Magazine #26 August’20 | Babel Music XP, Mikołajki Folkowe & a life that deserves a movie

Magazine #26 | August’20. Babel Music XP, Mikołajki Folkowe & a life that deserves a movie

How are you? Today it would be my grandmother Manuela’s birthday, August 18th. And I still miss her quite often. Even so, I’m glad she’s not going through this nightmare. They already had their disaster… In Spain we are having upbreaks of the virus, you might now. This picture is 10 days old. Masks were already mandatory all over the country, all the time, but this was done somewhere deserted in Castilla-La Mancha, between two magnificent windmills, with no one around. The municipality is Tembleque, in Toledo province.

The day after the picture, we had the first concert by Vigüela after the start of the situation. It was openair, with control of access, with mandatory masks and hydroalcoholic gel for the hands and paired chairs with distance between them. Beside some rare cases, in Spain the population is following the safety measures. We felt totally safe and the public too. This is how the place looked like before the arrival of the public:

We still can do this kind of little events, but the restrictions are increasing. In other countries, like Israel, the restrictions are even bigger: there, they can’t host more than 20 people in the audience.

Today, Tuesday 18th, we are together in El Carpio de Tajo, preparing some things related to the online events we will have in September.

Nevertheless, music doesn’t stop and our community keeps the flame alive with thrilling plans. Read the interview with Olivier from Babel Music XP, the reincarnation of Babel Med, and with Agnieszka from Mikołajki Folkowe. All the good for you!

Remember that you can send any suggestion of content for the next editions. And if you like this, tell me and share it with your friends. You can read the previous issues here.

Thanks for your attention and remember that during the reading you can listen to some great music by our artists collaborators –>

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

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Summary:

· How is it going to be: Babel Music XP with an interview with Olivier Rey
· Mini interviews with festival manager: Agnieszka Matecka from Mikołajki Folkowe
· In deep with Andrzej Bieńkowski, a life devoted to the dissemination of the traditional music

BABEL MUSIC XP, THE NEW PROFESSIONAL DATE FOR THE COMMUNITY

I call it “new” because, despite collecting the legacy of Babel Med, Babel Music XP has a new vision, a new team and new ambitions. As already mentioned in the previous edition, it will start in two parts: a professional meeting in November 26th-27th and trade fair with concerts in March 25-27th, in Marseille. Olivier Rey, from Dock des Sud, kindly answered our questions.

Mapamundi Música: What has happened that made this rebirth possible?
Olivier Rey: A lot of energy and conviction, a new dialogue with institutionnal partner and a new collaboration with Zone Franche.

MM: Why did Babel Med stop?
OR: Probably a lack of understanding with our principal partner, Region Sud, mixed with some political change and decision at this moment. That was the main reasons for the money cuts. In 2017, It was violent for all the members involved in the organisation of Babel Med Music.

“That’s our ambition: to become again a international platform for the music sector, a Mediterranean gate for music exchange”

But we have to say, maybe, the event hadn’t evolved enough. In 2005, Babel Med Music was pioneer – with Womex – in world music forum. 14 years later, many meetings had grown everywhere with success and music had changed: creativity, tools, business, live, interactions between artists, pros, audience. So Babel Med Music was great to connect all the music family under the same roof (and we want to keep this human atmosphere which is specifical to Babel) but we have now “to upgrade” the event whith this new context.

That’s our ambition: to become again a international platform for the music sector, a Mediterranean gate for music exchange, to develope economical impact for the world music sector and also to add some new societal contents connected to the musical sphere (innovation, women’s role in the music industry, environmental responsability…).

I have to say that, today, discussions are much more appeased with Region Sud which supports us in this rebirth. We are grateful for this new essential chapter between us.

MM: The name of this initiative is not exactly the same. It was Babel Med, it is Babel Music XP. Has this change of name any transcendental meaning? What is the meaning of “XP”?
OR: We have to mean the change and also to affirm our heritage. So we propose a new experience (XP) of Babel. As we have a much different experience in music. And for many pro in the world, Babel Music is linked with Marseille. So we can be proud of that.

“Past, present and future of music from the world is our credo.”

MM: You have already closed the application period for the showcases. Will the event keep the same artistic line? Babel Med’s offer of showcases was very diverse, with many acts related to the cultures that have been historically connected to France, but not exclusively. There were from totally acoustic and quite traditional performances to miscegenated and electric ones. Will this approach be kept?
OR: Yes, from acoustic to digital music, we want to propose a photography of world music at the instant. Past, present and future of music from the world is our credo.
Same artistic line than Babel Med Music: open-minded to the world sounds…

MM: I think that many of the selected acts for Babel Med were produced or represented by French companies. Correct me if I am wrong, as I don’t have the data, this is just my insight after the editions I attended so I might be biased. Will Babel Music XP be more open to other countries’ presenters than Babel Med was?
OR: The selection of bands which have to answer to the call for application. Historically, it was 50% produced or represented by French companies. Today, we have many propositions from Europe, Argentina, Caribean, North African, Mediterranean area, Indian Ocean and Francophonic Africa. Our project is to work with different musical ambassadors all over the world who can incite local producers to answer to the call for application. That’s a point to expand.

MM: Who are the people in the jury for the selection of showcases?
OR: They are artistic directors, programmers of festival, journalists or artists. We’ll publish the list this Autumn. The only thing we can say today is the “honorary patron” for this year is Gilles Peterson. He’s an outstanding headhunter and he’s at the same time DJ, producer, label founder, media… A different approach of worldmusic…

MM: What will happen in the pre-edition in November? If the current situation of the pandemic didn’t allow it to be as planned, do you have a plan B?

OR: The pre-edition in november is a particular rebirth with Covid-crisis. All the musical sector have to gather, to discuss and to imagine new collaboration in this context. The Before Babel Music XP must be used for that. In November, we organize professionnal meetings (without stand or forum) and few concerts. In March we’ll find again the fundaments of Babel: international exhibition, stands, agora, meetings and presentations for pros and 30 concerts for pros and general public.

MM: Which is the calendar for the next steps? I mean, to register for the events in November, to register for March’s event, to publish the line up of selected artists…
OR: More news in September (and the selection for March will be revealed in November – or at the early December.

Credits:

The portrait of Olivier is provided by himself and the photographer is Jean de Peña.
The banner is their cover picture in Facebook.

**** 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

And this festival that is our focus today is also included in the project MOST, about which I talked in a previous issue.

MINI INTERVIEW WITH AGNIESZKA MATECKA FROM THE MIKOŁAJKI FOLKOWE FESTIVAL (LUBLIN, POLAND)

For already 29 years, Agnieszka and her team have been developing this festival in the beautiful city of Lublin, at the East of Poland. Remember this city hosts also the Jagiellonian Fair, about which we talked with Karolina Waszczuk and Bartek Drozd in this issue.

I met Agnieszka in person was in Scotland, the last September, at The Visit. I hope they will be able to make a proper celebration of the 30 anniversary, and ephemeris worth celebrating. In the meantime, let’s discover more in her own words.

Mapamundi Música – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?
Agnieszka Matecka: Mikołajki Folkowe is an intimate festival which takes place in December indoors. We can invite no more than 8-10 artists (groups) a year, this is why we choose the performers very carefully so that their music meets the expectations of our audience. Musicians both from Poland and abroad (3-4 bands) perform at the festival. We typically organize concerts on two stages (for 400 and 150 people). At the main Saturday concert there are usually larger and lively bands who play, as we call it, “folk of the centre”. On the other hand, the Sunday concert, on the smaller stage, presents more avant-garde, experimental music.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
AM: Mikołajki Folkowe is an interdisciplinary festival. The goal of our festival is to popularize culture, especially traditional music, in a form that is accessible to modern audiences, while respecting in crudo music. Therefore, an important part of the festival is the competition for beginner musicians, to which foreign artists can also apply. We try to follow the idea that folk culture must be alive in order to survive. It cannot be an archaic closed form.We also want to show through workshops that everyone can benefit from folk culture for their own needs. One does not have to be an educated musician, dancer or visual artist.Another goal of the festival is to break down the national prejudices in accordance with a saying “culture is the best ambassador of nations”. Mikołajki Folkowe is accompanied by an interdisciplinary international scientific conference.We also promote handicraft inspired by folk art, through organizing a handicraft fair.

MM: What are the most complicated or difficult issues you have to deal with at your festival?
AM: It’s hard to say. After 30 years of work, we have already developed many patterns of conduct. Each year seems different, poses new challenges, but with a well-coordinated organizational team all difficulties can be overcome.

MM: What are the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposal like yours right now?
AM: Maintaining the interest of the audience and creating an interesting program, taking into account the financial and spatial capacity of the event.

MM: In one sentence, summarize the reasons why you should go to your festival.
AM: Mikołajki Folkowe is almost a family festival. Owing to its date, all people interested in the same cultural phenomenon stay in one building for three days. One can feel an extraordinary bond that develops among the audience.

