Summary 👇
- Editorial
- The second album of my label has been launched and the third is on the way
- Talk with Marisa Segala, founder of Crossover Frequencies
- Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects. Change in my role in TWMC
- Open calls: European Folk Day, Polyglot, Babel Music XP, GlobalFest, Afro Pepites
- Meet me at ✈️
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Hello, how are you? 
I hope well. I am ok but exhausted again. Much work and many trips… Thrilling and motivating too!
Let me tell you about the picture. A couple of weeks ago, I received this t-shirt, along with the latest CD by Miquel Gil. It says “We will all walk the path to hell.” You can listen to it here.
Miquel is great. I don’t work with him but we’ve been very good friends. I’ll never forget arriving at the office of the record label Sonifolk (extinct and missed, check some of the catalogue here) in the Moncloa neighborhood of Madrid to interview him after the release of his album Orgànic in 2001 (you can listen to it here). The inteview was for Planeta Ritmo magazine. It lasted 9 issues and was the Spanish edition of the Australian magazine Rhythms. And I wrote a lot in every issue starting from the second one.
Miquel was there with Lluís Puig. Lluís was the director of Vesc, the management agency that worked with Miquel at the time. Lluís did wonderful things for world music back then, and we shared moments at concerts, sometimes with almost no audience except him and me. Even back then, we faced setbacks like that… But he got into politics and had to sell his company to his employees. Lluís is now in Belgium. Let me explain. This is Lluís: https://www.catalannews.com/politics/item/former-minister-appears-before-belgian-judge-for-third-extradition-attempt. This week we are in, the Amnesty Law will be voted on, which will likely allow Lluís to return to Spain.
Last Monday, I had a long conversation with Florenci Mas, another essential figure in this circuit from Catalonia. This is his agency. Florenci is a producer and manager, and I met him around the same time as Miquel and Lluís, in the context of his work with Nass Marrakech (you can listen to them here). At that time, I was fascinated by any music with an ethnic flair, let’s say. And I was amazed by the idea that there were people who worked as managers for something like that. It seemed to me that their lives had to be incredible. Now, when I think about him and other pioneering colleagues, they seem like heroes to me. Florenci will be coming through here soon with his own voice. Don’t miss it!
Florenci is preparing a very extensive course on music production and management. He has sent me some texts, and I think it’s going to be really useful. His experience is vast, and I am sure he will open up completely in this training. It will combine asynchronous content with real-time telematic classes. For now, he won’t be doing it in English, but I hope it goes well for him and he can translate it.
The protagonist today is a very interesting lady with a thrilling career and initiative. I am sure you’ll like to know more about her if you already know her and you’ll love to discover her if you don’t: Marisa Segala.
Enjoy!
Remember: if you have any news of interest for our community, let me know. Thank you very much for your attention.
Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música | +34 676 30 28 82
THE SECOND ALBUM OF MY LABEL HAS BEEN LAUNCHED AND THE THIRD IS ON THE WAY
As I mentioned some time ago, I created a record label, Mapamundi Música, to physically release the CD “Kiğı” by Ali Doğan Gönültaş. His album had already been released in digital format and no label wanted to re-release it to create a physical version, so I did it myself. We made 300 copies and had to make another 200 later. And now I have very few left.
Now we have the second work, “Keyeyî,” ready in our hands, and we have sold some CDs at recent concerts in the Netherlands and in Hannover. During the stay in Nijmegen for the performance at Music Meeting, the trio recorded for VPRO television for its superb series of live performances. Here is the video below.
I also want to mention this review of their concert at the festival, and highlight a phrase that moved us all: “The world needs more people like Ali Doğan Gönültaş.” Curiously, a colleague whom I value very much told me those exact same words about myself a couple of days ago.
The third release will be Vigüela’s 10th album, “We”. After the last three albums released with ARC Music, this new one will be released by Mapamundi. I have already listened to it and, like each one, it is unique and a step forward; they always take a step forward. They have infinite dedication and energy.
