before '99 shania was only known amongst the die- hard fans of country music here in Europe,Germans and British and maybe some Finn and Dutch people knew who she was. But,after releasing her COO(international edition)in Europe she was really popular,she gave interviews for several big magazines and newspapers in the UK.
MTVeurope played her videos often,even Greece's biggest music channel had included her videos on it's programme,they even mentioned news about her frequently. in my neighbourhood there were atleast 2 other households that were blasting her music almost daily,she was known amongst most Greeks that were fans of non-Greek music. shania is definitely responsible for bringing country music to Europe. after that you could see Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks also having some success in Europe,shania is responsible for that too, no doubt.
unfortunelly shania had the "country stigma"so there were some who made fun of her saying she was just a country girl that wasn't successful in country(ha ha what a joke)so she was trying her luck in pop music. 'You're Still the One'was a hit even in Greece,every person who loved good music loved that song,"That Don't Impess Me Much"was huge,from tv series to the night clubs but in it's pop edition. COO went platinum in several European countries and it was the most successful album of the year'99 in the UK. after that came UP,it made it to the Greek top 40 album chart,but it wasn't as successful as COO in Europe overall. some may think that shania was a flash in the pan,but those comments come mostly from people that aren't fans of American culture and they never liked country music(in my opinion).
a few days ago i was watching a 10 minutes long daily programme on the biggest Greek channel that is about all kinds of charities and shelters in Greece and they had "You're Still The One"playing in the backround and this time it was the Country edition of that song. you can't find this edition here so the guy who's responsible for the music must be a fan who probably found it through the web(this guy is also a singer and his music considered to be artistic)so serious people love shania and that's enough for me.
if something else about shania's popularity occur to me i will post it here.
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Forgive any misspellings,English's not my mother tongue.
Thanks so much Christina for that info.. It is so cool to get a complete different viewpoint as to the role music plays in different parts of the world.. Greece is no exception..Pretty cool that Shania is able to break Greece tradtion as far as music goes... That was a awesome post...Thanks so much for taking the time to post it...Ohh...One more thing... Are people like Martina McBride,Leann Rimes,Allan Jackson,Keith Urban and so on played at all or are they pretty much a zero....Bob
you are welcome Bob, now about other country stars,here's the deal in Greece: we only have 1 radio show that plays country but i stoped listening to this guy and i only listen to the radio through the web. why did i stop??simply because this guy had a problem with shania but not with her music as he likes modern country,he was just saying awful things all the time and he was making me mad. what an irony to be a shania fan in Grece and the only country show to be an anti-shania one.
this guy though he's popular because his show is at night so every ballad lover would turn to this station and not just the country fans,i wonder what these people really think about country.
there is another top 40 station (that is owned by the same company as the other one that has the country show)that he used to have C.Underwood on it's playlist.
another pop station played K.Urban a few times,but overall country in Greece is just a joke and only those that are crazy about music would be able to discover it. the media never mention the country winners of awards shows it's like they've never been there,they only talk about Beyonce and the rest of that kind.
thing are only getting worse here,we used to have 2 other guys that were playing a few country songs on their programme but they dissappeared from the radio.
but,i ain't going down,i have my online stations to listen to,btw you have any suggestions about a good country radio??
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Forgive any misspellings,English's not my mother tongue.
WOW... Very intresting...That is about what I have thought.. I have tried to get some idea from"others" as far as how big country music is in US. I used the example of Martina McBride doing a concert in a large US city trying to fill a 20,000 seat arena..I guess it was thought to be a boring question or something since only Lulu found it intresting.. For your info Martina Mc Bride could not come close to selling out a 20,000 seat arena in Toronto with a population(including outside towns within a one hour drive) of at least 4,000,000( million) people. Needless to say...It is popular but only a selected few artists...TRUST ME...Toronto is NOT country,,Montreal...Thinks it is a total joke,,Western Canada,and Eastern Canada...MUCH MORE....I would LOVE to know if Sara Evans could see out in a venue of this size in the US...Bob
Thanks for the summary Tina. I know Czechs and Slovaks have had country radio stations for many years and have a small following as well. When Shania is on tour she should expand her tour to include some eastern European cities as well as Greece of course, hehe.
She has done so much for country music internationally even though she is marketed as pop, that other new acts can now enjoy her hard work. Too bad Nashville for the most part doesn't recognize this. They did give her the international award at the 1999 CMA awards, but thy should give her more credit too here at home.
you are right 2nd, and even though shania wasn't doing well at the Euro charts her UP! tour went extremely well. she did 8 concerts in Gernamy that is huge for an act coming from N.America,and she gave those concerts in big soccer arenas,i know about them because soccer is very popular here and i've watched a few games myself. i hope i''l be able to be in one of her shows in some European country and of course in America. and maybe she's passing as a pop artist but boy,those fiddles were there in Europe too. for me, having songs like"Any Man" and "Boots"in those Euro arenas was a victory for country music.
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Forgive any misspellings,English's not my mother tongue.
Yup, that is impressive to have a North American country act sellout 8 soccer arenas in Germany. And I've read the reviews from Euro fans in attendance, they all thanked Shania for bringing the steel guitar and those fiddles on tour in Europe where it is seldom seen.
What more does she have to do to win critics over, lol?
Country gal, I so enjoyed reading your report of how much Shania has or has not been played in Greece and in Europe. Shania is a world wide star. I wonder if any other country act can fill 8 soccer stadiums in Europe. Somehow I don't think so. I must say it does bother me that Shania has never been given credit for what she has done. She singlehandedly brought country music to Europe paving the way for the Dixie Chicks and everyone else who has performed there. Yes, 2nd ammendment she has never been given her due respect. Her contributions have never been recognized by Nashville and the powers that be there. UP did not do as well as COO but that was to be expected. sales are not nor ever will be as good as they were then. I hope Shania and Mutt are not feeling pressure about this next cd. It will do well...it will be a multiplatinum sellar.
Yes COO was a freak of nature. Only a half dozen albums ever achieved that plateau. And people must remember that COO out did TWIM in sales when people thought selling more than TWIM would be difficult. Shania has proven everything she needs and I hope the pressure isn't on either, she has said in the past, that there no longer is pressure. UP sold well in today's music climate and I'm sure the next album will be above average as well by today's standards.
you are welcome Bob,
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but not with her music as he likes modern country,he was just saying awful things all the time and he was making me mad
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