Ninth international contest “New Wave 2010”

Last Sunday the ninth international contest “New Wave 2010” came to an end. The number of accredited media probably speaks the loudest about the popularity of the contest: this year 254 journalists from 14 countries were accredited.
The organizing committee received applications from 12,000 potential participants for the “New Wave” from 31 countries of the world. 17 contestants from 12 countries, including Brazil and Israel reached the finals.

First place and prize money of 50,000 euros from sponsors of the contest - airBaltic, was won by the representative of Armenia, Sona Shahgeldyan, who went ahead of the leader of the first two days of the competition Tatiana Shirko from Ukraine just by one point. Tatiana was awarded second place and prize money of 30,000 euros, as well as a prize from Autoradio. Third place and 20,000 euros was received by Estonian singer Uku Suviste.
Spectators’ sympathies were on the side of Russia’s Egor Sesarev - he got the prize of “spectators’ sympathies.” Two artists, Hila Ben David from Israel and the group PeR from Latvia received the “Jurmala prize.”

Not without politics

For a long time the fate of this year’s festival remained in question. Igor Krutoy had expressed his doubts that it would take place in the Latvian resort town: “We were promised the support of local authorities, hotels and small businesses, but as a result, they only profit from us,” he said this spring in an interview with the radio Baltkom.

In March the ideological inspiration of the festival, maestro Raimonds Pauls, announced his categorical unwillingness to participate in the jury of “New Wave 2010”: “This year, I’m going to step aside, because I do not want to deal with these things.” However, closer to the contest, he changed his mind and in an interview with the Latvian news program Panorama said that Latvians have to stop seeing Russia as an enemy. According to him, he was constantly confronted with reproaches addressed to him: some political leaders initially did not like the fact that he takes part in organizing the “New Wave” and now he was blamed because of the fact that he is a member of the jury.

Critics believe that he is betraying the “local,” Latvian interests, said Pauls. In this regard, the composer called on the citizens not to confuse such things as politics and a musical festival. “I do not see an enemy there. Times have changed, we need to change with them,” - he explained his point of view.
 

Jurmala and “New Wave”

A contest of young singers of popular music, “New Wave” is an excellent advertisement for Jurmala in the world. The mayor of Jurmala, Romualds Razuks said this in the program “Question with prejudice” on PRO100TV. In his view, Jurmala could not have done such PR on its own.

“I’ve calculated that in order to organize such an advertisement for the city, which the contest “New Wave” gives us, we would have to spend two annual budgets for it. It’s unreal. I think that the glorification of the Latvian resort in the world is beneficial for the country and all of us “- said Razuks. According to him, Jurmala city council intends to provide comprehensive assistance to the organizers of the contest, so that they continue holding the contest in Jurmala.
According to different estimates the contribution of the contest to the economy of the city is 4 to 5 million lats: this is the amount of money left in the hotels, shops, clubs and restaurants by the guests and participants of the “New Wave,” which makes the festival the main event of the year in Jurmala.

Apparently in connection with the contest, Jurmala city council endorsed the intention to create an “Alley of Stars” near the concert hall Dzintari to honor the outstanding individuals in the field of music, art and literature that contributed to the prosperity of society and the popularization of the city.

The first plates in the Walk of Fame will appear in honor of the winners and the guest stars of the festival.
According to Razuks, the organizers and Jurmala city council have reached an agreement on holding the 10th anniversary “New Wave” in Jurmala next year.

Growing popularity

It is no accident that each year the interest in the contest is steadily growing on the part of western record companies, whose representatives come to Jurmala every year. Such companies as “Universal” and “EMI” have offered to sign contracts with the best of the contestants in different years.

The financial streams that are filling the financial budget of the event continue to flow without interruption. According to the organizing committee, the crisis has not affected it at all.
“We spend 4 million lats for the organization of the festival only on the territory of Latvia, but even bigger sums are spent abroad,” said Alexander Rumyantsev, the CEO of the “New Wave.”

Guests of the contest

The visit to the city by Roman Abramovich was certainly an event for Jurmala. However, the Russian oligarch was not the only VIP: many people listed in Forbes magazine and just very famous people were spotted in Jurmala. Among them, a longtime friend and partner of Roman Abramovich – Yevgeny Shvidler. Former prime minister of Russia, now chairman of the Russian People’s Democratic Union, Mikhail Kasyanov and his family attended the opening ceremony of the festival. Russian businessman and politician Umar Dzhabrailov was at the afterparty at the club La Riva. The richest man in Ukraine, the owner of football club “Shakhter,” Rinat Akhmetov was spotted on the first day of the contest in the VIP-zone, and then at a private party in the restaurant La Riva.

Generally speaking, this year’s “New Wave” contest was attended by a large number of wealthy people from Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden, etc. Some of them were invited to the contest in order to discuss  business deals. For example,    entrepreneur, millionaire and patron of the contest “New Wave,” Julijs Krumins told the newspaper Diena, he has reserved three tables for his guests in the VIP area. “New Wave” is a great contest where you can meet with your business partners, because usually issues are resolved at the level of agents. Once a year, we meet with top officials, to discuss global things without a fuss,” he explained.

“New Wave Fashion Week”

For the first time this year the “New Wave” went beyond the music competition, being transformed into a professional platform not only for popular music, but for designers - both masters and newcomers of the fashion industry. The project will now be a status fashion-event called “New Wave Fashion Week,” which will bring together 16 designers from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Latvia. The project is jointly organized with the “World Fashion Channel” and with the support of the portal FashionTime. Each designer is a business card for the contestant, and vice versa, the contestant - a business card for the designer.

Fashion designers develop three unique scenic images for their contestants, which they then try on themselves in the concert hall Dzintari for three days of the contest, as well as various after-parties with fashion shows. The task of the designer is to help reveal the potential of an artist, to make it even more vivid, memorable, and harmonious. After all, a successful artist is a perfect combination of talent and style.

For all and for each

Clearly, not everybody could get to the concerts and competition days of “New Wave.” But visitors and residents of Jurmala were not bored either. A number of activities within the framework of the contest could be visited by anyone. So, for example, you could participate in the preview show “Red Carpet.” It was possible to watch the traditional tournament in beach football - “New Wave Cup” between the teams of “stars” of the show business and the contestants of “New Wave,” a tennis tournament among the “stars” of “New Wave” and professionals in the sports center “Concept.” On July 31 the official ceremony of installing a bas-relief sculpture “New Wave” was held.

To put it short, it was interesting for everyone. See you in Jurmala next year at the 10th anniversary contest of young singers “New Wave!”