I remember the day this magazine started. Sherezade, my assistant, whom I have lost because of the pandemic (she is alive and well, I spoke to her this morning, but she is working in a fully online company and we miss each other), was here. It was summer, I was coming back from some festival and I thought “why not put together all the calls of interest to our community, in a monthly newsletter? And add some more relevant information”. It would help us to keep up to date and could be useful for our network of colleagues and other professionals in this difficult sector. And a public commitment was born: to keep a monthly communication with the purpuse to provide value… and, I hope, some joy too.

The idea of giving a voice to agents of interest in our community came very soon. Those people who don’t appear in the music magazines, who don’t go on stage, but who pull the strings of this little world.

We are a community, disseminated all over the world. We are very diverse but we share some values. We are a community, possibly disorganised, but a community. In these three years I have seen how initiatives such as European Folk Network (its roots are earlier, but the legal constitution is in January 2019) or AGIMA have emerged. Not to mention countless conferences and fairs that have grown or been born and even strengthened in the context of the pandemic. Little by little, we are becoming more and more organised. And we need it. Our community is very aware of the challenges of the environment, of social integration,… and I believe that a profound reflection on our role towards society and how to provide more and better service, identifying new ways of adding value, new experiences, new frames… will be a key issue from now on.

Incredibly, many of the delicate structures that make up this community have managed to survive a year and 3 months of nightmare. Are we crazy or do we have nothing else to do? No, I think neither. What do you think?

This time I’ve gone a bit longer than usual in this opening and got a little bit transcendental. I think the occasion deserves it. Enjoy the rest of the content. I am very happy to share the words of my friend David Sierra in a little interview. Find also good news and other informations with different protagonists. And feel free to share this.

I’ve known David Sierra for a handful of years. He is one of the people who best knows the reality of my country in terms of booking artists in the styles we work with, and I believe that, to a large extent, our struggles are shared.

It is a pleasure to dedicate this space to a colleague I feel so close to. He is from Castile-La Mancha by birth. I adopted Castile-La Mancha as my business legal place and day by day my ties with this land become strengthened. So not only are we both Spanish, but our professional environment at the regional level also coincides.

I think that in this global community of those of us who work, from one point of view or another, with the music of the people, companionship and generosity stand out, and David is an example of all this.

David has more than 15 years of experience in this sector and I am sure that many of the readers of these letters know him, as he has toured stages on three continents and is in touch with clients in America and Oceania where some of his artists have played.

Apart from his work in booking, David co-produces, together with his artist Ana Alcaide, the World Music Festival of Toledo.

Mapamundi Música – Which is your background, what made you become an agent for world music artists? 

David Sierra – Since I was a child, my interest in Art and Culture was always present in my daily life. Music was no exception, as it always accompanied me in each of these stages. Dance, and especially traditional dances (and therefore contact with traditional music) occupied part of my youth and as the years went by, I knew that in one way or another I was going to be linked to these heritage. After university, where I graduated in Humanities and, later on, I also began to study Art History, I had the opportunity to work for a company focused on artistic management and the production of musical programmes for television. I worked there for about 6 years, until 2011, when I started a solo career in the booking and management of different national and international bands, until today.

MM – From your training, education, previous experiences, which ones of the skills or knowledge you got have been the most useful for your career as an agent of musicians? 

DS – Be constantly learning, never stop training and investigating other areas beyond your work as an agent. Be curious, explore the possibilities offered by the use of technology. In an increasingly globalised and connected world, I think we cannot afford to ignore this reality. Therefore, I would say that continuous training in different skills has been the key over the years.

MM – Apart from that or those skills, which other do you think are essential to succeed in this field of work? 

DS – Without a doubt, perseverance and patience. Knowing how to accept the ‘no’ but also setting goals and objectives. Insisting, betting and believing in the projects that one defends, until the end.

MM – Any particular advice for a fellow newcomer or someone who wants to get started in this field?

DS – Are you sure this is your world? If the answer is yes, put faith and don’t give up. Educate yourself and ask for help and advice from other professionals. If you have the possibility, attend talks and learn from their experience but, above all, be brave and be patient because this is a long-term career. Nothing happens by chance and success comes after a lot of effort.

MM – And now, for the artists. I’m sure you get requests from artists every day to be their manager. I am sure because it happens to me too, and many colleagues tell me the same thing. Do you have any recommendations for the artists, so that they can improve the way they communicate when they do it for this purpose?

