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Estonia’s first-ever talent showcase at the last week’s Reeperbahn Festival found a perfect home in Hamburg’s Chikago Bar on 18 September. The shimmering dreampop of Night Tapes led by Estonian-born Iiris Vesik, Ajukaja & Mart Avi’s daring avant-pop, Rita Ray’s take on timeless soul and manna’s moody alt-R&B provided a perfect crash course on Estonia’s diverse and forward-looking music scene.

“Chikago Bar was packed to the brim,” raves Rita Ray, who kicked the night off in style. Giving a heartfelt shout-out to the organisers, Estonia’s premier soul star admits that securing a spot at one of Europe’s biggest showcase events is not an easy feat.

For manna, the experience was a thrilling whirlwind: “The mix of domestic support and international gaze made it an intriguing ‘soup’ to swim in,” she says. Iiris Vesik of Night Tapes found the event both inspiring and intense: “Amidst the whirlwind of networking and late-night dashes, it felt like genres were dissolving, leaving nothing but good vibes at the centre of it all.”

Mart Avi found his and Ajukaja’s joint venture attuned to a vibrant cityscape. “Reeperbahn felt like the European version of Las Vegas,” he says, adding. “It definitely contributed to our performance with all its bright sparks, electrifying collisions, and neon magnitude!”

Director of Music Estonia Ave Sophia Tölpt couldn’t be prouder of the Estonian talent and the whole teamwork. “Honestly, we should make kicking off the Reeperbahn Festival our annual tradition! Such showcase not only shines a spotlight on Estonia but also encourages the whole Baltic region to leave a mark on European talent-spotters’ calendars. Our music industry took a major step forward, and we’re ready to keep on pushing the envelope!”

“Variety is the spice of life and ESTonishing night had it in spades,” adds Ingrid Kohtla, Head of PR & Communications of Tallinn Music Week. “It was an eclectic but carefully curated display that provided a crash course of not only on our diverse line-up with all their grinding rhythms, beguiling notes and captivating stage personae, but our cultural identities and industry assets as a whole. It was a joy to co-present such a brilliant foursome who figuratively soundtracked the way we are. Come join us for more of tomorrow’s music, arts and ideas to Tallinn Music Week in April next year!”

The Estonian delegation also hosted a networking event at the Reeperbahn Festival with the German music industry in collaboration with Hamburg Music and Berlin Music Commission.

Reeperbahn Festival is one of Europe’s premier international showcase events for new music discovery. This year’s edition presented around 400 artists from across the globe, uniting them under the slogan “Let the Music Grow”. Previous Estonian acts at Reeperbahn include Holy Motors, Tommy Cash, NOËP, U: & ekke, and Maarja Nuut.

The ESTonishing showcase programme, communication, and networking events were organised by Music Estonia in partnership with Tallinn Music Week, Raadio 2, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Estonian Embassy in Berlin, e-Residency and Klinkarz PR.