"Hello Europopmusic fans..."

As announced we start the new year with some minor changes to the newsletter. Since traffic to the website grew rapidly last year also the amount of work grew. We get a lot of e-mails with the most diverse questions. From people who think we know Juliette Gréco, Mireille Mathieu or Rainhard Fendrich personally and ask if we can arrange a concert for them, people who try to find out more about the Knokke festival, people who point out small errors we made on the site and people who ask us if we know European tour schedules. To name just a few of the subjects We try to help out if we can so keep on writing us.

But as you understand this and gathering the latetst news from Europe costs a lot of time. Therefore, after long debate, we decided to skip the regurlar entries 'Artist' and 'Album' of the month. This makes somewhat easier to get our newsletter on a monthky basis to you as dedicated followers.

For now we leave you with the reviews and articles for this month. As always, enjoy!

DOUBLE BASS & PAUL ROYAL

Milva

Nowadays it has become more of a rarity or special event when a pop-singer or rockartist is backed up by a big orchestra (think Robbie Williams or Michael Bubblé). Even the Eurovision banned the orchestra for being to expensive. And of course programming a computer is always cheaper and easier then arranging a whole score and getting it well rehearsed with 15 person’s or more. Younger generations may even regard the use of an orchestra a bit stuffy. But in the two decades just after WW2 it was the orchestral arrangers that stood at the basis of European popmusic. In this article we take you back to those roaring fifties and take a closer look at four of the most prominent orchest-leaders, Paul Mauriat, Frank Pourcell, Raymond Lefèbre and André Popp. With the 1958 hit ‘Chariot’ (Internationally better known as ‘I will follow him’) as key track. Read the article.

Milva

Latvian composer Imants Kalniņš hasn’t always just penned popular and symphonic music. He also has taken to the stage as a rock musician, most notably with his group Turaidas Roze. Although Kalniņš left the group three years after starting in 1985 and Turaidas Roze began to fade, the band has come back together this year to tour around Latvia. On Dec. 2, Turaidas Roze released its first compact disc on the Micrec label, compiling 17 of the group’s best-known songs (like 'Nelaid, māte, bērnus mežā,” and “Kas dzīvo tanī pusē') on a self-titled album.

Fronted by singers Olga Rajecka and Uģis Roze, and featuring Kalniņš on keyboards, the group was among the most popular musical efforts of the late 1980s National Awakening period. Given Kalniņš’ composing talent, Turaidas Roze distinguished itself with an “art rock” sound

Frank Bo

The winners of the 2011 European Border Breakers' Awards (EBBA) for emerging talent in European pop, rock and dance music were announced this month by Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, and European music conference and showcase festival Eurosonic Noorderslag. The winners will receive their awards in a ceremony hosted by TV personality and musician Jools Holland at the opening night of Eurosonic Noorderslag in Groningen, Netherlands, on 12 January 2011. The winners are: Saint Lu (Austria) / Stromae (Belgium) / Aura Dione (Denmark)/ ZAZ (France)/ The Baseballs (Germany) / Caro Emerald (Netherlands) / Donkeyboy (Norway) / Inna (Rumania)/ Miike Snow (Sweden)/ Mumford & Sons (UK). See for more details the EBBA website.

In this newsletter...
Latest album reviews
Newly added artists pages
Les grand orchestre of the fifties
Our top 25 of 2010
Kıvırcık Ali dies in carcrash
Come back of Latvian Turaidas Roze
The winners of the EBBA 2011

-M-:
La saison de passage (live)
♪♪♪♪

Marlene Kuntz:
Ricoveri virtuali e sexy solitudini
♪♪♪

Anne

On the 11th of january 2011 Turkish folk/pop musician Kıvırcık Ali died in a carcrash near Çatalca, Istanbul. He was on his way to the TRT studios in Ankara. Ali Özütemiz, as his real name was, lost control over the vehicle and the car crashed overturning several times. Recuers weren't able to get Ali out of the car and eventually he died of his injuiries in his car. Turkish musicfans, folklore lovers as wel as poplovers, mourn his death. Özütemiz’s body was buried the following day in a ceremony at Er Mahmut Dede Cemevi in İstanbul’s Avcılar district. The 42-year-old singer had two children.

Anne

For your convenience (and since we could not choose) we selected the 25 most recommended albums from the European contignent from 2010. Based on how many stars we gave them the past year in our reviews. Go to the article to read why we think everyone should have the latest albums from Kent, Jana Kirschner or Anna Oxa on constant repeat in waiting for what 2011 might bring. Go to the page

We add new artists pages to our website regurlarly. Recently added artists pages (click to link directly to the page):

Los Planetas (Spain)
Amparo Sanchéz (Spain)
Pierre Rapsat (Belgium)
Rosario Florés (Spain)

Naturally, all opinions are 100% subjective and strictly our own. However, we do our utmost best to present you the information as correctly as possible. Should you have any comments on this website, please let us know via e-mail: info@europopmusic.eu. Any comment that might help the evolution of this website is highly appreciated. We look forward hearing from you!
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