DS – My recommendation is: “have you had a look at what I do and seen the profile of the artists on my roster? If not, please do so.” It’s very important so that both parties don’t waste time. It may sound like rude advice, with a certain tinge of haughtiness, but deep down it will be very useful to you. I am sure, dear Araceli, that it has also happened to you to receive proposals for theatre, circus, dance or other musical styles that have little or nothing to do with what you do. Therefore, the most important thing when you want an agent to pay attention to what you do, is to ‘study him/her’ and find out if you are both on the same wavelength. In this case, having good artistic material prepared is the key: bio, press reviews, active social networks, updated rider. In my point of view, without this it is very difficult to get the attention of an agent.

MM – Do you think it makes sense for the artists to try to find an agent? Have you ever started a stable collaboration with a band or artist that approached you in their search of an agent? 

DS – Absolutely. An agent has the necessary resources and knowledge to be able to position your musical project without guaranteeing anything, as there are a series of external factors that don’t depend solely on the agent.

With regard to the second question, there are several artists who didn’t have an agent or manager and found support in me. With many of them I still maintain this working relationship, from the beginning of their careers, if not in their artistic careers, yes in their professional careers.

MM – I think there will be still, at least for many years, a lot of artists and a much smaller number of agents, that is the current situation. This makes me think that we are not in a very interesting business, otherwise there would be many more agents working in world music. Nevertheless, it seems the artists require us. Something seems to be wrong, what is it?

DS – In relation to this question, there are indeed a large number of people trying to make a name for themselves in the music industry. Another very interesting question we could discuss is whether we are really talking about artistic projects, that is, a project with its own entity, serious and of quality. In this case, I think the number would be considerably reduced, as there are fewer proposals that have that different, magical, special touch? In this sense, we could turn the question around and comment that there are also many other people who want to act as bookers or managers of these bands (friends or relatives of these artists, for example), who have little or nothing to do with the cultural industries.

MM – Especially in the last year, many of us, independent agents or micro-companies, have felt a bit alone and misunderstood. I have heard claims from colleagues from different countries arguing they have not been considered in the support for the arts after the ravages of the pandemic. With this in mind, I have a question. We are required by the artists but, at the same time, it seems we are a bit invisible. Do you feel that? 

DS –  In my case in particular, I have not received any financial assistance during the pandemic, mainly because, as you mention in the wording of your question, this has depended very much on political decisions at the regional level. In this line we have also been invisible to them, to the politicians I mean, who have shown that they have cared little or nothing about Culture, which, as we know, has been one of the most affected sectors. I believe that it is a role that we have quite assumed at the moment that we position ourselves on this ‘other side of the stage’. I have sometimes heard that the success of an artist lies largely in the technical staff that accompanies him, in the production that they do in the studio or in the sound of his live performance. And I would add: and in the agent, who for me is 50% of this binomial.

MM – My last question. Explain in one or two sentences, to the wider culture community, the reasons to book musicians from around the world that give a relevant presence to their roots. 

DS – Because we need to reclaim our roots. Because we need to open our eyes to other cultures, sometimes silenced by history and political interests. Because there is life far beyond the mainstream, the charts and the power of massmedia.

Credits:

A few days ago I read in Miriam’s Facebook wall that she is the “new Business Director of festival Dias Latinos in #Amersfoort!”. The truth is that I understood her joy and asked her if I could share the news in this bulletin. She agreed and sent me on my request this lovely picture.

In her post she also explained that she is not the programmer (that role will be done by Lucas van Merwijk). She will work on the vision for the next years. She also explained that she will continue working with artists and planning events for Utrech.

Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap

For individual musicians. “This year, Making Tracks will select eight Fellows to take part in a UK residency and tour, held over one month from mid-October.” “Musicians from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply” “Our focus is on young professionals. This typically means that applicants should be between 19 and 35 years old (although we occasionally make exceptions).” Note that: “Due to uncertainties around COVID-19, we are only open to applicants based in the UK and other European countries.” The deadline for applications is 19th July. For more info and applications, here.

“A virtual international showcase opportunity to convey the cultural and aesthetic plurality of American life to domestic and international audiences.”. “Applications are open to music, dance, and theatre artists/ensembles with a demonstrated capacity to tour internationally. PAD encourages artists who self-identify as BIPOC/LGBTQ+ to apply.” For more info and applications, here. Application Close: June 25, 2021, 5:00PM PST. The Arts Midwest’s Online Conference will take place from 17th to 22nd of September and it will be online. 

