June 2020 | Life returns, mini interviews, joint ventures and more
Life came back. And it seems we can have some hope about retaking our activities. WOMEX is announced and even though the virus is still worrying, the pandemic seems to be more controlled, at least here in Spain (but the news from Latin America and about new outbreaks are dreadful).
I preview very hard times for our community of world music for at least the next two years, what do you think? Particularly in countries like mine, where the circuit of world music is supported almost in its entirety by public money, and cuts in the budgets for culture will be sure. That’s one of the reasons to join forces with Spain is Music (apart from the mutual understanding and shared passion for music), of which I have talked previously. Learn more below.
Find below also two more interviews with directors of festivals included in the project MOST, as well as some more useful initiatives.
Remember that you can send any suggestion of content for the next editions. And if you like this, tell me. And share it and let your friends know. 
And once more here you have our playlist to accompany the reading –>
Thanks for your attention.
Araceli Tzigane | info@mundimapa.com | +34 676 30 28 82
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Summary:· Recent news and calls. Please, consider to sign.
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RECENT NEWS AND CALLS, IN SHORT
Uphold culture in the EU budget. By Culture Action Europe. You can sign to support this call: “Ahead of the European Council meeting on 19 June, we call on the Member States to:
- Double the budget of Creative Europe, as the core programme for reinforcing European cultural cooperation (#Double4Culture).
- Make sure that the additional funds stemming from the Next Generation EU initiative, such as REACT-EU, reach cultural operators.”
Mapping the Traditional Sector in Europe – and Youth Engagement. Who is doing what in traditional arts in Europe – and where? By European Folk Network. “This initial survey is the first stage in a long-term process of contacting and identifying organisers and organisations. It will establish basic information on the active organisations in as many countries as possible.”
TWMC Festivals Award 2020 is cancelled. By Transglobal World Music Chart. “A festival award doesn’t make sense without festivals. Many of the applicant festivals for this year’s edition have been cancelled. Many others that would have applied, haven’t finally done it, in this situation of uncertainty. Even if some live music acts were possible in Autumn, most of the Spring and Summer festivals aren’t taking place until 2021.
We have been receiving the news about the cancellations and postponements with grief and we wish that all the organizers will overcome this fateful year with enough strength to resurge in 2021.”
WOMEX 2020 is announced. I think many of us were waiting for this news. At least for me, this is very symbolic. It will be like recovering the life and the strength. The preparations for WOMEX are always exhausting as well as stimulating. Learn more about the insights of the responsible people in this online conference.
Do you want to share any useful news for the community of the world music in the next edition? Let me know!
MAPAMUNDI MÚSICA JOINS FORCES WITH SPAIN IS MUSIC
In the edition #8 of this magazine I introduced Pablo Camino’s brand, Spain is Music, a travel agency specialized in cultural trips and, specifically, in trips in which the music has a very relevant place and the public is an active participant of the popular art.
In previous occasions, Mapamundi has been provider for Spain is Music and now, the crisis of the pandemic, has serve us to reflect on how to reinforce our synergic relationship. Together, we are creating touristic packages, like From Quixote to Almodovar the biggest stories from Castilla-La Mancha. And also new shapes of events, like Folk Camp Spain. One of our main needs is to find tour operators in other countries, that had the marketing tools to reach the clients. The concept, production and customisation are our responsibility. As the Spanish we are, superb food, enchanting artistic patrimony and joy of life are guaranteed.
**** Do you have a world music festival and you want to be included in our mini interviews? Contact us. ****
CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS
As mentioned in the previous issue of this magazine, thans to the MOST project I got to know about some festivals from the Balkans that I didn’t know before. Find below the little interview with Dragoș Rusu from the Outernational Days (Bucharest, Romania) and with Mirza Redzepagic, from the World Music Fest Zeman (Novi Pazar, Serbia).
MINI INTERVIEW WITH DRAGOȘ RUSU FROM THE OUTERNATIONAL DAYS (BUCHAREST, ROMANIA)
The Outernational Days festival started in 2016 in Bucharest. The previous editions have took place in several venues in the city. This year, they will produce an online event, as Dragoș explains below.They defined Outernational “as a place positioned outside of history; as a shapeless world that has been developing at the periphery of the International sphere. What makes Outernational music so distinct is its lack of exposure in mainstream and non-mainstream media, for reasons that are usually linked to ethnical biases.”
- MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?
DR: Originality and substance.
- MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
DR: To promote the Outernational concept. It is developed here. - MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?