MM: Is this the experience we are experiencing now, the coronavirus crisis, changing your festival in any way (apart from postponing this year’s edition, if so)?
AM: This year’s festival takes place in December (10-13/12) and we still hope it will go on normally. We follow the news about the virus on an ongoing basis and consider various scenarios. In previous years we used to have the program ready before the summer holidays. We are currently waiting for the situation to develop. Will it be a festival with bands from abroad, or a typically Polish edition? How many viewers will be able to take part in the festival and what will happen to revenue from ticket sale? We are also ready for the “virtual variant” of the festival, we plan to broadcast concerts. There are so many unknowns, now there are holidays, but from September we are getting back to hard work. It is a pity that it happened to us just at the 30th jubilee festival.
—-

Thank you very much, Agnieszka!

Pictures’ credits:

Portrait from her FB profile
Banner, cover of the Facebook page of the festival

IN DEEP WITH ANDRZEJ BIEŃKOWSKI

Andrzej’s life would be perfect for a film or a novel without having to invent anything. Learn more, here.

In this occasion the content is not going to be included here. This is just an announcement of the report that is published at the website Culture.pl about and with an interview with a person that devoted his life and made many sacrifices in order to record and disseminate the legacy of the rural music from his country.

I had the luck of visiting Andrzej in his house in Warsaw 3 years ago, when I made this picture.

More recently, my friend Ewa Gomółka made me the big favour to meet him and record his answers to some questions, thought out using the memory of what he had already told me before and with some new curiosities. She made the translation from Polish to English, so you can imagine what a huge work she did.

By the way, the website Culture.pl is an amazing source of information related to Poland and to the events, culture and art of this country that has been in the axis of the hurricane of Europe’s History.

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 49 stations in 18 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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Magazine #25 July 2020 | 2 years + interviews, news and rebirths

July’20. 2 years + interviews, news and rebirths

How are you? I have just realiced that this initiative of the monthly magazine is becoming 2 years old. This is the edition 25!

The first issue was launched on 17th of July of 2018. At that moment, my Sherezade was here with me, still working before her August holidays (my expectation is to recover her in October). I had just been in Poland for EthnoKrakow with Vigüela and I was leaving to FMM Sines (Portugal) two days later, where Monsieur Doumani would perform.

My commitment with our community has not weakened, I hope this monthly date with interviews and news is useful and inspiring for you. And in the meantime I think my English has improved ?

<– Click the picture to read that first issue.

This Summer, you know… Despite the critical situation that is still present in many places of the world and also the outbreaks that we are having here in Spain, music goes on.

I have just had a confirmation minutes ago of a concert in November with Apa, the beast of the Valencian cant d’estil, and his partners of Citra Trio. Vigüela has a date with the stage in Madrid on 9th of August and some exciting acts are planned for Autumn. Janusz Prusinowski is launching a series of online workshops, recorded and also in real time, about the masters of the Polish music (more info below), Hudaki Village Band are preparing a new video and will retake the rehearsals in Ukraine in August.

On the other side, news about cancelations of festivals are still arriving, but also a thrilling rebirth, of Babel Med, now Babel Music XP, with renewed team, has been announced recently.

Read more about these and other matters below. Remember that you can send any suggestion of content for the next editions. And if you like this, tell me and share it with your friends.

Thanks for your attention.

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

Subscription is available here.

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Summary:

· The return of the Marseillaise date: Babel Music XP

· In the quest for the sustainability of the recorded music business, with Edith Lei, from Naxos Music Library + 3 months free trial for the first 3 requests

· Mini interviews with festival manager: Béla Pap, from Örökség Világzenei Fesztivál / Heritage World Music Festival

· In deep with Angie Lemon PR

BABEL MED REBIRTHS AS BABEL MUSIC XP

I think this is a quite long-waited news! Probably you are already aware. Babel Med becomes Babel Music XP, with a totally renewed team and co-produced by Zone Franche, and will start in two parts: a professional meeting in November 26th-27th and trade fair with concerts in March 25-27th, in Marseille. Application period for concerts is open here until 29th of July.

IN THE QUEST FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE RECORD MUSIC BUSINESS, WITH EDITH LEI, FROM NAXOS MUSIC LIBRARY

Our “industry”, let me use this term despite the situation, is facing many challenges. There is one that impacts on all the genres of music: the progressive drop of incomes for artists and producers from the recorded music. In this interview, Ms. Edith Lei, Managing Director at Naxos Digital Services Ltd answers about one of their most ambitious initiative: Naxos Music Library. Note that I announced this interview would be with Ina Schröder instead, who considered these were questions for Ms. Lei. I am really thankful to Ina for the intermediation.

Hey! Do you want a free 3 months trial for Naxos Music Library? Email me and tell me. The first 3 requests will have it.

Mapamundi Música – For what I know so far, the Naxos Music Library is an archive with more than 2 million tracks of music that the subscribers can listen to in streaming. Who is the client/user for Naxos Music Library?

Edith Lei – At least 97% of Naxos Music Library (NML) subscribers are institutions or music-related organisations – universities, public libraries, conservatories, schools, orchestras. The other 3% or so are musicians, performing artists, classical music lovers, journalists, critics, radio presenters, music teachers etc.

MM – Much of your catalogue is Western classical music but there are also many tracks of other kinds of music, like jazz and world music. I think you are interested in including more references. How can a record label include their catalogue in the Library?
EL – We have subsidiary platforms, one is NML Jazz and the other is NML World. So obviously we take jazz and world music labels too.

There are contracts in place with aggregators, so the first step is to check which distribution partners labels are working with and request content from them. If that is not an option we can look into individual contracts.

Labels with classical, jazz and world music content who want to be part of the NML suite can write to my colleague Helen at Helen.Kwan@Naxos.com

MM – And the independent artists, can they also include their works in the catalogue?
EL – This depends on how large their catalogue is. For those who only have a couple of albums with standard repertoire, the amount of administrative work (contracting, reporting, royalties payment etc.) required cannot be justified. If the artist’s intention is to merely make their recordings available on NML so that they can be heard, we can consider taking them under different conditions.

MM – What is the return for the producer that has tracks in the Library? For sure you are aware of the critics from the industry of music about the model of return of the most popular music streaming platforms.
EL – Our per-stream rate for labels is many times more than that from other platforms. Referring to this article on Digital Music in January 2018, Naxos paid $0.05 per stream, while Spotify $0.00397, Apple $0.00783, Amazon $0.0074, Qobuz $0.03816. Though this article is from two years ago, it gives you a general idea on how much each platform pays labels.

MM – What are your next goals with the Library?
EL – To expand into countries where we do not have a distributor yet.

MM – What are the synergies between the Library and Naxos World?
EL – Naxos Music Library is our flagship platform focusing on classical music, while NML World complements NML and offers world music which is becoming very popular and being studied widely in universities.

MM – Do you think this model of streaming for subscribers can face the crisis of sales of physical albums? I am sure you have much more knowledge than me in the situation and expectations for the future of the business of recorded music, that’s why I ask you.
EL – Streaming is now the most widely means to music listening, especially for the young generation. For them, physical CD is not an option. Most of them do not have a CD player.

MM – What is Naxos World doing now? Give me a scoop!
EL – Under Naxos World we continue to release both very traditional folk music recordings, as well as contemporary and crossover/fusion productions. We are also looking into projects that will bring world music and classical music closer together.

Pictures’ credits:

Ms. Edith Lei and Mr. Klaus Heymann (Founding Chairman of Naxos Music Group) at Naxos XX anniversary gala evening in Hong Kong. From the website.
Banner from the website

**** 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

This festival that is our focus today is also included in the project MOST, about which I talked in a previous issue.

MINI INTERVIEW WITH BÉLA PAP FROM THE ÖRÖKSÉG VILÁGZENEI FESZTIVÁL (HERITAGE WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL) (SZOLNOK, HUNGARY)

I know Béla Pap for many years, in the second edition of Without Borders meeting in Varna (Bulgaria), organized by Yasen Kazandjiev. Béla sent me two pictures, the one I used in the previous edition and also these one. If you know him, you know he is the joyful man, cool and lighthearted who teaches about palinka and he also organices a festival in Hungary, in Szolnok, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain.

The festival is planned for August 19th-23rd… now with question marks.

MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?
BP: Above all, in the invited artists, we are looking for how instinctively they experience the music they perform, and how they can build on the diverse folk music heritage in order to reach out in an exciting way to the contemporary audiences.It is really important for our festival to engage new talents and see how they can convey their emotions through their music.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
BP: We aim to present contemporary art forms and genres to young audiences, mostly those that are based on folk traditions in their content and also express the general feelings, experiences of today’s youth and links to the cultural heritage of previous generations.The primary aim is to contribute effectively to the wide-range popularization of the values based upon the folk cultural heritage of Hungary and other nations (among others basically that of the Visegrad 4 and Balkan countries).

“Since the very start of the festival, we have firmly believed that one of the bases of understanding and tolerating the social changes and geo-political events taking place in the world is a dialogue between generations.“

One of the festival’s primary objectives is involving young children in the events by means of art forms relying on folk traditions, thus motivating family participation and strengthening the links between generations.