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• Afro Pepites arts market opens the call for artists until 31st of September (Already present in the previous edition of the newsletter)

• European Folk Network Spring Forward series of three meetings ended

• Check below in the next section of “Meet me at” because those are also relevant events! 

Right now, at Global Toronto. The beginning of the conferences started yesterday, Monday 14th June and it was an intense day. I was able to greet some friends from all over the world and listened to some deep and fresh ideas.

?If you missed it, read the interview with Mercedes Caxaj about Global Toronto 2021, in this previous edition.

I am still waiting for the date for my vaccination. My age group is already being vaccinated so I’m due any day now. I’m checking my mobile phone every 15 minutes to see if I have an SMS! So I have some plans to travel abroad, after so long. My plane is gathering dust in the hangar! ✈️

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How are you? I hope well. I have a variety of emotions today.

I heard this morning about the death of Franco Battiato, the Italian artist who, at least for my generation in Spain, is a reference. From him I first heard concepts such as “dervish tourneur” or “kathakali” and he made me imagine what kind of Balkan music was played on Radio Tirana or played at the summer parties in Ireland.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can listen to the English version of the song I Want to See you as a Dancer, here. This song, sung in Spanish, was on the Spanish public television very often (there was no private television at that time) and on all the radio stations too. I think all Spaniards between 40 and 70 years old can sing it for you. With this song, Battiato planted in the fertile soil of my mind the seed of imagination and curiosity to discover what all those wonders he was telling about would be like. The song is a masterful hymn to the cultural diversity of the peoples of the world. The news of his passing has brought back so many memories.

Apart from that, I am happy to share the very interesting reflections that these people below have so kindly given me and next Thursday I will share an experience of my own at the cultural managers’ conference in Madrid, which I am very excited about. You have more information below.

Thank you very much for your attention. As always, if you have any news of interest for our community, let me know.

Next Sunday, May 23th, it will take place the Belgian World Music Night ? This is a link to the event in Facebook. You can attend it online, from 19:30 CET. The artists that will perform are Kaito Winse, Ana Diaz, Azmari and Les Sheiks Shikhats & B’net Chaabi. The DJs that were selected by the jury are Rrita Jashari and Global Riddims.

This year, I have had the honour to be the international jury, and it made me pay special attention to the organization too: this showcase is organized by the Belgian World Music Network, about which I talked with Piet Maris.

It seems that little by little we are getting organised in this community of the world musics, which for now is still very fragmented. That’s why I think that the example of this organisation, which was born in a country that I always think is very advanced in everything that has to do with our musics, is very interesting and it’s worth going deeper into how and why it started and how they organise themselves.

Piet Maris, who is a member of the Network, as well as a musician himself (in the bands Jaune Toujours, Mec Yek and 3’Ain) and a member of the collective of musicians Choux de Bruxelles, answers my questions on behalf of the Network. On the board are more organisations of old friends whom I will have the pleasure to greet, such as Muziekpublique (hello, Peter!) or Fragan (hello, Frédérique!).

This interview is interesting for anybody that, like me, had an associative spirit. And now I am involved with a bunch of colleagues in the development of AGIMA – Association of Global Independent Music Agents, it is twice as interesting.

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Piet Maris / Belgian World Music Network: We observed with various players in the field (musicians, collectives, agents, promotors, journalists) that world music was being pushed away in our media, more and more, in favour of mainstream musical programming.

At the same time, we felt little organised as a sector for the genre: everyone was a bit isolated in organising activities. So the aim was to bring the sector together and put world music (back) on the agenda.

The first 2 years, the network was organising and active only at the Dutch-Speaking side of the country, but fell silent somehow. Things were not organised in a structural way at at that time. The organisation was still a de facto association, in which dynamics depended mostly on the initiative of a few people.

A few years later, out of the same frustration, a new media campaign was launched towards the Dutch-speaking National Radio, demanding to pay more attention to specific musical genres and world music in particular. In 2017 then, we decided with some key players to take on the network in a broader, more serious set-up, stretching it to the other side of the country as well – to the French-speaking side. From then on we started organising and communicating in and towards the two languages, Dutch and French, seeking to represent the sector for the whole of Belgium.

