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Swiss Live Talents celebrates successful debut MUMA

Many, many winners… not one loser! That’s how the Swiss Live Talents Music Marathon (MUMA), which took place in Bern on 17 and 18 November 2017, could be summed up.

Swiss Live Talents is a platform created by the SwissAmp association, which aims to promote and support the Swiss live music scene. For its third edition and for the first time in Switzerland, a two-day music marathon – with some 40 concerts and numerous workshops, conferences as well as networking sessions – turned Bern into not only the political, but also musical, capital of Switzerland.

The opening ceremony on Friday night, featuring the canton of Ticino as host and special guest, launched this extraordinary event with speeches by honourable guests such as federal councillor Ignazio Cassis and the mayor of Bern, Alec von Graffenried. The marathon format was intended by the organisers to give all the 36 nominated – selected from some 660 registered – artists the opportunity to perform in front of the international jury. The latter, with music professionals and bookers from Switzerland, the United States, Britain, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Austria, Romania, Germany, Poland, France, Denmark and Serbia, enjoyed both richness and variety of the line-up and left impressed by the high quality and standards of the performing acts.

Jenny Ward, who books bands and artists for the Irish festivals Body & Soul and Electric Picnic, comments: “I saw lots of great bands, the level of the artists is – I don’t like the expression ‘export-ready’, but I must say that I definitely saw many artists that are export-ready.”

“I’m hoping to help build more bridges, so Swiss bands can feel that there are actually opportunities to play in the States”

Marion Meier, of Zurich Open Air, adds: “I’ve been really surprised by some acts I had already heard on record; their live performance was outstanding.”

ILMC’s Greg Parmley says: “It is interesting to see how the event is evolving. I was here for the last edition two years ago and there’s a lot more people, more bands and it’s great to see how it all grows.”

“Swiss Live Talents is a great opportunity for me to see some very talented Swiss artists I may not otherwise get to see in the US, as they usually evolve in Switzerland and Europe first,” comments Rev Moose of New York agency Marauder. “Here, everything is very close by and well organised, so one has the ability to see up to four bands in one hour, which is great for us.

“I had the feeling that a lot of Swiss bands don’t really look at the US as being a possibility, and that’s unfortunate – I’m hoping to help build more bridges, so Swiss bands can feel that there are actually opportunities to play in the States”.

The MUMA 2017 winners are:

SwissAmp can proudly look back on a very successful edition of its Swiss Live Talents 2017, crowned by the very first Swiss Live Talents Music Marathon. The next edition will take place in 2019.

 

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