Since the very start of the festival, we have firmly believed that one of the bases of understanding and tolerating the social changes and geo-political events taking place in the world is a dialogue between generations. By means of the international language of music, the artistic productions of the young musicians building upon the heritage of their ancestors mediate ideas and notions which shared with the audience facilitate to understand the elements of contemporary world vision.

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?

BP: As our festival is organised with 25 years of experience, we rarely face challenges we have never encountered before.
The difficulties of finding financial resources, which are reoccurring year after year, are familiar to all professionals – it is boring to talk about, I would say -, but I believe these difficulties are compensated by the realised festival program.

MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?
BP: The biggest challenge, I think, is that people’s ears are “flooded” by the mainstream information and music offerings that attract large crowds.That is why it is a difficult, but at the same time important challenge to try to reach the current young audience with all the old and new tools and channels, to constantly spread the musical delicacies, and to give as many opportunities as possible to experience the magic of live music (especially world music).Fortunately, we have truly potential allies in this: those contemporary young musicians whose music draws on traditions and combine those with experimental elements to enter the world of quality music creation.

MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.
BP: It is worth coming to the “Heritage” World Music Festival because better and better, fresh music is played almost continuously on two stages for three days, whether Hungarian or foreign artists are playing. Important to note, that apart from the colourful music offer, there is a great variety of Central European food and drink, like a good Hungarian apricot “palinka”, followed by an aromatic freshly sparkling Czech beer, awww… 🙂

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)?
BP: When I write these lines, there is still a lot of uncertainty all over the world, including Hungary. However, there are indications that we can organise the festival on its original dates, during the celebration of the founding of the state at the end of August. Of course, at this point, I envisage long queues of people patiently waiting one and a half meters apart for refreshments, while only 4-6 people are sitting at each table.Moreover, it is also possible to draw circles in front of the stage, indicating how many people may be standing or dancing there at one time.

Even if keeping the distance in a festival might be a bit strange, the lack of dancing together in a large crowd is almost impossible to imagine, it does not change what is really important: the melodies floating in the air, the rhythms beating in the heart connect everyone and it cannot be stopped by neither a virus nor any border.
—-

Thank you very much, Béla!

Pictures’ credits:

Portrait and logo provided by Béla
Poster of the first edition, from the website
Cover of the Facebook page of the festival

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IN DEEP WITH ANGIE LEMON PR

One of the purposes of this newsletter is to give visibility to the great work done by many professional that are not seen at the stage but without who, all this community would not exist. Initiators of festivals, disseminators… and also PR and publicists. Like Angie Lemon. She can be also useful for you, in case you are needing some support in communication.

I have been in touch with Angie Lemon, first because of her work of publicist for ARC Music, as she has been working with their releases and I am, thanks of Mundofonías radio show, one of their targets. When ARC released some albums by artists that have been collaborators of Mapamundi Música, like El Naán, La Jose and Vigüela, Angie got deeply involved. She and the team of ARC Music were the responsible for the performance by El Naán to BBC Radio 3 and many other good things that happened to us.

A few years ago she established her own brand, Angie Lemon PR, with which she continued the collaborations with ARC Music (the press release for Thraki/Thrace – The Paths of Dionysus, by Rodopi Ensemble was a joy to read) and other clients.

In this times of reflections and memories of better times, Angie came to my mind often, so I decided to ask her to explain me more in depth what is she currently offering.

Mapamundi Música: What kind of services do you provide?

Angie Lemon: I promote world and folk albums and musicians to media in the UK, EU, USA, Canada and Australia/New Zealand. I work with many wonderful magazine editors, radio producers, radio presenters, bloggers, press music journalists, freelance journalists and chart panellists mainly the Transglobal World Music Charts and World Music Charts Europe.

I regularly send newsletters to media I work with and keep them updated with campaigns, projects and news. I work directly with musicians who are self-publishing but also work with indie labels, managers and promoters.

I also consult with artists for project preparation or ideas blasting sessions about specific projects to help timeline events and work out the best possible release schedule or consult about aspects of the project.

I assist artists with bios and press releases and am happy to work with both signed artists and self-published musicians whether solo artists or in groups.

MM. What is your professional background?
AL: I have been a professional publicist working in the arts sector for over 20 years and started my career in book publishing. I have worked with authors, painters, composers, cake designers, photographers, inventors and since 2014, world and folk musicians.

I managed and co-fronted the indie folk band, Rivers & Roads in Sydney, Australia for 10 years booking concerts, radio shows, securing national TV with many other well-recognised accomplishments.

I worked as the in-house PR for the UK label ARC Music for 4 years where I had the privilege of campaigning top quality world and folk musicians at a national and international level. In 2018 I took the plunge into the world of freelance publicity focusing on building and developing media relations both in the UK and internationally.

MM. Which is your distinctiveness?
AL: What I bring to the mix is firstly a personal love of music and secondly, experience as a publicist. I work with my clients, not for them, I establish what they need and do my best to make it happen and when it does, it’s pure magic! For more information, please write to me: angielemonpr@gmail.com

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.

Do you like our newsletter? Tell us! Forward it to your friends! To sign up, click HERE.

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

Magazine #24 June 2020 | Life returns, mini interviews, joint ventures and more

June 2020 | Life returns, mini interviews, joint ventures and more

How are you? I am quite ok. After more than one month of post transplant without growing at all, I thought it was dead… But no, my little avocado tree started to produce new leaves

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

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends if you like it. Subscription is available here.

Summary:

· Recent news and calls. Please, consider to sign.
· Union means strength: joint venture with Spain is Music
· Mini interviews with festival managers: Dragoș Rusu from the Outernational Days and with Mirza Redzepagic, from the World Music Fest Zeman
· In the next edition…

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!

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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.

Pictures’ credits:

Profile picture of the festival’s Facebook site
Dragoș Facebook profile picture

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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.

Pictures’ credits:

Profile picture of the festival’s Facebook site
Mirza portrait provided by himself

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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.

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mapamundi Música is an agency of management and booking. Learn more here. Check our proposals at our website.

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.

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

Do you like our newsletter? Tell us! Forward it to your friends! To sign up, click HERE.

Magazine #23 May 2020. Surveys for data gathering, MOST Project for Balkan music, mini-interviews and much more.

Hello, are you OK? We are ok. In Spain we have been able to have a little walk 1 km around our houses from 2 weeks now. The situation is not the same in every region of the country. Madrid region, where I am, is still in the Stage 0, the most restricted one, of the de-escalation.

Somehow I have been extremelly busy the last month, so let me use again the same picture (by the way, the advocado tree hasn’t grown one single leaf…) Today the day is as gloomy as that one. In the last month many things have happened and you’ll find below a lot of contents. Therefore I won’t extent myself much here. The content is gold as some interesting friends and colleagues share their insights.

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

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends if you like it. Subscription is available here.

Summary:

· Research initiatives to gather data
· Project MOST for dissemination of Balkan music and online talk TOMORROW MORNING!
· Mini interviews with festival managers: Zlatan Jaganjac, from Ritam Mediterana and Davide Mancini from Musicastrada Festival
· In the next edition

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

RESEARCH INITIATIVES TO GATHER DATA

During the last weeks some initiatives have acknowledged the need of gathering information about the situation and reality of the organizations working in culture, after the pandemic and also about the general situation, besides it. I will mention two iniciatives in this sense.

Do you know any other initiative of data gathering that may be useful to disseminate between the sector? Please, let me know to share it.

Survey by WOMEX, for all the countries

To better understand the ongoing professional challenges and to assess how the Corona Pandemic has impacted the global music community, WOMEX team have put together a survey called Survey on the Impact of Corona Pandemic on the Global Music Community.

Professionals not related to WOMEX at all are also welcome. Deadline to fullfill it is next Sunday, 17th of May. Access here.

Survey by DISCE, specifically about Europe

I knew about this one thanks to Birgit Ellinghaus from alba Kultur. According to their website, “the DISCE Consortium puts together academic and stakeholder partners with a variety of complementary skills and competencies, joining their knowledge to tackle challenges of the Cultural and Creative sector from different points of view.”

They have launched a brief survey for organizations with cultural/creative workers about their working conditions across a range of relevant sectors. It is called Who Cares about Creative and Cultural Workers in Europe? and it is open for any organization working in culture. Deadline to fullfill it is Friday 3rd of July. Access here.

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MOST, BRIDGE FOR BALKAN MUSIC

BRIEF OVERVIEW AND CALL FOR TOMORROW‘S TALK

MOST is a project lead by the well-known Hungarian firm Hangvető, co-founded by the Creative Europe program, which mission is to boost the music market of the Balkans, by connecting and supporting actors of the world music scene; artists, managers, festivals and institutions. It has four pillars of training programs and closes with a MOST Showcase event in 2023. Those pillars are explained here.

Why should it be interesting for you if you are not from the Balkans? Apart of learning that this is a project in which world / global / tradicional music has a relevant role, that has been supported by Creative Europe, they are launching lines of activity to connect the Balkans with the global music market. Some of their offline activies have been postponed (note it is a 4-year project) and they are keeping the flame alive with online events like their talks program. Follow their calls in their Facebook page. For instance, TOMORROW MORNING they will hold this talk. Click to access the details and to attend the talk tomorrow:

And this is the Facebook event for all the talks.

