March 08, 2010

By By Wolfgang Spahr, Berlin

Seventy-nine German music companies will have a presence at SXSW from March 17 to March 21.

The German government is financing the trip by the music companies, which will also include 16 artists.

Seven artists participating are financially promoted by the German export music office Initiative Musik in Berlin: Nneka from Hamburg, Kilians from Dinslaken, Malente from Essen, Matias Aguayo and Niobe from Cologne and Missincat and R?uberh?hle from Berlin.

"Our goal with Initiative Musik is to [ensure] that music and artists from Germany have more presence abroad than in the past. Fairs such as SXSW are a perfect forum to inform about the variety of 'Music Made In Germany' and to enlarge the contacts to the international music industry," says Jens Michow, member of the supervisory board of Initiative Musik and president of the live entertainment association IDKV in Hamburg.

Katja Hermes, project manager of Initiative Musik, adds, "We want to present Germany as a creative music country. And the booking agencies and labels hope to sign new bands for the German market."

Visitors to the trade show can get information about German music and from Initiative Musik at stand 507.

The German companies sending SXSW delegates include record labels, booking agencies, management companies, promoters and trade associations.

Funding for the trip also comes from German state governments including Berlin and Hamburg.

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