Latvia


Guna Zucika
Age: 28

My Job Title

PR and international relations manager, BrainStorm Management, Riga, Latvia;
International exploitation manager, S.U.N. (Estonian band);
Free-lance PR and/or local host for international artists' concerts in Latvia;
Free lance music journalist for several print media in Latvia

My Education

BA at University of Latvia, Faculty of Social Sciences (Desk of Communication Studies), 1997-2001

My Work

"I have been working in the music industry since 1999, and almost all the time, I have had 2 main responsibilities - PR and international relations. The first one is about building, creating and keeping in shape the image of the band and/or the event in eyes of the public, and taking part in making marketing plans - both locally and internationally. My other responsibility includes issues related to international field of the work - finding record and publishing companies to make deals with, looking for the music producers, photographers, video directors to work with, searching for promoters interested to book the band for the concerts and festivals, building and establishing networks within music industry abroad.

From 1999 till 2004, I was doing this job at the record company Microphone Records (EMI licensee in Latvia and Lithuania.) During the time at Microphone Records, main target was to work with the band BrainStorm on the international level. Afterwards, I moved to BrainStorm Records that is the full service company for the band - it's management, record company and booking agent for BrainStorm. I was away shortly, as for 7 months I was at MTV Baltic, working as Talent and Music manager. I realised that music management and issues related to this subject is my real calling and I need to get back and keep on achieving new goals and challenges within this area.

Some of the highlights I can name from working with BrainStorm are following: getting BrainStorm on 9 shows as the support act for legendary rock band R.E.M. on their tour in Europe in 2005, and arranging with world-known rock photographer Anton Corbijn to take press and album artwork photos, as well as making the logo for the band for latest two albums.

From this year I also represent the Estonian band " S.U.N." on the international level as exploitation manager. At the moment, we are working on the first international English language album and setting the band's profile in Latvia. I do full management responsibilities for the band - looking for the producer, doing PR, arranging concerts and festivals, etc..

Time after time, concert promoters in Latvia involve me on PR and/or hosting of the bands while they are for the concert over here. I have worked on PR and/or hosting with bands and musicians like Sting, Depeche Mode, Placebo, Suede, Reamonn, Simple Red, Metallica, Manu Chao, etc.

As I started as music journalist, and have graduated from the Mass communications faculty, I do continue at times to make interviews or attend press conferences abroad for making articles about international musicians for several printed media in Latvia. Artists I have made such materials include R.E.M., Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Robbie Williams, Patti Smith, Marianne Faithful, Coldplay, Blur, Suede, etc..

I do consider myself as music entrepreneur and I do think my work so far that I have mentioned above explains why."

Issues in the music industry in my country

"So far there aren't a lot of bands from our country that have made it into the international music market at some stage. BrainStorm, the band I have been involved for 8 years now has reached the highest recognition in Europe with album releases and concert experience in different European countries and I have been one of the persons behind their success story both - locally and internationally.

The music industry in Latvia, compared to the western music industry, is a pretty new field of the business. The explanation is very simple - its existence and establishment in our country as it works in western countries was possible only after we became independent. There are some issues of the music business that are established and developed by the examples of western music industry, but some of them of course are only on the way to be expanded. As positive thing I want to mention work of concert promoters as I do see that they have build up networks that allows to invite international bands over for the concerts (of course, if the artists' management and booking agents are setting Eastern Europe as place of interest to have performances). As a negative side, I can put the question of local music breakthrough into other regions and I do think there are two main problems that need to get solved firstly - knowledge and understanding of the way the music industry works abroad and need to follow it's changes that nowadays is a big issue internationally due to new technologies coming in constantly.

Other problem is building the networks. From one point of course people are making new contacts and networks, but they do not keep them alive and working. This is constant work and music industry people have to attend more often and take more effort on getting new gateways through music industry gathering events, such as ILMC, Noorderslag, Great Escape, Popkomm, Midem, etc.

From my own experience, I can tell that in terms of finding new partners smaller industry events make more sense - simple because at big events like Popkomm or Midem the important music industry players most likely are just hanging around each with other while at smaller ones they are more open and easier to get their attention. Other problems I see are not truly willing to coorperate and share the knowledge and contacts between music industry people in Latvia. Because I do believe that it all would make it easier for the whole industry to set the name of Latvian music abroad if we would work more closely each to other. And talking further I do think it would be more effective if all 3 Baltic States' music industry players would set forward into European music market as whole region - because we all 3 are small countries but all together is already something to count on."

Innovative artists & music business trends from my country

BrainStorm would be the first example, as this is the band I have been working with on a daily basis for 8 years and they have reached the highest recognition abroad so far and their music production, live shows, videos, pictures and all other related materials have high standards and quality. Continuing by belief that music industry in Latvia should work more closely if I will have a chance to be a part of IYMEY I would in advance meet with other record companies and artists managements to find out what artists are their priorities and have plans for their start on international level and would take their materials with me as well.

The information above is taken from the application form completed by the finalist in early 2007. Things may have changed since this information was provided and we recommend that you should not rely upon this information as a definitive statement of current fact. Click here to contact the finalist.