**** 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

Thanks to the MOST project I got to know about some festivals from the Balkans, that I was not aware of, as they have been selected for the Festival Exchange program. That is the case of:

The Outernational Days (Bucharest, Romania), about which we’ll talk with Dragos Rusu in June’s edition.
The World Music Fest Zeman (Novi Pazar, Serbia), whose music director, Mirza Redzepagic, answered also our call and it will be featured in next edition too.

In the mean time you can check the participant festivals here. Note also Todo Mundo (Belgrade, Serbia) is part of this and we have the interview from last November with Bojan Djordjevic, here.

Also included in this project it is Musicastrada Festival (Tuscany, Italy). Find below the answers by Davide Mancini. And beside MOST, in this May edition we have another festival from Croatia, the Ritam Mediterana (Mediterranean Rhythm), in Zagreb, thanks to the answers of Zlatan Jaganjac.

Thank you all for the kind welcome to these questions. In this time of uncertainty I hope the dissemination of your insights will help someone to spread your vision.

MINI INTERVIEW WITH ZLATAN JAGANJAC FROM RITAM MEDITERANA (ZAGREB, CROATIA)

I knew about this festivals thanks to the initiative of Spanish Embassy in Belgrade. Our Spanish band Entavía is programmed to play in Serbia and in Croatia next Summer. Ritam Mediterana is the Croatian one. At this moment we are obviously not sure that this will be possible but I wanted to learn more about this Mediterranean music festival in Zagreb, a city in where I have never been.

The festival defines itself as a festival of the food, art, music and rhythm and the dates are 4 to 11 of July. The location is the Strossmayer Square, according to the festival website, “one of the most underrated parks, hidden among the trees between Zrinjevac Park and Tomislavac Park.” Let’s let Zlatan Jaganjac explain us more.

MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?

ZJ: The idea of Mediterranean Rhythm Festival was to present an event where in one place every visitor can get an insight into the contemporary Mediterranean, more precisely different Mediterranean countries, regions and cities.

Music, in the identity as well as the mean of communication, has always played a very important role and that is why performers at the festival should perform using their native language, preferably using the traditional instruments, all together to be authentic contemporary music artists who will present what can be heard if you visit their city/region/country today.

The Mediterranean Rhythm Festival takes every visitor on a kind of journey through the Mediterranean because it contains lots of paint works, installations, cuisine and even VR technology which enables virtual walk through different destinations.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
ZJ: I believe that the festival has a huge potential to grow in years to come, and thus contributes to the understanding of diversity and interesting cultures at the Mediterranean. Through culture, gastronomy, books, movies… we get to know the Mediterranean, which is known as the “cradle of civilization”. I will strive to make this young festival live long and fulfilled, because it would mean helping many to present and create in a very interesting rhythm specific to the Mediterranean.There is a potential for the festival to be also hosted by city in Mediterranean other than Zagreb, where it all started. So I hereby invite any interested party to contact me in case they think we could cooperate on the project, and take the festival to their city/region/country.

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?

ZJ: Since the festival is free for visitors and I want to keep it that way, providing sponsorship from the companies and support of the institutions is quite a demanding task because not enough funds are allocated for culture in general, and when an economic crisis like this due to COVID19 occurs, the situation becomes even more complicated. My goal is to get feedback and, if possible, a positive reaction from as many countries in the Mediterranean as possible, and one day I may be able to bring all the Mediterranean countries together. Sometimes the challenge is to stay optimistic, but it’s the only way forward.

MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?
ZJ: Unpredictable development of the situation with the COVID19 pandemic, due to which mobility is suspended, as well as other measures that completely prohibit public gatherings I consider to be the greatest challenge at this point. My wish is to be surrounded with people that participate in the Festival and perceive themselves as part of the solution, with focus on human aspect of social contacts and live energy, rather than a virtual one.

MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.
ZJ: If you wish to experience the sound, taste, color and scent of the Mediterranean in just a few hours or even better in a few festival days, you don’t have to get stuck on an expensive cruise – it is enough to visit Zagreb and enjoy various gastronomic delicacies, wines, books, concerts while chilling in the appropriately created Garden of the Mediterranean!

Pictures’ credits:

Zlatan portrait provided by himself
Cover page of the festival’s Facebook site

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MINI INTERVIEW WITH DAVIDE MANCINI FROM MUSICASTRADA FESTIVAL (TUSCANY, ITALY)

I don’t remember when and where I met Davide Mancini. He is one of those colleagues that I have met in so many places… I was happy to see that his Musicasatrada Festival was also selected in the festivals from the West for MOST.

Davide Mancini is a music addict from a very young age. He has worked in radio, newspaper, played the guitar as a non-professional and finally became an agent, manager and festival organizer. He created an agency, Musicastrada, focused on world music and beyond, working in Italy and the rest of the world and since 2000 is the creator and artistic director of the Musicastrada Festival, the only itinerant event of world-global sound based in Tuscany.

The program is an itinerant event focused on music, photography and territory promotion, usually from the half of July to the Half of August. Concerts are free of charge with local and international artists coming all over the world. From small intimate squares to bigger ones, the audience may vary from 100 to 800 hundred each night. This is the description in their website and, even when I have never been in Tuscany, I am sure it must be a total delight.

I wish this awful situation ended soon, for me and for many colleagues, like Davide, Zlatan and so many that I appreciate and that are struggling and suffering. But let’s let Davide to take the floor now.

MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?

DM: Originality, that means, original music, or, if he plays tradition (in the case of a world music artist), an evolution of that. I’m not interested in strictly folk, traditional or ethnic music, but at the same time it becomes interesting to me when it is mixed with modern sound, electronics, instruments usually not related to that genre, or when the artist use tradition to make something new.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
DM: Musicastrada Festival supports the transnational circulation of artistic works having a heterogeneous audience that usually cannot access directly to such events organized only in the biggest towns. In fact, most of the events are organized in small towns. From small intimate squares to bigger ones, the audience may vary from 100 to 800 hundred each night. Music is the way to overcome language barriers and support intercultural dialogue among different countries and different people.

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?
DM: Musicastrada Festival is a 21 years old festival. The organization used to be long and complicated but nowadays, being a free entry event, the only real issue is to maintain the necessary budget and finding the sponsors and or the public funds, both local and national.

MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?
DM: The audience of the world music network is changing very fast and it’s very difficult to gather young people, under 30 years old.

MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.
DM: Musicastrada Festival is “world summer music festival experience in Tuscany Italy” offering intimate atmosphere, small stages in small squares where all is organized for music, with artists and audience enjoying a real sound in the endless beauty of our country.

MM – Is this experience we are living now, the crisis of the coronavirus, changing your festival in any way (apart of postponing this year’s edition, if so)? (This question has been added to the questionary more recently than the others and is new in the mini-interviews)
DM: It’s very difficult to say right now. Nobody knows what and how things will change in the next future. But being a small festival we hopefully won’t be hit as the big ones.

Pictures’ credits:

Davide’s portrait from his Facebook profile
Banner from the festival’s website

If you haven´t read them, you can find the previous interviews clicking on the names: Michal Schmidt (Folk Holidays, CZ) – Jun-Lin Yeoh (Rainforest WMF, MY) – Luis Lles (Pirineos Sur, ES) – Amitava Bhattacharya (Sur Jahan, IN) – Nicolas Ribalet (Sukiyaki Meets the World, JP) – Sergio Zaera (Poborina Folk, ES) – Per Idar Almås (Førdefestivalen, NO) – Bożena Szota (EthnoPort, PL) – Ken Day (Urkult, SE) – Mads Olesen (5 Continents, CH) – Karolina Waszczuk & Bartek Drozd (Jagiellonian Fair, PL) – Alkis Zopoglou (Mediterranean Music Festival, GR/CH) – Tom Frouge (Globalquerque, US) – Braulio Pérez (Música en el Parque, ES) – Bojan Djordjevic (Todo Mundo, RS) – Park Jechun (Jeonju Int’s Sori Festival) – Jarmila Vlčková (World Music Festival Bratislava – SK) – Leo Ličof (Okarina – SI) – Georgia Dötzer (Rialto World Music Festival – CY) – Marié Abe (Boston University Global Music Festival – US) – Yu Su-Ying (World Music Festival @Taiwan)

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IN THE NEXT EDITION

As mentioned above, in the next edition we will talk about two festivals from Balkan region in the mini-interviews section: the Outernational Days (Bucharest, Romania) and the World Music Fest Zeman (Novi Pazar, Serbia).

What else? We’ll see but in the meantime if you have any suggestion, open call or any useful infos to share with the global community of music, let me know.

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mapamundi Música is an agency of management and booking. Learn more here. Check our proposals at our website.

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.

Do you like our newsletter? Tell us! Forward it to your friends! To sign up, click HERE.

