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Amsterdam-based Turkish folk-rock act Altin Gün are the hottest-tipped act of 2021 by European Talent Exchange Programme festival bookers
By IQ on 05 Feb 2021
The Netherlands’ Altin Gün are the most popular European Talent Exchange Programme (Etep) act of the year so far, leading the programme’s first selection for 2021.
Etep, the Eurosonic Noorderslag-led initiative to stimulate the circulation of music across European borders, traditionally ranks acts depending on how many bookings they receive from participating festivals. However, for 2020 – with most events not taking place – and into 2021, in addition to bookings the chart counts the promotion of acts across festivals’ channels.
In 2020, this resulted in 124 promotions for 74 acts from 21 countries, by 74 festivals in 26 countries – in addition to 45 shows by 40 acts from 26 countries, playing at 12 festivals in 12 countries. In total there were 102 different emerging artists from 31 countries supported by bookings or promotions by Etep festivals.
According to 25 Etep festivals voting for 136 artists, the top five artists to watch for 2021 are:
The top five are followed closely by Afrodelic (IT), Donna Blue (NL), Finn Ronsdorf (DE), Katy J Pearson (GB), Lous and the Yakuza (BE), My Ugly Clementine (AT), Nava (IT), Personal Trainer (NL), Playback Maracas (ES), the Goa Express (UK) and Yīn Yīn (NL).
Squid and Black Country, New Road, topped 2020’s initial Etep rankings, with six festival bookings each, before the pandemic put paid to the festival season.
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