Geneva Around this time, the House of Savoy came to at least nominally dominate the city. In the 15th century, an oligarchic republican government emerged with the creation of the Grand Council. In the first half of the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation reached the city, causing religious strife, during which Savoy rule was thrown off and Geneva allied itself with the Swiss Confederacy. In 1541, with Protestantism on the rise, John Calvin, the founder of Calvinism, became the spiritual leader of the city and established the Republic of Geneva. By the 18th century, Geneva had come under the influence of
European Country Music Association European Country Music Association The European Country Music Association (ECMA) was established in 1994 in the United Kingdom and Spain by people related to the European country music scene, including publishers, DJs and musicians. It originally consisted of less than 100 members. The first president was the UK's Harry E. Fenton. After Fenton's death, Rafel Corbi--a DJ from Spain--was elected to the presidency, and he remains in charge of the organization, which is still a non-profit association. All members of the Board of Directors are volunteers. It was the first organization formed in Europe to promote country music at a