JOTA RAMOS: A Victory for Freedom and Justice
- about 1 month ago
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European Emerging Bands Contest @ EYE2021
Discovering the future sound of Europe!
- over 3 years ago
From June to October 2021, JM International joined forces with the European Parliament for a brand new edition of the European Emerging Bands Contest.
The Contest was organised in the framework of the 4th European Youth Event hosted in Strasbourg on October 8th and 9th. The event brought together thousands of young people from all over the EU and beyond. And the competition, together with the final concerts in Strasbourg, was an opportunity for much-needed connections and for providing a platform for the best new European musical acts to perform and be discovered.
The Contest was launched on July 15th and closed on September 1st, receiving hundreds of applications from bands and solo artists based in 27 different European countries. The competition Jury, composed of young musicians from 10 European countries together with JMI and the EP, then selected 6 amazing winners to perform in Strasbourg. They were:
Andrea Turchi, aka. Pandem has been running this musical project since 2019, combining the release of singles with the direction of his video clips. Pandem has powerful and contagious energy, with lyrics imbued with a critical sociological gaze. Pandem photographs reality and returns it like a mirror to move souls.
Possimiste is a new solo project in the Icelandic music scene by Leeni. Their psychedelic and experimental pop music will make us travel to faraway places, even galactic dimensions. Possimiste has won the Icelandic radio station X977 Sykurmolinn competition for the best new artist with the single Paradise and has a debut album called Youniverse released in summer 2021.
Pantaloons trio is a community of three Slovenian "clumsy fellows", as they like to call themselves. Luka, Aljaž and David Nik first emerged as part of the Chilli Brass Band in 2016, where they started experimenting with musical melodies and rhythms in a jam session form. After a few compositions, they placed their unique music style on the map of electronic dance music with a hint of jazz, funk, breakbeat, dubstep, and many more. Their electro fanfare sounds will invade the EYE Village!
Deuxes are a soul/indie duo of sisters (Francesca & Martine) from North West London. The pair features bold basslines and soulful harmonies mixture with influences from Motown to modern rock. Following a string of live shows and festivals in 2021, the girls are gearing up to release a new EP LOUD set to drop in early 2022. Expect to be transported away with hypnotic guitar riffs and roaring vocals!
Alex is an r&b Portuguese singer, songwriter and producer. Due to family influences, he started to develop his passion for music at the age of 5, learning drums and Music Theory at the conservatory. In 2020, he released his first single Savana (a combination of urban crossover sounds that will delight the audience), produced by his own music label NewGen.
Jonas, Lucas and Sven from Germany are Planetoids, an Indie/Disco/Pop band full of energy that will make your hips shake and your heart jump a beat! The Planetoids released their self-produced debut record in 2017 and are currently working on a concept art piece consisting of four EPs. The band offers happy, groovy, organic and analogue music.
Each winner received a cash prize of 1000€ and the opportunity to perform in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg for thousands of young people from all over Europe, providing much-needed exposure at a time when opportunities for emerging acts are limited.
The young musicians were also engaged in two training sessions facilitated by MoonJelly. The training, which attracted many other young people and musicians attending the EYE2021, focused on marketing and communication strategies for emerging bands and provided practical and valuable insights and learning.
JMI additionally organised a Panel Discussion on the future of young European musicians/artists, considering the impact of the pandemic. The session was hosted in the European Parliament and facilitated by British composer Omar Shahryar, engaging representatives of the cultural sector including Natalie Giorgadze (Culture Action Europe), Lovisa Attabrant (MMF, UK) and MEP Laurence Farreng. The panel was joined by representatives of the emerging bands and attended by many young people and cultural operators present at EYE2021. The discussion focused on highlighting solutions and hopes for the recovery of the cultural sector in Europe, amplifying the voices and needs of the young people impacted.
Check out what the young musicians thought of the experience through their own words in the final wrap up video of the competition!