Magazine #22 April 2020. Coronavirus confinement time 2. Yu Su-Ying from World Music Festival @Taiwan

Mini-interview with Yu Su-Ying from World Music Festival @Taiwan, updated calls and +

Are you and all your people OK? The news from Spain have been scary during the last weeks… In terms of health, we are all well. My father was hospitalized two days, during the, so far, most critical period of the pandemic, with the hospitals to the maximum of their capacity. The staff of the hospital of our city, Alcorcón, managed to enable a place for him in a waiting room and they treated him warmly. He’s now recovered and the situation in Spain seems to be getting better. We’ve been in confinement for more than 5 weeks. It’s been strictly observed all over the country.

In the meantime, the Spring doesn’t seem to be willing to arrive. The cloudy and rainy weather is been common, increasing the sense of gloom. Nevertheless, I’ve transplanted my avocado tree to a bigger pot in the terrace, so at least I’ll see something growing…

With the hope that this situation will end and we’ll be able to gather around a stage again, I share one more interview with a festival director. Sharing the insights of Yu Su-Ying, artistic director of the World Music Festival @Taiwan, excites me a lot. Since the March’s edition many disheartening news have turned out. Cancelations of Colours of Ostrava, TFF Rudolstadt, La Mar de Músicas, FMM Sines, Rainforest WMF, 5 Continents, Roskilde… The work of so many colleagues and professionals vanished… Meanwhile, the expressions of solidarity are showing up all over the world and some institutions are announcing initiatives to support the people and, specifically, the people in the arts. I invite you to share any useful information in the Facebook public group Transglobal World Music Community, in this announcement. Many professionals are already part of the group and we are collecting useful infos there. Feel free to join.

Remember that you can send any suggestion of content for the next editions. And if you like this, 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

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends if you like it. Subscription is available here.

Summary:

· Mini interview with a festival manager: Yu Su-Ying from World Music Festival @Taiwan
· Open calls, deadlines updated
· Do you want more?

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

**** 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

MINI INTERVIEW WITH YU SU-YING FROM WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL @TAIWAN

The festival defines itself in its website as the most visually appealing music festival of 2019 rhapsody for the eyes and ears. I believe it, as they are kind of pioneers in Taiwan, in the dissemination of live world music. I am really pleased to share their insights with you. It was born in 2016 and this 2020 it will celebrate its 5th edition. It will be in Taipei, in October, the week before Womex. Already in the first edition it included artists from USA, Portugal, India, Japan, China and Taiwan. You can check the program of the last edition, here. The activities, apart of concerts are also lectures, workshops and tents with handicrafts

This interview is with Ms. Yu Su-Ying, the artistic director (find her CV here). It is interesting also to learn about the beginning of the initiative in words of the founder, Mr. Ken Yang, here. This interview has been possible also thanks to Ms. Peiti Huang.

MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?
YS: Usually, we invite those artists whom full of stage creative and attractive, we especially prefer the music based on traditional music culture but fusion contemporary or pop materials, such as powerful ethnic voice or instrumental performing, amazing musical fusion or any great music ideas. We hope to introduce multiple world music style to our audiences and help Taiwanese musicians go to more fantasy music world.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
YS: We hope to be a really international music festival. For example, audiences come from all of the world, international musicians happy to participate and share their experiences, get some good appraisals from global festival organizations or international media, sharing Taiwanese music to the world, and the most important thing is… keep going to next and next generation. We are also happy to be a member of international festival organization to learn or share more.

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?

YS: Climate and ticketing are the difficult issues to us.

We take place the festival in river side of Taipei city every year, the dates between the Typhoon season and the Northeast monsoon season, although the climate is very comfortable and relatively stable in this period, but sometime still have to worry about the suddenly raining and windy, this problem bother us every year, it is the same challenge to all outdoor festivals in the world.

Regarding to the ticketing, the difficult part is that most of the people have not yet used to buying ticket to attend a music festival, especially this kind of world cultural festival, so we need to do something to cultivate our audience, such as co-operate with industries, companies, schools and keep talking with a lot of families. Until 2019, we have some good achievement, and believe it will get better and better in the future.

MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?
YS: Find and cultivate a stable audience. To most of Taiwan people, world music and World Music Festival both are still strange to them, especially to some international musicians or groups, music types, instrumentals, they are totally slack of understanding. This situation make us more difficult to open the festival marketing, we have to do something to guide people accept and love this kind of events, so we design some easy and experiential activities to attract family, companies and young people coming.

Every year, we give a diferent slogan to lead people understand what we do, and carry on call people attending the festival, it isn’t an easy work. Fortunately, we already find a lot of stable audiences back to festival, they give us good respond and willing to help us to call more people attending. It’s a good develop and we are looking forwards to embrace more audiences.

MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.
YS: An amazing festival that you can get many satisfactions from your ear to your stomach.

Pictures’ credits:

Logo of the festival
Yu Su-Ying portrait
Shot from the public, from the website of the festival

OPEN CALLS

With big hope and strong wish to see all these taking place in 2020, let’s update some deadlines:

Visa for Music (Morocco).

Deadline extended until 30th April. The 7th edition of Visa For Music, professional music market and festival for African and Middle-Eastern music, will be held from November 18th to 21st, 2020 in Rabat, Morocco. 30 artists or groups will be selected.

Mundial Montreal (Canada).

Extended until 1st May. Its 10th edition will take place from 17th to 20th of November. The official selection includes around 30 artists to play in showcases of 25 minutes. Delegates from all the continents use to attend.

Mobility program of grants by AC/E.

The deadline has been postponed and will be announced at the end of the state of alarm in the country. This grant is made to provide finantial support for logistics when booking a Spanish artists. I talked deeper about this and about our offer or Spanish artists, here.

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DO YOU WANT MORE?

I am involved in other initiatives that produce content, much before the crisis of the pandemic, that have been continued during this time. Feel free to check:

Mundofonías radio show. Who doesn’t know it yet? 🙂 Anyway you have hundreds of editions to listen, at our website. We launch one email per month with the playlists and links to the audio. Sign up here.
Music Before Shabbat newsletter. The concept of stopping totally for one day in the week is powerful. So, as a kind of ritual, I send a newsletter every Friday before Shabbat with some Jewish music and a brief info about, in English. Sign up here. Check the previous issues here.
A la fuente. This is not mine, this is done only by Juan Antonio Vázquez, for Radio Clásica (national radio of Spain). His comments are brilliant, in Spanish. If you don’t understand Spanish, you can also enjoy the music, that is traditional acoustic from all over the world. “A la fuente” means “to the source” but also “to the fountain”. Many popular songs talk about going to get water at the fountain or the events take place near the fountain, so this is a little play on words. Listen here.

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

Do you like our newsletter? Tell us! Forward it to your friends! To sign up, click HERE.

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mapamundi Música is an agency of management and booking. Learn more here. Check our proposals at our website.

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.

Magazine #21 March 2020. Coronavirus confinement time

Mini-interview with Marié Abe from Boston University Global Music Festival, open calls and coronavirus confinement won´t last forever!

Greetings from my house/office, that is the usual working place for Mapamundi Música. We are now in the third day of confinement that has been set all over Spain the last Sunday. You are probably confined too. All of us, the community of world musics, as well as most of the sectors of activity, are losing much. But other people are even suffering the disease and dying and you and I have hope in the future.

Just like you, the last days I have seen how the results of the work made during many months have just vanished. Not just mine, but of many friends too. In April I would have travelled to Lisbon for our first concert (postponed) of the series in the Museum of Orient in Lisbon, to Hamburg for the Silk Road Series by alba Kultur (cancelled) and to Warsaw for the Mazurkas of the World Festival (postponed without specified dates). What will happen in May, nobody knows…

But we all know this situation will end and our lifes and works will continue, enhanced after some rest and reflection. So in this magazine I send you again the Open Calls section, that has two new entries, and you’ll find also a new interview with a festival director, Marié Abé, from the BU Global Music Fest, to take place in Boston in September. It would be a pity if all this situation made even more difficult for the courageous people like them to give a place for foreign artists because of increased complications about visas to enter the USA.

Enjoy, I hope this words will give you some joy in this difficult time. Remember you can send any suggestion of contents for the next editions. And if you like this, share it and tell it to your friends. I share once more 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:

· Mini interview with festival manager: Marié Abe from BU Global Music Festival (USA)
· Open calls not to miss
· Find me at…

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**** 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

MINI INTERVIEW WITH MARIE ABÉ FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY GLOBAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

The BU Global Music Festival takes place in Boston, USA. It will be held this year for the third time, if the global catastrophes allow it, on days 25 and 26 of September. It is an annual celebration of musical cultures around the world. It is organized by the Department of Musicology and Ethnomusicology of Boston University in collaboration with the BU Arts Initiative. The program includes showcasing musicians and performing artists steeped in folkloric, vernacular, popular and traditional musics around the world, as well as workshops, panel discussions, lectures, and other educational offerings.

Marié Abe is the artistic director. She is an associate professor of music in the Department of Musicology and Ethnomusicology at Boston University, and an affiliated faculty at the BU Center for Studies of Asia, African Studies Center, and American and New England Studies Program. Marié is also a musician, an active performer and improviser of the accordion, collaborating with artists from the United States, Japan, and beyond, and currently member of the Boston-based Ethiopian groove collective Debo Band. She is answering our little interview in this occasion.

MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?
MA: I look for four things:
· artistically compelling, soul-grabbing, unique sounds in their music;
· badassery in their expression, whether that be in boundary-defying experimental sounds or maintaining and expanding a tradition they’re located within diversity across the artists,
· making sure to represent at least half but usually more than half being women, highlighting at least one indigenous group a year;
· artists who embody integrity between their musical sounds and their vision for the world.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
MA: For me, global doesn’t mean “abroad” or “international”—Boston is an inherently global city with vibrant immigrant histories and immigrant communities, and it’s about highlight that as much as bringing international artists whose music people may never had exposure to before.
The BU Global Music Festival is an annual celebration of musical cultures around the world featuring high-caliber, international artists as well as vibrant local musical communities, bringing the wider musical world to the doorstep of thousands of students, adults, young people, and families throughout the Boston area.Through exploration of diverse musical cultures, BU Global Music Festival offers a chance for the audience—and this means not only the university community but the city and beyond, which is why we make this festival free and open to the public—to experience and understand human sameness and differences across cultures, and aspires to develop interest, respect, and engagement with our neighbors, near and far, through musical performance and education.

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?
MA: Artist visas in the age of anti-immigrant policies, and securing funds to keep the festival free and open to the public.

MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?
MA: Same as above! Visas for artists, and funding for the arts. Also, I wish media would honor and highlight the arts more. It’s hard to spread the word to the wider world, and strong media support would be helpful.

MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.
MA: In one weekend, you’ll get to have your soul and body shaken by powerful music by world-class high-caliber musicians from around the globe that you may never have had a chance to listen to before, and personally interact with them and learn more about their music and where they’re from at workshops—all for FREE!

Thanks to Marié Abe and Ty Furman (producer of the festival, who also supported me to create this content). I really with you a super successful third edition.

Pictures’ credits:

Marié Abe portrait, provided by herself
Banner of the festival, from its website

OPEN CALLS

Transglobal World Music Chart Festival Awards. This is open all the year but note that some time in advance of your festival is needed to find the evaluator. This award’s proceduce needs the attendance of a person in your event: one of the panelists or an independent journalist or person of culture. Check the link and send any questions, also in answer to this email as I am the coordinator of this award.

Mundial Montreal (Canada). Open until 1st April. Its 10th edition will take place from 17th to 20th of November. The official selection includes around 30 artists to play in showcases of 25 minutes. Delegates from all the continents use to attend.

Mobility program of grants by AC/E. Open until 31st March. This grant is made to provide finantial support for logistics when booking a Spanish artists. I talked deeper about this and about our offer or Spanish artists, here.

Mercat de Música Viva de Vic. Open until 31st March. Its edition 32 will take place from 16th to 19th of September in the Catalan city of Vic. It includes around 60 showcases and a bunch of concerts are selected for the “festival” format (the rest are fair showcases for professionals).

Visa for Music. Open until 31st of March (note there are announced two dates in different places, inside the application web is says day 15th but right now it is open and in the announcement at Facebok it says it is until day 31st). The 7th edition of Visa For Music, professional music market and festival for African and Middle-Eastern music, will be held from November 18th to 21st, 2020 in Rabat, Morocco. 30 artists or groups will be selected.

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OUR LATEST ACHIEVEMENT, POSTPONED TO STILL DON’T KNOW…

In the previous newsletter I talked about our Silk Road series of concerts in Museum of Orient, Lisbon.

The concert by Sahib Pashasade and Kamram Karimov will be postponed and we don’t have a new date yet. The second concert would be on 8th of May by Nouruz Ensemble (in the picture). If we can keep this date, it will be good news for everybody.

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FIND ME AT…

Who knows. So many plans were done and cancelled. Let’s hope these two dates will still be possible:

From 13 to 16 of May, Ljubljana & Maribor, for Druga Godba. I still have hope that this will be possible.
From 3-6 June, in Poland with Gulaza in Wroclaw and with Monsieur Doumani in Katowice. I hope this all about the virus will be just a dark memory at this time.
For later, I am or was suppossed to travel for instance to Kavala for Kosmopolis Festival (still set in the same dates in July), to Malaysia for Rainforest World Music Festival (postponed without specified dates) and others, let’s see.

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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.

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.

Magazine #20 February 2020

Mini-interview with Georgia Dötzer from Rialto WM Festival, Birgit Ellinghaus, open calls and +

What to do now better than listening great music while reading this magazine, made by us and for us, the community of world / folk / traditional music all over the world? I am Araceli Tzigane. Accompany your reading with our playlist! You know: just click the logo –>.

So, welcome to Mapamundi Música‘s magazine, issue #20! I will not enlarge any further this intro, as the content below is gold.

Just remember: any suggestion of contents for the next editions? Let us know. And if you like this, share it and tell it to your friends!

Thanks for your attention.

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

Feel free to resend this newsletter to your friends if you like it. Subscription is available here.

Summary:

· Job announcement from Global Fest
· Open calls not to miss
· Mini interview with festival manager: Georgia Dötzer from Rialto World Music Festival (Cyprus)
· In deep with Birgit Ellinghaus from alba KULTUR
· Don’t miss our Spanish acts recommended by AECID
· One of our latests achievements, I have to share this ?
· Find me at…

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

GLOBAL FEST SEARCHES FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Global Fest is a music platform with many activities. One of them is the festival they hold in New York in January.

There want to fill a job vacancy that is a new position for their organization. A full-time position to start in April 2020. Its responsibilities include fundraising, development and expansion of the board of directors, developing and renewing relationships with prospective funders and sponsors, etc. To learn more and to apply, click here.

OPEN CALLS

WOMEX (this year, in Budapest). Open until 13th March. This is the referential fair for world music, with around 3 thousand delegates every year. I think Womex is really known by the 99,99 %.

**** 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

MINI INTERVIEW WITH GEORGIA DÖTZER FROM RIALTO WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL

Limassol, at the South of the island of Cyprus, and July… The idea that comes to the mind is hot Sun, beach, roasted halloumi cheese with frozen white wine… and, for the past 14 years, also world music! Yes, because Rialto World Music Festival in been held in Limassol since 2006.

It started as a series of events dedicated to diversity and tolerance and now, in 2020, it will become 15! I want to congratulate Ms. Georgia Dötzer, the “mastermind behind the success of Rialto World Music Festival” in words of her compatriot Antonis Antoniou, from Monsieur Doumani, and the team. Many more to come, Ms. Dötzer! In the meantime, let me share some of your insights.

MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?
GD: The quality, the different sound, the uniqueness and the attractive stage performance.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
GD: To highlight the diverse and rich universe of the world music. To promote the common elements and the differences in music, as a universal language connecting people. In this framework also to promote Cyprus and our festival as a bridge between them.

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?
GD: The promotion and the right communication of the ensembles and their music, especially when they are not quite known.

MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?
GD: Of course the high flight cost of the groups from abroad. Also to attract young audiences and to broaden the existing one. To make the festival more attractive for the tourists and visitors of Cyprus.

MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.

GD: To listen, meet and get to know groups and musicians who share a rich cultural past and also develop a contemporary musical present, with common origins and influences, organizing a series of events, mostly music, which draw their inspiration from the tradition of each country around the Mediterranean.

Pictures’ credits:

One of Georgia’s Facebook profile pictures
Cover of the festival’s Facebook page

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IN DEEP WITH…

Birgit Ellinghaus from alba KULTUR

I like this picture of Birgit. I like it because I feel it shows how I perceive her: talking with a combination of pedagogy, strenght and conviction, attentively to the other’s understanding and reaction.

Since 1989 she directs the arts management agency alba Kultur, settled in Cologne, Germany, with which she has developed hundreds of projects, building bridges between cultures. She is also advisor of many international organizations focused on culture and diversity and an inspiration for me and probably for many others.

MM – In these 30 years, alba Kultur has took traditional music to high culture frames, has participated in strategic projects with many international organizations, has developed a network of partners in your region that allows to organice long tours of bands from many places and backgrounds, most of them far away from the mainstream styles… just to name a few of the dreams achieved. What is the next challenge?

Birgit Ellinghaus – For all projects I followed the understanding, that there is a dual nature of culture: musical works, concerts and artistic programms standing for cultural identities and are expressions of traditions and life plans, which are not possible to be mesured in terms of money or market values. Nevertheless there are elements in our field of work, which touch the economical aspects, e.g. tickets, CDs or digital music is sold and artists earn their life with music and need reasonable fees. But my priorities of work were always to support and promote strongly of the non economical aspects and expressions in the music field.

The advanced globalization and the actual priority of European culture policy for creative industries with the economic streamlining of the music sector has effects in all european countries. For my personal work see a challenge to work on the opening of the uge public financed music sector for more diversity of local-global musics expressing identity on all levels: commissioning of new works, programming of contemporary and trad music from all arround the world, strengthening of intangible cultural heritage, support of democratic organisation and participartion of migrant musicians in the cultural-political cultural dialogue in Germany and Europe.
Another challenge is the cultural exchange through music with artists from developping countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America: how could we give access to Europe, if the boarders are more and more closed (all questions of artist mobility and visa). How could we organize carbon neutral tours and concerts not only within Europe, but as well with artists from other continents?
And another challenge is about the role of the artist/musician as a critical soul of society in times of racism, anti semitism and islamophobia. How to protect the freedom of artistic expression and how to use the knowledge and potential of artists for reconciliation and peace building?