MM: How did you translate that into more concrete objectives, how did you set the main lines of activity to develop? 

PM: As concrete objectives, we formulated:
– Creating more opportunities, both nationally and internationally, for world music production in Belgium
– Promoting cooperation and reflection in the sector
– Creating more attention for world music in the media, in education and in politics
– Positively portraying the social diversity through music
– Asking attention for the situation of the artists (correct salaries, statute, …)

And to be able to organise all that and guarantee continuity, we “professionalised” the network, making it a “vzw/asbl”, a non-profit association, with a board.

MM: After meetings on a regular basis, the non-profit association was officially established in 2019. So they were 7 years of work to give shape to the network. Why was it so long? Which were the most complicated issues to agree on?  

PM: Cfr. here above: it’s not that we disagreed, but the network activity fell silent for some time. It was only after picking the network up again in 2017 again in a structural way and on a national level, that things indeed got more serious.

MM: You have at least 3 and at most 11 directors in the board of directors. The rules for the elections and re-elections periods are clearly set. And you have 51 active members (organizations) and 30 associate members (individuals). It seems there are a lot of voices and also, in the field in which we operate, there is a very great diversity in all senses of the word. What is the decision-making process like?

PM: Decision-making within the network is based on consensus, themes and goals being initiated by the members of the board. But the sector is also widely consulted to determine whether objectives are correct or should be added, as we’ll do at the upcoming on-line meeting on Friday 21 May, not coincidentally on the World Day for Cultural Diversity.

MM: How do you organise the work? Do you have thematic working groups, with volunteers, or in other ways?

PM: Up till now, the work has been done by the active board members. For one theme, “World Music, what’s in a Name?” (reflection on the term World Music, whether it should be kept or replaced as a term in general but also as part of the network’s name), a working group has been formed with extra players from the sector. On a longer term, on some of our objectives, we want to organise more working groups like this one.

MM: Do you have any secretarial or administrative staff? 

PM: For more than 4 years, we ran everything on a voluntary basis with our board, without a real secretarial or administrative staff. But very recently, we recruited an administrative support: Hélène Spitaels is now working for the BWMN, on a part time basis, since end of March 21.

• Logo, from the Facebook page of the Network
• Portrait of Piet, provided by himself

 

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I have already mentioned AGIMA above. The portrait of Ken Day, here below, is from the video welcoming to the AGIMA Showcase Festival, available here. By the way, that video and all the others for that showcase have been edited by Feliks Volož (Juliana’s son).

I met Ken Day many years ago in Varna, Bulgaria, at the Without Borders meeting, which takes place some years and is organised by Yasen Kazandjiev. Ken is the director of the Urkult Festival, which we talked about in this previous edition. Ken is the founder of AGIMA, he started it when it didn’t even have a name. As with Juliana Volož, who shared her thoughts with us in the edition before this one, I have been in regular contact with Ken during this last fateful year. And now I talk to him from the point of view of an agent for world music artists with his brand D Tours. I think his multifaceted experience is of great interest. I hope you enjoy it.

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• Portrait, from the video of AGIMA’s website, as mentioned above.

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• European Folk Network

Wednesday, June 9th. It will take place the third session of the European Folk Network virtual meeting, “Spring Forward #3”. You can register for the third edition, here. 

The winners of the edition of 2020, that has been postponed until the last weekend, are announced here. Maria Mazzotta has been awarded with the International Critic Award. My partner Juan Antonio Vázquez has been part of the jury, together with Sergio Albertoni, Andrew Cronshaw, Petr Dorůžka, Edyta Łubińska and Piotr Pucyło.

This Award is announced as “the only European contest for World Music artists”, it is addressed to artists coming from all over the world. The registration is free, and the deadline is 31st May 2021. The finals will be held in autumn in Cagliari (Sardinia). Applications must be sent through the format found online on www.fondazioneandreaparodi.it. The prize for the Winner includes concerts and performances in some of the partner music festivals in their 2022 editions, not forgetting the very same Premio Andrea Parodi 2022. In addition to the aforementioned, the winners will be entitled to a € 2,500 scholarship. Whereas the winner of the Critics’ Awards will have a professional videoclip of their competition song produced, offered by the Andrea Parodi Foundation. This is the Facebook cover for the edition of the last weekend (2020’s postponed to 2021):

How are you? I hope well! After February’s edition, I got several suggestions of contents, as well as some feedback and a proposal for collaboration. That is really nice, I am very thankful! And two of the suggestions came from Canada.

