If you’re a big Rammstein fan, you probably know that the band’s name was inspired by a tragic airshow accident that occured at the Ramstein airbase. It happened 20 years ago on this day, August 28th, 1988, in what was West Germany at the time. The Italian Air Force’s show team Frecce Tricolori was performing a maneuver known as the “pierced heart” when 3 planes suddenly collided in mid-air and plunged into the crowd below. Sadly, 70 people were killed including the 3 pilots, and an additional 346 spectators were seriously injured.

Let’s take a moment to remember this event and the people who died on that day. Then, get our your Herzeleid CD and listen to the song “Rammstein” which was created in memory of this disaster. Music always sounds better when you know what emotions inspired it.

Today is the birthday of the compact disc, the first of which was released in Germany on August 17th, 1982. The first CD ever for sale was a recording of Richard Strauss’s symphony “Eine Alpensinfonie” as conducted by the famed Herbert von Karajan, and was released on Deutsche Grammophon, the company established by Emile Berliner who invented the disc record gramophone 93 years prior. The history of music sure does have a lot of ties to Germany.

A generation after the CD was first introduced, its future is questioned on an almost daily basis. CD sales are dropping worldwide and MP3 players have all but wiped out portable CD players. Fortunately, there are still some people who really only feel good if they own a CD. They like holding a physical CD from their favorite band or looking at the artwork and reading the lyrics on the pages of the insert booklet. But will this idea last, or will everything eventually just turn into digital files? What do you think? Which type of person are you?

Arndt Peltner, Radio Goethe’s producer, will be appearing at the German embassy in Washington DC on Saturday, May 3rd for a special DJ set from 10 AM until 3 PM. Aside from hearing some great music from some of the most creative musicians in Germany, you will also be able to sample German food, learn a lot about German culture and the work the embassy does, and tour the Ambassador’s residence during this time. I will be in town for this event also, so come join us for a day filled with culture.

EU Open House
This event is part of the EU Open House in which all the European embassies in the city are open to the public for the day. Everyone is invited to come in to experience what it’s like behind the gates and to learn about their respective countries and cultures. This open house event kicks off a week of European celebrations which ultimately lead up to Europe Day on May 9th.

Getting to the embassy
The German embassy is located just outside the main hub of Washington DC at 4645 Reservoir Road, NW. You can also see a list of all the European embassy locations and their events for the day here on CulturalTourismDC.org.

The 19th annual Popkomm music conference started today in Berlin. This show, which started in 1989 in Düsseldorf, is held as a regular meeting place for the music and entertainment industries. Popkomm’s trade show is the biggest in the music industry, with over 800 exhibitors and over 15,000 visitors from around the world last year. There is also a major discussion forum at the show where different ideas are shared and industry issues are discussed. Economics, politics, and communication are the three “pillars” of discussion at this year’s conference, presented by keynote speakers such as the German Federal Minister for Economics and Technology, Michael Glos, and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Bernd Neumann. Several other notable people within the industry will also be speaking, ranging from musicians and producers to band managers and label representatives.

But Popkomm is not all about business, there’s a lot of fun to be had, too. Their annual festival attracts hundreds of musicians from dozens of countries to perform, essentially turning the entire city of Berlin into a huge concert venue. Last year, 70,000 people watched concerts during Popkomm, and this year the crowds are expected to be even bigger. There is also an awards ceremony where the most creative music industry ideas receive an IMEA, or Innovation in Music and Entertainment Award.

Popkomm will continue for 3 days until the 21st. If you’re fortunate enough to be in or near Berlin the next few days, check out some of the activity. You are bound to find some exhibit or concert you like.

Alexx Wesselsky is one of the biggest names in German electro-metal music, and his physical presence doesn’t let you forget it. This Eisbrecher (and formerly Megaherz) frontman is a lifelong resident of Munich and knows all about his hometown. So when Radio Goethe correspondent Nina Pauler got the opportunity to take a tour of this beautiful city with Alexx as her guide, she couldn’t resist.

The two started out by visiting the Tollwood Festival in the Munich Olympiapark. (This structure was actually designed by the German architect Günter Behnisch, not a Danish designer like Alexx said.) Later that night, they headed to The Garage where Megaherz played many of their first concerts, and eventually found themselves in the Nerodom where Alexx is a DJ once a month. The next day, he and Nina visited the world famous Frauenkirche which is the biggest church in Munich. Then, they visited a number of other landmarks in the city including the opera house (where they heard the music of the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, not Tchaikovsky as Nina guessed) and some other museums and monuments. They ended their tour in one of Munich’s famous beer gardens.

If you listen to the full show, you will not only get a great tour of Munich with a fantastic musician, but you’ll also hear some interesting history lessons. To listen to the full 30-minute segment, head on over to the Radio Goethe Magazine website or download it directly here. Please let Arndt know what you think of this new program with musicians taking us on a tour of their hometown. We would appreciate it if you leave a message in the Radio Goethe guestbook or just write a short review of the show on iTunes.