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TBILISI: Celebration of South Caucasian music in Tbilisi

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  • TBILISI: Celebration of South Caucasian music in Tbilisi

    Celebration of South Caucasian music in Tbilisi
    By Christina Tashkevich

    The Messenger, Georgia
    June 14 2005

    Last weekend musicians from the South Caucasus gathered in Tbilisi to
    participate in an event organized by the British Council, the aim of
    which was to build closer ties by sharing their experience and talent
    and at the same time gaining contacts for the future.

    Explaining the importance of the event the organizers of the conference
    said there was previously "little history of local co-operation,"
    despite the strong musical traditions and a great wealth of gifted
    artists in the region.

    At the conference participants discussed a variety of issues such as
    independence from the government and surviving in a global market as
    an artist, producer, or label company.

    "If it's a business, we need to earn money," the Armenian delegate
    Nika Babayan said at the conference session.

    However, for many what is most important is the love of art and
    entertainment; money comes second. Laurence Ball, CEO of Domino
    Records, one of Britain's leading independent labels and home to the
    Scottish sensation Franz Ferdinand, says he established his independent
    label because of his "love of music" and not because he saw it as a
    business opportunity.

    Domino Records, a company with a 10-year history has already sold
    about 150 albums and 150 singles and has offices in the United States.

    Other key conference speakers included Gavin Robertson, an expert in
    rights issues with a special interest in the digital domain, Lucy Bird,
    marketing manager of The Sage in Gateshead, which is Britain's newest
    large-scale music venue; and Nicola Curic from Serbia's EXIT festival,
    which has become a major European music event since its introduction
    in 2000..

    This year's EXIT festival will feature Fatboy Slim and The White
    Stripes. According to Curic, the festival has a certain social message,
    every year using music to make people think about some of the most
    acute problems in the country.

    The first EXIT festival featured a campaign motivating people to
    go and vote in elections against Slobodan Milosevic's regime. Last
    year's message was to highlight the fight against human trafficking
    and exploitation. "EXIT has contributed to changing the negative
    image of Serbia and Montenegro," Curic said at the conference.

    Several local bands and musicians attended the conference, including
    "Georgian Lemon Juice" and "Nikakoi," who performed at the Noa Noa
    club on Saturday.
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