Jarre in Brussels awards rendezvous

Date: 04/07/02

By Peter Chapman

A BOY band with a difference will be playing in Brussels next week at a glittering music awards ceremony. French electro-icon Jean Michel Jarre is teaming up with the EU's answer to Tom Jones, Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock, to co-host the Platinum Europe Awards.

Neither is due to be singing, although the organisers may not realise Kinnock is a karaoke fan - he even has his own portable karaoke machine which he takes to parties (see Entre Nous, Page 32).

The biennial Platinum Europe event, staged by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, is not a typical awards show. Instead of screaming pop fans, the audience will have more than its fair share of men in suits representing the Brussels' policy-making elite.

But in an exclusive interview with European Voice, Jarre insists next Wednesday's (10 July) big night at the Hotel Le Plaza is far more than simply a lobbying tool for the big record labels to get their message across to politicians and Eurocrats.

He says: 'The purpose of Platinum Europe is to celebrate the very best of European music. Platinum Europe is based on sales, so it is the European music fans that vote for these artists.

'Every artist who has sold one million albums in Europe qualifies to receive an award. It's an amazing achievement to sell one million albums anywhere in the world. It is an even bigger achievement to sell a million in a region with as many cultural and language differences as Europe.'

Jarre admits, however, that holding the awards in Brussels does allow both artists and the industry to get their message across to policy-makers.

He says: 'Brussels is the political capital of Europe, and decisions made by EU politicians and legislators have a huge impact on the music sector in the region. The issue of respect for copyright is very close to my heart. But the EU is also concerned with measures against piracy in the forthcoming EU Enforcement Directive and the rate of VAT on CDs. All these issues have a profound effect on everyone making a living from music.

'Platinum Europe is obviously a fun evening, but there is a serious message here, too.

'The Platinum Award emphasises the cultural, social and economic value of music at a time when music is being increasingly devalued.'

The Frenchman believes the awards also showcase a 'phenomenal rise of local repertoire'.

'By that I mean Spanish artists performing Spanish music and Italians performing Italian music. Platinum Europe shows how the power of music can succeed in crossing the many national and linguistic borders.'

Among those present at this year's awards will be Luciano Pavarotti, British R&B band Blue, Finnish dance group Bomfunk MC's and veteran French jazz singer Henri Salvador.

French musician Jean Michel Jarre and Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnocko will co-host the Platinum Europe music awards ceremony in Brussels on 10 July 2002.