I am in the process of defining a value offer for more artists who need support with issues such as distribution, manufacturing, promotion, content writing, etc. I will provide updates as it progresses.
| This video was recorded at @MusicMeetingAllEars / Festivalhuis Nijmegen 2024 for VPRO Vrije Geluiden: music program made by the Dutch public broadcast organization VPRO. |
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AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR: MARISA SEGALA, founder of Crossover Frequencies
Marisa Segala is a figure present at many international world music events. I don’t know exactly when we met, but we’ve run into each other many times. Maybe you have too. I believe the last time we crossed paths was in Veszprém, at the BALKAN:MOST festival.
A couple of months ago, I started seeing information about Crossover Frequencies from her Facebook profile. I had previously associated her with the brand Second to the Left, so I wanted to learn more about this new brand and share it with our readers.
So, Marisa established Crossover Frequencies, which is a booking agency and presenter based in Denmark.
She has produced over 30 European tours, with over 200 concerts in 24 countries. She is co-producer of the festival RESONATOR. Marisa brings over two decades of artist touring, booking and production expertise and has worked with international artists from Asia, Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Europe.
Mapamundi Música: We have met many times before, in several countries and events. And one thing now called my attention. You are introducing “Crossover Frequencies”. This is new, but you are not new in this business. Can you explain what is Crossover Frequencies and why did you start in?
Marisa Segala: The very first project I embarked on under the name ‘Crossover Frequencies’ took actually place before the company got officially reigistered. I was presenting a podcast produced by Ankur Malhotra, also known as SpinCycle (Amarrass Records / Madison Music Review / Aural Grooves). In Odense, where I reside, we have one of the largest music libraries in Europe, containing perhaps the most extensive vinyl collections of folk and roots music in Scandinavia! The podcast served as an exploration into this vast collection – It is a sonic journey that takes listeners on an exploration, evoking old memories and provoking new thoughts, and it will always be available on the Crossover Frequencies website.
MS: Most people in the industry know me as Second to the Left. Crossover Frequencies is a natural evolution of Second to the Left. Second to the Left began in 2017 as an organizer of a concert series in Odense, Denmark, with support by the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality. As we invited bands from outside of Europe, we were often helping them find additional opportunities to ensure sustainability for both the venues/festivals and the bands. So we quickly took over the role of booking agency for many artists, and this became such a significant activity that it warranted the creation of a dedicated company with a different identity and structure. Thus, Crossover Frequencies was founded in August 2023. It feels gratifying to have my own company, and I had wanted to start it as early as 2020, but the world shut down for a couple of years there.
Crossover Frequencies primarily focuses on booking artists, but I also collaborate with Resonator festival in Odense, Denmark. Resonator is a venue festival now in its fourth edition in 2024, and Crossover Frequencies is part of the artistic director team, proposing artists to the venues involved and negotiating conditions. In addition, Crossover Frequencies curates events at venues in Odense and Copenhagen. Therefore, I sometimes act as a booking agency and sometimes as a presenter, which allows me to understand the challenges and expectations from both sides of the business.
MM: How would you define the kinds of music you work with? Any specific interest (geographical, style, instrumentation…)?
MS: I would say that music that incorporates elements from diverse cultural traditions and regions around the globe, often blending traditional sounds with contemporary influences to create unique and eclectic musical expressions.
MM: How do you chose the artists to work with?
MS: One of my main criteria is that I feel that I can watch a band perform live for 10 consecutive days and feel increasingly excited about their music each night on tour. Another criterion is that I must have complete trust in the musicians and their team, knowing that we share the same approach to the business. Trust is a crucial element.
MM: What would you say as an advice for a newcomer in the business?
MS: If you’re in it for the money, switch to pop. But if you’re doing it because you love it, persevere. Don’t give up or get frustrated when results are slow to show. Dare to try, take risks, and believe in what you do.
MM: What would you say as an advice for musicians who want to approach someone like you to begin a collaboration?
MS: The best (or perhaps only) way is to give me the opportunity to see their band perform live. I receive a lot of music in my inbox, and I do make a point to listen to everything that comes my way. There are numerous bands that I hope to have the chance to see live one day.
MM: How was your beginning in the music business?