By chance, although each contact was completely independent, a father and daughter ended up starring in this March edition. He is known to many of you who will receive this newsletter. He is Alfredo Caxaj. But if you don’t know him yet, I’ll introduce him to you below. He is a true personality, an earthquake. He is the director of the Sunfest festival and this time he tells us about a new initiative: Culturas 360.

And the daughter is Mercedes Caxaj. She has also worked for Sunfest but today she will talk to us about Global Toronto and the organisation from which it was born, Small World Music, which she joined at the beginning of 2021.

Don’t miss the rest of the content, like the open calls. I hope they will be useful and if you have anything to share, just let me know!

Learn more about them, and much more, here below. Happy reading, happy Springtime ?

Click here to listen to this second part.

Alfredo himself chose this photo to illustrate this interview. With the Sunfest stage in the background, his smile and open arms. I think it portrays quite well this person, who arrived in Canada in 1985 as a political refugee, fleeing the civil war taking place in Guatemala. He settled in London, Ontario and began working at London’s Cross Cultural Learner Center, helping New Canadians. In 1995 he founded Sunfest. He has been awarded on several occasions for his work. And you might have seen him dancing tirelessly in front of a stage.

There is a very nice profile and interview with Alfredo on the website of Roots Music Canada, I really recommend you to read it. And here, Alfredo explains to us about a new initiative: CULTURAS 360. Take note and don’t miss it: 27th and 28th March

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Alfredo Caxaj: Absolutely, it is the intention of the festivals’ collective not only to establish this initiative as an annual celebration, but to evolve as an alternative platform to support artists, and to strengthen relationships within our sector. It is the hope that sometime this year we’ll be able to go back to live music performances at festivals and venues, and our vision is to have CULTURAS 360 actively involved at different conferences, markets and festivals. As hard as the pandemic has been for all of us, it has also given us the opportunity to be creative and innovative, and I truly believe that this project is precisely the result of it.

MM – Which or which ones do you think is/are the common element/s between all the festivals involved? 

AC: I think that the fundamental element that has brought us all together, is the commitment to change and social transformation through music. We believe that music is such a powerful vehicle in bringing people together, and through CULTURAS 360, we’ll contribute to nurture cultural diversity and solidarity between peoples

MM – And which are the common elements between the different artists, if there are any? 

AC: CULTURAS 360 is presenting a diverse line up of artists that combines, some well established and recognized groups, and a great number of new and emerging ones. While some share common elements, whether in terms of its musical genre, language or geography, each group is unique and has its own identity.

MM – Which has been the most complicated issue to deal with in this ambitious project? 

AC: For years, some of us have been discussing this kind of initiative. We see each other all the time at different music markets and conferences, and always we were postponing the planning and concrete steps to make this project a reality. Ironically, in one way or another, the pandemic made us reflect on the need of coming together and launching a program like this, so we can continue supporting artists and keeping in touch with our audiences at this difficult time.

I believe that one of the most complicated issues we faced in order to bring this project to light was the pandemic itself, especially for the artists who had to overcome all kinds of safe and health restrictions in their own countries. Initially we had the intention of launching CULTURAS 360 at the beginning of the year, however, due to the limitations the groups were facing, we had no choice but to delay it for several weeks.

AC: As you are aware, when festivals were cancelled last year, it represented the loss of all kinds of revenues for them. In the case of Sunfest, we were not the exception to this and the cancelation affected us tremendously.  We were able to adapt quickly in the transition to a digital format and fortunately, we did a virtual version of the festival.

The level of support from government agencies and private sponsors varies from country to country. In Canada, we have been very fortunate that during this difficult time, government grants and emergency funds for the cultural sector have been available and they have been essential in keeping our operations at a certain level.  We were also very fortunate that our main private sponsor understood the challenges of the current situation, and continued supporting our programming and activities in the digital format.

Unfortunately, this has not been the case for many other festivals in other countries, and that’s why I believe that initiatives like CULTURAS 360, can create spaces for mutual support, collaboration and solidarity within our sector.

MM – Was it easy to convince them to keep the support in this new format? AC: At the beginning of this transition, our main corporate sponsor hesitated a little bit, but I also think it was a natural reaction during this process, since all of us were trying to digest and understand these radical changes in a very short period of time.  At the end, they recognized that this was going to be the new reality at least for some time.

