stated Çelik.

The Tourism and Culture Ministry plans to organize concerts, which will be accompanied by folk or modern dance. To work on this, they put together a commission comprised of MESAM, or Turkey Musical Work Owners' Professional Union, MÜYAP, or Turkish Phonographic Industry Society, MSG, or Music Work Owners Group, and MÜYORBİR, the Musicians Professional Union.

Çelik emphasized that they have not yet defined the artists who will perform during the festival, and added, “With the commission we will decide on what kind of shows and which artists will take part at the festival. Berlin is a city that has a large Turkish population. We are focused on what would interest the people living Berlin as well as the ones who come from outside.”

Turkey will also have a 200-square meter fair area during the festival. Music firms and production companies will be able to exhibit their work. “That's where the marketing and promotion of Turkish music begins,” emphasized Çelik.

The promotion of Turkey in Germany began with the Berlin Film Festival, which took place in February. After the Popkomm music festival, Turkey will be a guest country for the Frankfurt Book Fair. Turkey will have a stand in the book fair, where people will be able to find Turkish movies as well. There will also be film screenings and the fair will welcome Turkish artists and musicians. Exhibitions are another part of the fair. “This is a serious promotion of Turkey,” said Çelik.

MESAM's Manager Ali Rıza Binboğa said that they are eager to promote Turkish music to the whole world. “This will have good reflections on Turkish music. World music expends all around the world. If we listen to Spanish, Brazilian or any other country's music today it is because they spread and were heard in festivals and performances,” said Binboğa. “These kinds of festivals host organization managers, musicians and musicologists from all around the world.”

About Popkomm

Popkomm is a festival that hosts more than 400 bands from all over the world on the stages of Berlin's clubs and streets. The Popkomm Conference covers topics such as the live sector, digital marketing, mobile music, pop and politics as well as covering important artist-relevant issues. Popkomm is synonymous with innovation and the latest trends. The Popkomm-IMEA, or Innovation in Music and Entertainment Award, distinguishes young companies that have creative business ideas. With a top-class international conference and a festival covering 30 Berlin clubs, Popkomm offers an optimal platform for live music and is essential for experts who wish to shape the future of the music business. With an exhibition, a festival and a conference, Popkomm attracted in 2007 over 880 exhibitors and more than 15,000 trade visitors from 57 countries to Berlin.

Inform,June 2008