MS: I’ve always been fascinated by the music business and have held various roles over the past 30 years, taking on a multitude of responsibilities. My journey began as a presenter at a small cultural center. Possibly due to the scarcity of agencies in Scandinavia at the time, many bands sought my assistance in securing more concert opportunities.
My very first tour was closely linked to my final thesis at university in 2012. It involved researching venues and exploring what measures could encourage them to feature more music from around the world. This research was supported by a project where I raised funds to bring Burkina Electric to Denmark. At the time, they were one of the few West African bands incorporating electronic elements into their music.
| This is the band Burkina Electric, mentioned by Marisa, performing in Copenhagen in March 30, 2012: |
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MM: Why are you working on this? Which is your personal background, do you come from a family related to music? Or are you a musician yourself?
MS: No, I do not come from a family with ties to music. In fact, I’m quite certain my parents would have preferred me to pursue a “regular” job instead. I’m not a musician myself though I do have formal university education in culture and music. I’ve been involved in the music industry for the past 30 years, and taken on various roles. I would say that it was music that found me, rather than the other way around—and honestly, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.
MM: If you can dream a little, in 5 years, where would you want Crossover Frequencies to be?
MS: We aim to be an agency that brings the next big talents to Europe. Therefore, we are focused on exploring the music scenes in Africa, Latin America, and Asia to discover talented and unique musicians. Our goal is to elevate these artists and help them gain recognition and success beyond their home countries. I am of course not alone in this ‘adventure’ – I do collaborate since the beginning with an excellent manager and producer – Ankur Malhotra.
MM: Which are the main challenges you face in this business?
MS: Working with artists who require visas presents its challenges. The lengthy processing times, ranging from 2 to sometimes 6 months, are particularly daunting. Embassies typically retain the artist’s passport throughout the application process, preventing the band from touring during this period.
If you need to apply for a Schengen visa, a UK visa, and possibly even a visa for the US/Canada, it can be extremely challenging in terms of timing.
Another significant challenge is timing. When planning European tours, promoters in the North are typically prepared to confirm arrangements a year in advance, whereas promoters in the South tend to wait much longer before confirming.
MM: Which are the main challenges you have experienced since you began until nowadays?
MS: I believe the most significant challenge occurred in September 2021. My band from India, Barmer Boys, had secured a standard Schengen visa based on a specific contract. However, upon their arrival in Europe, authorities blocked them, claiming their visa was invalid. Despite the band (and many others over the past 30 years) having obtained Schengen visas for the same engagements multiple times previously without issue, this time was different. Numerous prominent figures in the cultural sphere were shocked by the event and attempted to assist, but unfortunately, once the visa authorities make a decision, there is little recourse available. While you can file a complaint, the process takes over a year to receive a response, and if you apply for and receive a new visa in the meantime, your complaint is closed.
Thank you, Marisa! Long and successful live for Crossover Frequencies! 🥂
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BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS
About this, I have a special news to share. Related to my activity as a newcomer record label, since May and onwards, I have stopped voting in the Transglobal World Music Chart. I keep on as co-administrator, dealing with several activities but I won’t vote. Therefore, I have made this decision independently and on my own initiative to avoid a conflict of interest.
Why? So far, I haven’t been directly involved in the business of the albums of the artists I collaborate with. I have voted conscientiously and fairly. Ali Doğan Gönültaş submitted Kiğı when I didn’t know about him at all. After that, we got in touch and started to work together. I released Kiğı physically and we didn’t submit it again despite it being a new edition, with my own label, which I began just to be able to release it physically. My other collaborators have released their albums in record labels not related to my business and I have got money only from the business of the concerts.
What has changed? Ali’s new album’s physical edition has been released my label Mapamundi Música. We have it already in our hands. The 10th album by Vigüela will be released by my own label too, in a few weeks. And I am going to offer discographic services for more bands that I find interesting. What has changed is that now I am directly involved in the discographic business.
It has not been easy to make this decision. One of the main goals of creating TWMC was to increase the visibility of productions from small labels and from economically and logistically disadvantaged regions, and I have tried to proceed in this way with my vote for almost 8 years. I have the trust in TWMC to continue contributing to making our global community of music from the peoples of the world a fairer place, by facilitating the dissemination of quality content, also from productions in less privileged contexts.
