Manitoba Delegation Heads to Cannes for International Music Industry Conference

Representatives from the Manitoba music community will be in Cannes, France this month for MIDEM, the world’s biggest music business conference. Local industry professionals, including label owners and managers, will head overseas for the prestigious event, which runs January 28-31 and hosts over 10,000 international music industry bigwigs.

This year’s diverse Manitoba delegation of labels and industry professionals attending MIDEM includes: Aboriginal music label and distribution company C-Weedband.com (Ali Fontaine, C-Weed Band, JJ Lavallee), management companies Durand Musique (Daniel ROA, Johnny Cajun, Justin Lacroix, KIN) and Empirical Artist Service (The Weakerthans, Imaginary Cities), indie labels Head In The Sand (Demetra, Les Jupes, Rococode) and Olesia Records (Paris To Kyiv), Aboriginal production company Rising Sun Productions (Eagle & Hawk, Dominique Reynolds, Don Amero), David Kennedy from Manitoba Trade and Investment Corporation, and representatives of Manitoba Music and Manitoba Film & Music.

For the fifth year, Manitoba Music and Manitoba Film & Music will co-host a networking dinner for Manitoba companies and their business contacts. The January 30 event provides a more intimate networking opportunity to do business with international music industry professionals, which is integral in supporting the efforts of Manitoba’s rich arts community to grow their businesses beyond our borders.

On January 29, Manitoba Music will also present its first music showcase at MIDEM, featuring Francophone pop act Daniel ROA and indie pop/rock outfit Les Jupes, as part of Canadian Independent Music Association’s Canadian Blast series. Through events like these, Manitoba Music is able to increase the level of awareness and connectedness between our province’s music industry and the broader national and international industry, which is vital to the career advancement of Manitoba artists and industry professionals.

Manitoba Music has presented successful showcases at South by Southwest, Reeperbahn, Musexpo, North by Northeast, International Folk Alliance, Canadian Music Week, and more. The showcases are an initiative of Manitoba Music’s Market Development Program, which is funded by the Government of Canada and Province of Manitoba through the Canada-Manitoba Economic Partnership Agreement, and by FACTOR with the support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters.

The delegates’ attendance is supported in part through Manitoba Trade and Investment—which allows for smaller Manitoban businesses to strengthen their visibility in international markets—as well as Manitoba Music’s and Manitoba Film & Music’s jointly-funded Market Access Program.