On the Facebook page for Best promoter of Macedonia, I saw this comment : "I don't need any award, but I'm promoting Macedonia since the first time I discovered your great country :)" It was from Mr. Enrico Blumer, a manager and producer from Italy.
I found that interesting. Why would a man from Italy want to promote Macedonia? What is the connection? He was very kind to answer that, and something more:
"One of my principal interest in the music field is mostly jazz, as promoter and organizer. In 1987 in Italy I was one of the co-founders of an association called Europe Jazz Network, now established in Paris. I was a member of the Board of Directors of this association, and in 2007 we received a membership application from Oliver Belopeta, for Skopje Jazz Festival. I was the delegate to interview the people who presented new applications, therefore I met Oliver in Amsterdam the same year.
I didn't know anything about Skopje and Macedonia before this meeting, except that, when I was 8 years old, I knew about the earthquake because my dentist's son died in Skopje that night, as he was there just by chance during a travel.
Skopje Jazz Festival became a member of the association, and Oliver Belopeta invited me in Skopje for the festival. My first impact with the city was very touching for me. I arrived in Macedonia Square in the evening, two days after Tose Proeski died. Hundreds of persons of every age were on the ground, on their knees, praying and lighting candles. I had never seen something like this before. I felt in love with Macedonian people immediately, feeling the same pain.
During the following days, I met a lot of people and I got several new friends, mostly musicians but not only. I visited the city, including the old bazaar. I felt a very special atmosphere in Skopje. Friendly people everywhere, people who still like to spend time in relationships with the others. Something that in my own country, mostly in my area - I'm from Bergamo, Northern Italy - has vanished. And a lot of young people with vast culture, fresh ideas and will to create new things.
Well, I came back in 2008 and I decided to start something to help to show Macedonia and Skopje abroad, at least in my field. So, on February 2009 I arrived in Skopje with one of the best Italian jazz trumpeter and I put him together with Dzijan Emin and Georgi Sareski.
Kosta Martinovski, the director of the Cifte Amam, gave us the permission to record a cd inside this amazing, ancient building. Was a magic night, and that night the album called Amam was born. Then, I called the trio The Skopje Connection, I published the cd, and started to distribute it worldwide.
The same year, finally I obtained an invitation for Georgi Sareski Quartet by an European jazz festival called 12 points. It's a festival for young musicians, 12 bands representing 12 different EU countries. Actually, it wasn't so easy to convince the organizer, because Macedonia wasn't, and still is not, in the EU. But they agreed with me that it could be a good signal for politicians and also a good occasion to show Macedonian artists in an European contest. They played with a great success in Norway, last year in March.
There was also some problem to convince them to use the name Macedonia instead of FYROM. The same problem I had with Europe Jazz Network's Website. But at last everyone agreed with me that we had to call your country with the same name that your people and your Government use. Because this, we received some very rude Emails from Greece, with the signatures "a Greek citizen". No necessity to give any answer...
This year I collaborated with the journalist Branka Kostic Markovic, a dear friend of mine, to make a documentary in Milan about Aleksandar Stefanoski, the first singer from Macedonia playing at Teatro La Scala. The documentary appeared on Telma TV.
Ok, sorry for my long writing, but when I talk about Macedonia I cannot stop! My best wishes. Enrico"
For the Macedonian Verzion click Here!
I found that interesting. Why would a man from Italy want to promote Macedonia? What is the connection? He was very kind to answer that, and something more:
"One of my principal interest in the music field is mostly jazz, as promoter and organizer. In 1987 in Italy I was one of the co-founders of an association called Europe Jazz Network, now established in Paris. I was a member of the Board of Directors of this association, and in 2007 we received a membership application from Oliver Belopeta, for Skopje Jazz Festival. I was the delegate to interview the people who presented new applications, therefore I met Oliver in Amsterdam the same year.
I didn't know anything about Skopje and Macedonia before this meeting, except that, when I was 8 years old, I knew about the earthquake because my dentist's son died in Skopje that night, as he was there just by chance during a travel.
Skopje Jazz Festival became a member of the association, and Oliver Belopeta invited me in Skopje for the festival. My first impact with the city was very touching for me. I arrived in Macedonia Square in the evening, two days after Tose Proeski died. Hundreds of persons of every age were on the ground, on their knees, praying and lighting candles. I had never seen something like this before. I felt in love with Macedonian people immediately, feeling the same pain.
During the following days, I met a lot of people and I got several new friends, mostly musicians but not only. I visited the city, including the old bazaar. I felt a very special atmosphere in Skopje. Friendly people everywhere, people who still like to spend time in relationships with the others. Something that in my own country, mostly in my area - I'm from Bergamo, Northern Italy - has vanished. And a lot of young people with vast culture, fresh ideas and will to create new things.
Well, I came back in 2008 and I decided to start something to help to show Macedonia and Skopje abroad, at least in my field. So, on February 2009 I arrived in Skopje with one of the best Italian jazz trumpeter and I put him together with Dzijan Emin and Georgi Sareski.
Kosta Martinovski, the director of the Cifte Amam, gave us the permission to record a cd inside this amazing, ancient building. Was a magic night, and that night the album called Amam was born. Then, I called the trio The Skopje Connection, I published the cd, and started to distribute it worldwide.
The same year, finally I obtained an invitation for Georgi Sareski Quartet by an European jazz festival called 12 points. It's a festival for young musicians, 12 bands representing 12 different EU countries. Actually, it wasn't so easy to convince the organizer, because Macedonia wasn't, and still is not, in the EU. But they agreed with me that it could be a good signal for politicians and also a good occasion to show Macedonian artists in an European contest. They played with a great success in Norway, last year in March.There was also some problem to convince them to use the name Macedonia instead of FYROM. The same problem I had with Europe Jazz Network's Website. But at last everyone agreed with me that we had to call your country with the same name that your people and your Government use. Because this, we received some very rude Emails from Greece, with the signatures "a Greek citizen". No necessity to give any answer...
This year I collaborated with the journalist Branka Kostic Markovic, a dear friend of mine, to make a documentary in Milan about Aleksandar Stefanoski, the first singer from Macedonia playing at Teatro La Scala. The documentary appeared on Telma TV.
Ok, sorry for my long writing, but when I talk about Macedonia I cannot stop! My best wishes. Enrico"
For the Macedonian Verzion click Here!
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