DR: The main issues are related to insufficient funds and the unreliability of the Romanian government to support independent cultural activities.
- MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?
DR: The main challenges are related to convince the audience to engage in consuming the cultural products (concerts, panels, lectures) that we propose through our festival.
- MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.
DR: Outernational is a memorable and unique festival experience, one that will open your mind and offer a new understanding of the concept world music and the Balkan cultural heritage.
- MM – Is this experience we are living now, the crisis of the coronavirus, changing your festival in any way (apart from postponing this year’s edition, if so)?
DR: For 2020, we wanted to move the festival out from Bucharest into the middle of nature, in a remote village in North East of Romania (Vaslui county). However, due to the coronavirus pandemia, we won’t be able to do the festival with audience for this year, therefore we decided to do a special edition, only on online – Outernational Virtual Festival will take place between July 25 and 26, there will be several concerts streamed live on our Youtube and Facebook channels.
- Profile picture of the festival’s Facebook site
- Dragoș Facebook profile picture
MINI INTERVIEW WITH MIRZA REDZEPAGIC FROM THE WORLD MUSIC FEST ZEMAN (NOVI PAZAR, SERBIA)
World Music Fest Zeman is a world music festival, born in 2018, that takes place in the City Park under the open sky of Novi Pazar. The idea of the festival is to gather artists from different parts of the world who will present themselves with their art, in front of the local audience at Novi Pazar. The festival consists of concerts by world music scene artists, diverse music workshops and lectures, as well as competition for singers/vocal performers of Balkan music.
- MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?
MR: Zeman Fest crew, consisted of musicians, is always looking for artists who can provide good musical experience as well as good show. Since the festival is happening in region which is at the border between different Balkan countries and culture, we are trying to provide different musical experience to the audience as well a positive cultural experience to the guest artists.
- MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
MR: Our idea is to bring good music to Novi Pazar and that’s the primary goal for which we started with the festival in 2018. Our objectives for the future are to put this festival at the spotlight of serious artistic events in region and in Europe, as well to provide great experience to the audience and the artists too. Since our town, Novi Pazar is officially the youngest town in Europe where 50% of the population are younger than 35 it has a great potential of developing the platform of cultural, artistic education and experience.
- MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?
MR: As far as now we really haven’t had any big difficulties organizing the festival since we have full support by the local authorities with whom we have fair cooperation at any field of organization and that so we consider us really happy having that all. The small issues (logistic stuff etc.) is something that is part of the work so there’s no need to mention it.
- MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?
MR: My personal opinion is that those challenges depends of the place. Most of the festivals are struggling with the finances because the funds for the culture are lesser every year and it it makes the job difficult for the organizers. Our main challenge is to gain the audience since this kind of happenings are not often in our town, but we are really optimistic about it since it is a natural proces of growing. With the good music you’re getting good audience.
- MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.
MR: Young beautiful people, great energy, rich town history and a perfect venue with great music, that is Zeman Fest.
- MM – Is this experience we are living now, the crisis of the coronavirus, changing your festival in any way (apart from postponing this year’s edition, if so)?
MR: At this moment we are still waiting to see what is going to happen in the next few weeks with the country regulations about the mass gatherings and public events. We are working on preparations of plan B and even plan C. Definetily the festival is going to happen, in which form we still don’t know but we are prepared and optimistic.
- Profile picture of the festival’s Facebook site
- Mirza portrait provided by himself
IN THE NEXT EDITION
Many things will show up but, for now, there are two contents that I have quite clear.
- Interview with Béla Pap for the Challenges for Festivals series (portrait below, provided by himself). I know him for so long. I met him in Without Borders, the meeting in Bulgaria organized by Yasen Kazandjiev, the first time I attended. Béla directs Alt Productions. His Heritage World Music Festival is also participant in MOST.
- Naxos Music Library. Ina Schroeder (portrait below from her Linkedin) will kindly answer some questions about this initiative that joins the complete catalogues or selected recordings of over 800 labels.
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WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS
Mapamundi Música is an agency of management and booking. Learn more here. Check our proposals at our website.
We also offer you our Mundofonías radio show, probably the leader about world music in Spanish language (on 46 stations in 17 countries). We produce the Transglobal World Music Chart with our partner Ángel Romero from WorldMusicCentral.com. And we lead also the Asociación para la Difusión de los Estilos.
Feel free to request info if you wish. For further information about us, get in touch by email, telephone (+34 676 30 28 82), our website or at our Facebook.
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