GEARING UP FOR A FRESH BLAST FROM CANADA AT SXSW 2007 CNW Canada will make its biggest showing ever at the 2007 edition of the South by Southwest Music & Media Festival in Austin, Texas from March 14 through March 18 with the return of the Canadian BLAST initiative. A record number of 108 Canadian artists have been invited to perform at one of North America's largest annual music industry events and some of Canada's hottest buzz acts - from Malajube to K'naan to Mother Mother - are slated to appear. Established acts such as Kid Koala, The Tragically Hip, Ron Sexsmith, Sloan, and The Dears are also confirmed. Terry McBride, the visionary founder of Nettwerk Music Group, will be featured in a SXSW interview. "The diversity and number of truly gifted musicians alone simply staggers," says Brent Grulke, Creative Director of SXSW.
The Canadian BLAST at SXSW is a comprehensive marketing, network and business development initiative supported by a government-industry partnership that includes CIRPA (Canadian Independent Record Production Association), FACTOR (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records), SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada), and the government of Canada.
International audiences are already becoming well-acquainted with the breadth and quality of the world's sixth-largest music market. Bob Harris, BBC Radio host, observed "...there is an emerging generation of new artists who are reflecting the range of influences that make Canadian music so exciting, from the brilliant free-form collective Broken Social Scene to the authentic country-twang of Corb Lund".
This year the spotlight will be on the music of Quebec which will have the largest provincial representation at SXSW with 33 invited bands. Five out of the ten bands chosen as the "Best of 2006" by the daily newspaper The Montreal Gazette will showcase at SXSW this year (Malajube, Land of Talk, Les Breastfeeders, Priestess and Young Galaxy), bringing a unique mix of francophone and anglophone sounds to Texas. "The bands on our roster will be heading for SXSW for the first time this year," says Quebeçois entrepreneur Gourmet Délice, head of Montreal-based Bonsound. "We're going to Austin to strengthen and expand the profile of our 'buzz' artists such as Malajube, Champion and Les Breastfeeders and also to introduce newer bands like Creature, Call Me Poupée and The Dagons to the American and international markets."
Last year's wildly successful Canadian BLAST BBQ will reprise in Brush Square Park on Wednesday, March 14 from 3 to 7pm with performances and special guest appearances by some of Canada's most exciting talent.
www.canadianblast.com, a web-based interactive experience, will replace last year's CD samplers as the source for Canadian music at SXSW. Canadian BLAST street teams will be deployed throughout Austin during SXSW to promote Canadian artists and events to conference participants. A catalogue of the Canadian bands performing at SXSW as well as a showcase gig guide will be distributed to registrants and industry contacts. Multiple Canadian showcases and events are planned including: the long-running NXNE showcase; label showcases by Arts & Crafts, Six Shooter, and Mint Records; as well as two Montreal showcases, Bonsound and M for MTL.
Other organizations sponsoring Canadian music at SXSW include: Manitoba Film and Sound Development Corporation; Ontario Media Development Corporation; the Department of Canadian Heritage - Trade Routes program; the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade - International Cultural Relations Division; and numerous Canadian provincial music industry associations.
Music and sound recording is one of Canada's major cultural industries. With more than 16,500 performers, songwriters, composers and lyricists at work in the industry today, Canada is a world-leader of musical talent and the third-largest seller of English-language music. In total, Canadian artists have sold more than $21US billion worth of recordings worldwide. Total music unit sales in Canada in 2005 were 54.2 million (including VHS and DVD products) representing a wholesale value of $608.70 million CAD (US $520.55 million) with sales of releases by Canadian artists at 25%. |