We did lose some other sponsors for which it was going to be challenging to justify their financial support in this new format.

MM – I think there are disadvantages for them, like that this format will provide a reach to a widely geographically distributed audience, which can be bad for brands that work just locally. But also advantages, like a potential presence of their brand for a longer time, in case you plan to keep the contents available after the specific dates of the event. What can you tell us about this negotiation that could be useful for other colleagues? 

AC: What I’ve been learning during the past year is that, sponsors in the private sector, have began slowly to understand and recognize the value of supporting the arts in this new format. Their brands can be seen now instead of several hundred by thousands of people, and in many instances, they stay in the web for some time.
Based on our own experience, I would advise my colleagues to be perseverant and patient at the same time. Corporations are acknowledging now the great number of possibilities for their brands in this new format, and I truly believe that from now on, the proposal of hybrid activities will be essential in the process of negotiating sponsorships.

There is nothing better than the live experience and all of us are eagerly waiting to go back to festivals and venues, but I also believe that the digital component, can tremendously enhance our activities, and help us in reaching out to new and diverse audiences.

? Download a brochure with more information about Global Toronto 2021 and more about Small World Music, here ⬇️ ?

It will be very useful for you to check the brochure before reading the interview.

Mercedes Caxaj: The artists are paid a modest honorarium for their work.  We don’t believe that artists should showcase for free and we wish to engage the artists in a way that our partnership does not just begin and end at Global Toronto. In addition to being paid, the artists are offered various professional development opportunities and are then considered part of the “GT Family” – where we will always suggest them for future professional engagement opportunities.

MM – About “Going Global”, I understand from your brochure that it is like a development support service/guidance, specially focused on the internationalization of the artists. Is that right? What are the concrete future events in this frame?

MC: One of the goals of Going Global is to continue to take artists and professionals from the Global Toronto family out to other industry events. Digitally and in these non-international travel times means producing online showcases and attending virtually. If we receive notice about a conference, where there’s interest in a delegation, programming partnerships, or showcases from the Global Toronto family of artists, we will assist in facilitating a presence to ensure as many voices are included as possible.

MM – And the artists that showcased from your side in Folk Unlocked (the online event by Folk Alliance International in 2021) are the ones included in the first edition of Going Global, is it right? (they are Al Qahwa, Zal Sissokho’s Kora Flamenca, Beny Esguerra and New Tradition Music and G.R. Gritt).

MC: All of the artists have either showcased at Global Toronto in 2018 or in 2020, and/or are co-presented with a Global Toronto partner. G. R. Gritt, for example, was co-presented by the International Indigenous Music Summit, but has not yet showcased at GT. Beny Esguerra showcased in GT18, and Al Qahwa and Zal Sissokho showcased at GT20.

MM – How were they selected, which were the criteria? The deeper you define the criteria, the best!

MC: Global Toronto engages a jury of five dedicated industry professionals – artists, presenters, agents/managers, media, etc – who score each artist based on three categories: artistic quality, market readiness and equity. We are so thankful for our jury members because they can receive up to 250 applications to listen through and have the daunting task of narrowing down the list to about 20 or so. The jury meets to deliberate the final scores and ensure that a range of voices, genres and experience are showcased.

MM – This is all very exciting and seems very ambitious. How is it financed? As you know, the models for such initiatives are quite different in Europe than in the USA and I think also very different between Canada and the USA. You are a team of people working all year round in Global Toronto, but not only, right? GT is a Small World’s initiative, which also has a recording studio, a concert hall that, without pandemic, programmes all year round. How does it normally work in financial terms and how are you overcoming the pandemic crisis?

MC: The team works year-round on all initiatives produced by Small World Music, including the Global Toronto music conference, the eMERGEnce mentorship program, Small World Music Festival and Asian Music Series, as well as managing the Small World Centre which mainly functions now as a broadcast and recording space for virtual presentations. In addition to managing all of these programs, we are continuing to develop our Going Global and international outreach partnership building. On top of all this we are continuously seeking new forms of funding, including government grants, sponsorships and partnerships.  The pandemic period is tough but we are very lucky in Canada to have access to some emergency funding, as well as grantors and corporate sponsors that continue to support even in limited capacities.

MM – About GT again, we are now in the middle of March and the second online edition 2021’s edition, that will be online like in 2020, will take place from 14 to 18 June. What is your schedule for the near future? I think you will announce the artistic selection by the end of the month, won’t you? What else, what other dates shall we write in our calendars for not to miss anything?

