In Finland, heavy metal is a very important musical style for the country's culture. The genre is highly regarded by the population and has a wide presence in the mainstream media.
One of the government's most far-reaching actions to foster local culture is the funding of projects through the Ministry of Education and Culture. Currently under discussion is the " Come to Latin America" , aimed at emerging Finnish metal bands, with the goal of spreading the music, promoting the country's culture, and helping to break down some of the prejudices that still exist surrounding heavy metal.
The hybrid project aims to reach approximately 10 million people, including judges, audience members, and performers. The jury of the Come to Latin America , comprised of over 100 Latin American musicians, journalists, radio broadcasters, festival organizers, and professionals connected to live entertainment, has selected the three finalist bands, and now it's the Latin American public's turn to choose the winner.
The prize will be a distribution deal with Nuclear Blast – through its subsidiary Blood Blast – one of the world's largest niche record labels, which is acting as a partner in this initiative.
To vote for the three finalists, which are the bands Luna Kills, Noira , and Where's My Bible , an interactive platform has been created and will be online starting June 28, 2022.
Finland's Minister of Science and Culture, Petri Honkonen , commented in a statement released to the press: “The region's rapidly growing music market is also attracting new bands. Furthermore, they have a loyal fan base in Latin America, which creates a strong platform for success. Cultural exchange is especially important now, given the instability we are experiencing in Europe, leading artists to face uncertainty in various ways.”
Entrepreneur Niina Fu , the project's creator, was inspired by living in Chile and Brazil and comparing the similarities between the Latin American countries and Finland: “Despite the distance and cultural differences, there is a very strong and deep metal scene in both countries. This caught my attention and that's why I had the idea to develop this project.”
“The winning band plans a tour in Latin America. We are seeking more funding for this project. We will continue to cooperate with Brazil – one of the world's largest exporters of good music,” promises Fu.
Come to Latin America is a project aimed at promoting Finnish cultural exchange and sharing with the world, and the current chapter is just the first of many. Learn more about the project on the official website.