The quantity, diversity, and commitment of the panelists will ensure that the absence of my vote won’t affect the results. I’d like to take this opportunity to mention that two panelists have recently joined us. Martin Webb, producer of BBC Radio 3: Music Planet, is taking over from Roger Short, who has retired and now he is an honorary member. And Stanley Gazemba, features editor of Debunk Media, has joined us from Nairobi. It’s an honor to have them with you. You can check the full list of panelists here: https://www.transglobalwmc.com/members/.
I will continue bringing news about TWMC here as usual.
- #1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in May of 2024 is: Aynur’s Rabe (Dreyer Gaido)
- Mundofonías: the three favourites of the month are Synnøve Brøndbo Plassen’s Den lyse dag, Quintet Bumbac’s Héritages and Adolfo Pacheco’s Cumbia cumbia cumbia!!! Vol. 2 [V.A.]
Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap!
OPEN CALLS
This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call of relevance to the community
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European Folk Day again in 2024! NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER.
“The first European Folk Day took place on Saturday 23 September 2023 (the day of the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere) and it’s happening again on Monday 23 September 2024! It is coordinated by the European Folk Network. Participation is OPEN NOW to any individual, band, institution, company, community, local group…
Anyone who wants to join in with an activity relate to music, dance or storytelling, either in person or online, is welcome.”
Polyglot. NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER.This can be interesting for musicians who compose their music in several languages from the participan countries. And also for their managers of course. I have a special sensitivity towards minority languages and it is a topic I deal with often. This project mentions the minority languages explicitly, for which I am glad.
These two phrases will give you an idea of this project:
- “If you’re a songwriter who has a hit at hand, a potential chart-topper ready to conquer new audiences, apply!”
- “Songs in their original language are translated and promoted in other European languages by our seven partners”.
In the official website, on Open Call, it says: “We are looking for songs written in the official or minority languages of the seven participating countries (Catalonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal and Ukraine)”. I have seen in other places the mention of Spain instead of Catalonia, so I sent a question to the organicers. In Spain there are several minority languages which are official in different parts of the country, like Galego and Euskera. I wanted to know if they are excluded from the call, as they mention as participating country Catalonia. The answer is that Galego and Euskera are not excluded.
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Babel Music XP. NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER.
They define the event as the “Mediterranean Hub on the World Music Map“. The call for the showcases will be open from 4 of June to 7 of July and the event will take place on 20, 21 and 22 of March of 2025 in Marseille.
Application is open until June 7, 2024.
“globalFEST’s festival takes place each January and is one of North America’s most important global music events, attracting a large number of music industry professionals, members of the press and music fans. Following participation at gF, artists have gone on to tour North America at hundreds of theaters, events and festivals across the country and around the world.” Check the official website.
There is a $20 application fee. You can contact them if you are unable to afford this fee. Note that “Invited Artists will be responsible for their own travel, accommodation, and visas. gF provides backline, production, and catering, plus an honorarium for each band member (+ one crew member)”.
The 14th casting of the Afro Pepites Show (The Trade Show) is open until 30 Sept. 2024! The registration process is here. It is a call for many kinds of arts, not just music. “The casting is open to all artists (musicians, painters, dancers, photographers, fashion-designers, sculptors, story-tellers, humorists, poets, directors of short movies and actors of solidary-based actions), who are from Africa, the Caribbean, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, etc. and to all artists inspired by Africa.”
The 3 selected projects (The Pepites) will be integrated into their platform and will benefit from support in communication and possibly in management.
MEET ME AT
If you happen to attend these events, drop me a line. If you are not, they can be interesting for you too in any case.
- 16th June: Prague, Festival Respect. Concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş.
- 3-5 July: Førdefestivalen. Concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş
For later on the year: last Monday I booked the table for Mapamundi Música at WOMEX to our institution ICEX, which organices the Spanish stand there. I also registered with ICEX for Mundial Montreal but this is not 100 % sure yet.
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 50 stations in 18 countries). We produce the Transglobal World Music Chart with our partner Ángel Romero from WorldMusicCentral.com.
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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