MC: The launch of GT21 will take place on March 30th, via the SWM and GT social media channels, where we will be announcing the lineup of showcasing artists, jury and programming committees, partners as well as themes that will be explored during the conference. Registration for the conference will open at the same time. Expect exciting content to be released before June 14th, and exact dates will be confirmed soon!

MM – I have one more question. This is about your strategic vision. The guiding theme of GT21 is “Now What: Making Space, Enacting Change” and you state that it is not a temporary fix to the short term problem of the pandemic. What do you mean with this theme? Making Space and Enacting Change. Please, elaborate a bit more on these ideas.

MC: We are continuing to build upon GT20s theme, which was “Acknowledging Opportunities, Envisioning the Future”. This was framed at the beginning of the pandemic and explored the state of affairs for the industry, how we felt and how we wanted the industry to be rebuilt in a more equitable, sustainable and accessible manner. We created safe spaces to the best of our ability so that participants felt comfortable sharing their lived experiences, as well as aspirations for the future. The need to make spaces for underrepresented voices at all levels and aspects of the music industry – from funding to producing, presenting and programming – as well as how to kick-start these changes. Thus, Making Space and Enacting Change for GT21 is about exploring the pragmatic aspects of these needs and themes explored last year.  We are very excited that we have engaged an amazing programming committee that has actively been participating in the preparation for this year’s conference.

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How are you? I hope you managed to have a great time at Christmas and a good end and beginning of year. For me, these have been a bit sad but at least I got to share some time with my family, in the street and with masks but it is so great that we are all healthy and together. My and their best wishes for your 2021!

Luckily, the storm of super heavy snow arrived later! You are probably aware of how is the center of Spain for the last week ❄️☃️. If you are not, you can check this gallery on my FB. The regional government of Madrid region wants the national government to declare the region a disaster area. You can imagine that the vaccination has slowed down for a while…

Nevertheless, life goes on and there are many plans for the future! Discover below the results of a medical research related to the dissemination of the infection in indoor concerts, don’t miss it! You’ll also find some nice interviews. Did you know that there is a festival in Germany that dates back to 1650? ? If you didn’t, now you do!

Thank you to all the participants who shared their precious time to produce this magazine, thank you too for reading and stay safe!

Thanks for your attention and remember that you can check our website to learn about our offers and the artists we work with.

Araceli Tzigane | info@mundimapa.com | +34 676 30 28 82 

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Girisha Fernando is a music producer, songwriter and bass player, settled in Germany. You can learn about his artistic work on his website. He has a recording studio in the old town of Augsburg (Offshore Studio7). And he is a curator of music, as described on his website, “within the genres of world music, spiritual music, jazz and contemporary pop; artistically ambitious yet always with an eye to an audience”. Girisha works for several events and the one in which we focus here is the Festival der Kulturen, of which he has been curator since 2011 and artistic director since 2018. 

Girisha introduced the festival to us like this:

“The Festival der Kulturen is an annual 2-3 day festival for international contemporary music / world music in the historic city of Augsburg, Germany. It is an independent part of the Programme of the Grand Peace Festival and is staged by the Cultural Office of the City of Augsburg.

Aimed at reaching out and challenging a diverse audience from all walks of society with unfamiliar music and sounds, the programming is focused on winning over the listener through sheer musical force.

Artists to have performed include Seun Kuti & Egypt80, Taraf de Haidouks, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Konono No1, the Portico Quartet, Yasmine Hamdan, Tamikrest, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, Vieux Farka Toure, Dakhabrakha, Kocani Orkestar, Emel Mathlouthi, Bombino, Ibibio Sound Machine, Ebo Taylor and the Warsaw Village Band besides the participation of local musicians and associations.”

Right now, Germany is under the heavy burden of the pandemic, with restrictive measures again. I hope that next Summer Girisha and the public will be able to see the artists of the Festival der Kulturen on the stage in Augsburg. In the meantime, let’s learn more directly from him.
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Eric offered me to reissue this interview in English and Alexander accepted, so thank you to both of you, guys!

Here on the right you see Alex and the questions below were done by Eric (picture below) for his blog at World Music Lab Italy. Remember I made him an interview about this project that you can find here. Now it is Alex’s turn. And I join him in the wish to meet again in Porto next October!