MM – I have the idea that you were a pioneer when you started with alba Kultur, so you might have had to face a big lack of knowledge about the music you work with, in the people who made decisions of programming. In my experience, Germany is now much open, both the public and the culture workers, to this contents than, for instance, in my country, Spain, where we have little knowledge and also many prejudices about what is world music. Could you give any advice on how to make the decision makers interested in this?

BE – I don’t want to give any advise, because each country, each activists and professional and artists has to developpe his/her own suitable views and strategies. We are all specialists and knowledge keepers of our own culture!

What I could, is to share my experience: when I started to work many years ago, it was very helpful to know about other models of work, other’s cultural expressions, to learn from others and to consider myself as a permanent student. In my personal work, I found a lot of inspiration, e.g. from the music scene in France and from the Oriental philosophies, but as well through my travels and the rich exchange with collegues and artists all around the world.

And over the years I understand, that cultural change never goes straight ahead. It’s a ongoing process. Sometimes I felt hopeless and thought the things wouldn’t turn ever for the better and/ or I had to face a lot of ignorance or resistance from stakeholder in venues and festivals, funding bodies, by politicians, media and artists. And than suddenly I saw new doors opening… I always tried to keep my curiosity and my flexibility within my agenda and my convictions. Change and development are questions of generations and need patience. These questions go much further as the individual contribution and capacity and life.

MM – I know that you work with the same strength and passion than when we met, around 11 or 12 years ago. And I think you feel that your kind of vision and what alba Kultur provides to the society is still as essential as it was at that moment and, probably, as it was when alba Kultur started. I think that 30 years ago, the world music was quite unknown for the public and for the cultural agents. Some years after, it became a boom about it. And in the last times it seems we are lossing spots for the visibility in the media and that some relevant agents, like big festivals, have been abandoning this kind of music and moving to more commercial programs. I have some questions about this:
Are your objectives now the same as they were when you started? I believe that your objectives are totally related to the service that you consider the society needs.
BE – Yes !

MM – Is the situation now, better or worse than when you started?
BE – It’s different. E.g. just reminding about communication and means of media production: I started before there was the FAX technology existing. Communication in general and specially with artists from other continents was very slow and often related to personal traveling – by myself or by friends, who served as couriers to spred the news and brought material about an artist or a festival, etc. The recording of music was very complicated, because the digital CDs and video technology just started. Communication and travel was very expensive and a privilege for only few people too.Now we have access to all and everything world wide (or nearly). Today with internet, messengers and global mobility we receive so much and so speed information, that we are lost to make the use of it. And sometimes we forget, that still there are parts and cultures of the world which are not connected to this digitalized and globalized streams, because of censorship and missing respect to human rights, because of technology, economy or education gaps or nature disasters.

MM – How much do you think that the political situation affects our community of the world music?

BE – The world music community globally is facing the general conditions of life today. But for me the question is rather: does the world music community stands maybe (at least partly) for ethics and elements of identity, who might give some interesting answers for the future ? E.g. see some texts by Doc Kasimir Bisou (Jean-Michel Lucas).If the answer to the previous question is that it affects us strongly, what can we, the people like us, working on this from different roles, do to, somehow, protect us? We have not to protect us as community. I believe this community should stand actively for human rights, for the role of culture in the Sustainable Development Goals, for cultural diversity world wide, for freedom of expression, for the rights of indiginous people and other minorities, for the protection of identity, etc. This could guide us in the cultural exchange and a real dialogue eye level through music.

MM – You have had to deal with complications about visas and probably also with misunderstandings and even “not understandings” on purpose. Do you have any advice for our colleagues to deal with these not so funny cultural shocks?

BE – The questions of visa I do not see in the context of cultural misunderstandings. Visa are part of international politics and an intended diplomatic tool to keep certain people out of a territory, e.g. certain nationalities from the US and other countries. The formal and soft restrictions and obstacles are intended.In my eyes, the best way to avoid cultural shocks on a personal level, is to learn more about the culture of the other on as many ways as possible (reading, internet, personal encounters, learning the language and the music etc.), to expand the respectfull understanding through cultural exchange from early childhood.

MM – What are the plans for 2020? The ones that you can share with us, of course. BE – Hopefully we could realized the actual projects sucessfully:

20. Jubilee Saison of Klangkosmos NRW (January – June 2020). Website, here. PDF download, here.
Silk Road Easter Festival – A Musical Journey from Venice to China at Elbphilharmonie (April 2020). Website, here.
Music Summit “Migrants Music Manifesto” with residency, laboratory, concerts and international conference in September 2020 in Cologne. Website, here. (Programm is coming soon).

Credits:

Portrait of Birgit with micro, by Johan Morin from alba Kultur website
Portrait of Birgit talking, by BPH from alba Kultur website
Banner of Weltmusik im Mozartsaal 2019-2020 from alba Kultur website
Cover of the program of Klangkosmos 20 edition

OUR SPANISH ACTS RECOMMENDED BY AECID

Recently we have received the first request to book Entavía through the catalogue by AECID of the recommended artists for the Spanish embassies all over the world. We have two artists in that catalogue. The Spanish embassies have to chose artists from that catalogue when they want to book or support Spanish artists for any event.

The AECID Music Catalog is the main tool for promotion, dissemination and cultural programming outside Spain, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. The Catalog is prepared by a committee of experts and includes a selection of proposals of quality from all musical genres.

OUR LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

Silk Road series of concerts in Museum of Orient, Lisbon. The true is that this was born as a attempt to extend alba Kultur’s program at the Iberian peninsule. It was not possible to do it like that because of the format (intensive program in some days vs. extended in some months) but that put the seed for another series with similar topic, to be hold in Lisbon with one concert in April, another in May and another in June.

This nice man of the picture is Sahib Pashazade and he is an amazing soloist of tar from Azerbaijan. I had the joy of attending his concert with Kamram Karimov at the contest Sharq Taronalari in 2017, where they won the Grand Prix. They will play in this series at the beginning of April. It is such a joy to collaborate with these outstanding artists! Further details will follow in the next issue of this newsletter.

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

FIND ME AT…

Some interesting dates for the community (and where you can find me if you happened to be there, just let me know):

Iberian Festival Awards. At this event I will go accompanying Juan Antonio Vázquez, who is jury. 14th March. Lisbon.
Mid of April. Hamburg. Silk Road Easter Festival
From 3-6 June, in Poland with Gulaza in Wroclaw and with Monsieur Doumani in Katowice.

Do you like our newsletter? Tell us! Resend it to your friends! To sign up, click HERE.

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mapamundi Música is an agency of management and booking. Learn more here. Check our proposals at our website.

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.

Magazine #19 January 2020

Mini-interview with Leo Ličof from Okarina, Blogfoolk and much more

Welcome to Mapamundi Música‘s magazine, with contents for us, the community of world / folk / traditional music all over the world. I am Araceli Tzigane.

During the festivities, at that time of reflections, a disturbing idea was in my mind many times. I share it below. But the beginning of the new year brought some very nice news that made me reconcile with the world, like our first collaboration with Svetlana Spajic Group, with who we are working in touch with Bojan Djordjevic. Many more will come.

In this issue I have the pleasure to put the spotlight in two initiatives that I appreciate wholeheartedly: Blogfoolk, by Salvatore Esposito and Ciro de Rosa, who is also member of Transglobal World Music Chart, and Festival Okarina, by Leo Ličof.

Once more, I invite you to read this contents with the soundtrack of our playlist in Soundcloud. You’ll find those awesome artists in our website.

Remember: any suggestion of contents for the next editions? Let us know. And if you like this, share it and tell it to your friends!

Thanks for your attention.

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

Feel free to resend this newsletter to your friends if you like it. Subscription is available here.

Summary:

· Mini interview with festival manager: Leo Ličof from Festival Okarina (Slovenia)
· In deep with Ciro de Rosa & Salvatore Esposito from Blogfoolk
· Our latest addition
· Open call not to miss
· What will come in next issue? In deep with Birgit Ellinghaus from alba Kultur
· Find me at…

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

**** Do you have a world music festival and you want to be included in our mini interviews? Contact us. ****

YEAR’S END REFLECTION

During the last years I have seen how bands are rejected because they are from Israel, because they are from Catalonia, because they sing in Castilian, because of any other politic reasons, because the artist is Catolic or because is Muslim, because the artist has albums in a specific record label… All those people think they are right. All those people think their reason to ban artists is a good reason. And all those people think the reasons of the others for banning artists are not right. So, these people book a band that other would ban for any other reason.

If you try, you can find reasons to ban almost anybody. Moreover, those criteria to ban the artists are not public. You finally know, just by chance, after many tryings to put an artist there, what was the real reason. Until very recently I though our community of music was mostly fair and that almost everybody were frank. The most minimun sign of respect to the people you are supossed to make business with, is to make clear your red lines.

CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS

MINI INTERVIEW WITH LEO LIČOF FROM FESTIVAL OKARINA

Leo Ličof is the director of the Festival Okarina and owner of the restaurant Okarina, both in Bled, Slovenia (34ks far from Ljubljana airport), both of them awesome and 100% enjoyable. I had the pleasure to be there in 2019 with Vigüela. It was one of the top moments of the year for all of us.

Leo’s smile radiates his charm all around and it is the charm that you feel in everything related to the Festival. The landscapes there are a prodigy, with the castle up in the rock and the turquioise lake between the mountains. It takes place around the last week of July and beginning of August and this year it will become 30 years old!

My questions found Leo in India, the country that has been so inspiring for him and that he visited before the festival was even a prospect. Even from there, Leo took a moment to answer the questions. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the festival and Leo’s own biography related to it, I recommend you this interview by Davy Sims who is also the owner of this nice portrait of Leo that you see here above, where you’ll know this story of devotion and generosity.

MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?
LL: Artistic value! Diversity!

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
LL: Expanding listener’s horizons!

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?
LL: First problem is turning down so many good musicians showing desire to perform at our festival. And second obstacle is dealing with some agents offering unrealistic financial proposals.

MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?
LL: The only challenge is how to get rid of all challenges. Peaceful romantic festival is created and this is what I want to stay.

MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.
LL: Enjoy unspoiled nature supported with pleasant sounds – all for free.

Pictures’ credits:

Leo’s portrait by Davy Sims. Thank you!!!!
Banner of the festival, from the website

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IN DEEP WITH…

Ciro de Rosa and Salvatore Esposito, from Blogfoolk

I’ve known Ciro de Rosa for many years. We have met in delighting events like Globaltica festival in Poland or Sharq Taronalari in Uzbekistan. In Italy, specifically in Sardinia, I had the pleasure to meet also Salvatore Esposito, the founder of Blogfoolk, at Andrea Parodi contest.

Blogfoolk is an editorial project focused on world and traditional music. They release one issue each week, that includes reviews of albums, interviews chronicles of concerts and festivals… all of them available at the web.

As mentioned in the previous issue of this newsletter, I admire the work of the team of Blogfoolk, their perseverance and dedication and the deepness of their approach. So it is a pleasure for me to share their words and to acknowledge here their contribution for our community. Here you are they insights.

MM – Blogfoolk is already working for more than 9 years. I think it is the main media in Italy dedicated to these kinds of music or, at least, the only one that has impact in the international community. I think, correct me if I am wrong, that the economic return is not the reason for standing for so long, publishing constantly and with such diversity and deepness. What is the return that provides you this motivation?

Salvatore Esposito: Exactly, Blogfoolk has been publishing for nine years. Today is the main media in Italy covering traditional, folk and world music. We do think the economic investment is not the reason for standing for such a long time, publishing regularly with such a diversity of contents and in depth analysis of music. It was created as my personal Blog, some months later Ciro De Rosa joined this adventure. In less than a decade we have grown by small steps. We have become an officially registered magazine, with me as the editor and Ciro, as editor-in-chief. We have got a scientific committee and what’s more, a bunch of regular journalists contribute and participate in the making of the magazine policy. Over the years, the number of contributors who have embraced our project has increased. Our main goal is to study in depth and to bring to a wider audience music which is not usually covered in the Italian media.

Ciro De Rosa: Our commitment is to embrace great music from around the world, with a special focus on the Italian traditional and folk music scene. Our aim is to help readers to find out music and stories behind music. The greatest achievement is credibility. Our work and dedication has been recognised by professionals and by leading figures of academia and music journalism in Italy. It may sound a bit pretentious, but we can say it’s not Blogfoolk which knock the world any longer today, but it is the world which knocks on Blogfoolk’s door. However, a lot is still to be done. You never stop studying, digging further and planning for a better magazine.

“Our main goal is to study in depth and to bring to a wider audience
music which is not usually covered in the Italian media.”

SE: Due to the economic crisis, the music market changes but also due to the inability to create a system with the record labels that have stopped investing in advertising, a lot of music magazines have ceased to exist. I am thinking of World Music Magazine or Jam, just to quote two magazines Ciro and me have worked for and to some extents are in Blogfolk DNA. In some way, it is a cultural desert. Keeping a magazine alive on one’s own legs is really complex. But Blogfoolk resists… It is a bulwark of solid cultural resistance because each of us, although dealing with music with a professional attitude, has got a different job. We do not have an effective economic return, and when we managed to sell advertising space we had minimal revenues. It is therefore legitimate to ask why we continue to carry on this business. The answer is that surely we are “crazy”, as Professor Alessandro Portelli, a leading social historian, said in an interview in which he quoted Blogfoolk.

CDR: We are “Foolk”, which contains the words “folk” and “fool” (to be read in Shakespearian way and – why not? – in Steve Jobs’s terms) at the same time. Nonetheless, we have clear goal of keep growing and being cultural agitators. Blogfoolk has organized music events in some clubs in Rome, we have promoted conferences, we take part in disc and book presentations, we have edited an online book. We keep trying to make system involving labels and publishers, to stimulate them to invest to promote their music. Then, there is the important aspect of partnerships with national and international festivals to which we care a lot and which is probably the most exciting side of our work.

MM – What made you guys interested in this kind of music? How was the development of your personal interest on this?

SE: Personally I approached the world and the traditional music by degrees starting from my passion for Bob Dylan, on whom a volume edited by me came out a couple of years ago for a leading Italian publisher. From the American folk I passed to the English and then again to the Italian and in particular to the scene of the Salento revival. In the end I also started studying. I have read so much and above all listened to many records. Certainly a lot I also learned from Ciro De Rosa who opened the doors to me to discover so much music that I didn’t know. Without him I would never have been keen on Sardinian music, for example.

CDR: I became interested through my studies in cultural anthropology and the study of Breton, Irish and British folk traditions. Being the old guy in the team, I have to say I started as a radio presenter of folk and world music for independent radios in Mid-Eighties, then contributing to a programme in the National Radio. I have been member of staff for World Music Magazine, which has helped me to grow in terms of professionality. Here, I want to thank Pietro Carfì and EDT, a Turin publisher.

MM – It looks like you work many hours per week in Blogfoolk, and this is not your daily job. How do you organize yourselves to be productive and efficient with this level of quality?

SE: It’s so much time because being the editor I decide the contents for each issue (Ciro collaborates, too) to be published. Also, I am a the art director, I take care of the daily updating of the news pages in the website. Let’s say that many things, such as the relationship with labels, reading press releases and emails, selecting proposals, I happen to do them even on my mobile because during my working day I have dead times. In this context you must also include the fact that I write and therefore I have to listen to records, attends concerts and festivals. In short, it is a game of joints that is also difficult to explain. I always say that each issue goes to compose a bit on its own because we leave to the contributors a wide margin for their proposals even if we try to avoid personal initiatives to avoid overlapping of contents. Of course, we have a great backlog because it is always difficult to follow everything and talk about everything. So the philosophy is if it is worth reviewing a disc it never ceases to be even one year after publication. It is not rare, in fact, that we found ourselves digging up discs that we had lost on the way but we wanted to deal with. In our review you won’t find cut and paste of press releases as in most online mag.

CDR: It’s a daily reading and listening to music, planning interviews, editing when I have finished my work day as a teacher. It’s essential to select the most interesting materials which fit our mission amongst the many we receive on a daily basis. Weekends are above all dedicated to further listening, writing and editing other contributors’ stuff.

“A “Foolk” disc is a disc with a multiple look breaking music boundaries,
an elusive and fascinating record.”

MM – How do you select the contents to write about?

SE: The selection of contents has various phases. Both Ciro and me receive dozens and dozens of materials and review proposals. We read everything carefully we also listen to everything carefully. Of course there is stuff which is discarded because it doesn’t fit our editorial line. We prefer not to deal with things that we are not experts on because we would also be poorly prepared. If they give us a Speed Metal record it will be difficult for a Blogfoolk review to come out. Sometimes it also happens to us to propose records, emphasizing their folk nature because they may have acoustic atmospheres and we are forced to decline because maybe they are too tied to pop. One thing is certain we try to be attentive to everything but above all to favour the quality and innovative strength of the discs. In recent years we have been widening our perspective to avant-garde to the most sophisticated and original jazz and even to contemporary music. Of course if a disc is “Foolk” it will surely find space on our pages. A “Foolk” disc is a disc with a multiple look breaking music boundaries, an elusive and fascinating record.

CDR: It is also crucial to read international press and specialised websites, to attend world music fairs whenever possible and festival to be continuously updated. The fact I am a panellist to the Transglobal World Music Chart has widened my perspective, too.

“A three day festival to celebrate our next editorial score
would be an excellent present.”

MM – If you could ask Santa Claus whatever you could related to Blogfoolk, what would you ask?

SE: I would ask for a sponsorship, a nice substantial loan from thirty or even less than twenty thousand euros. I would renew the site, make it even more functional and multitasking and I could make some Christmas transfers to our contributors. I would be really happy. What advances I would spend to finance the publication of a single volume with the best of interviews and specials made over the years. Believe me it would be great because there are really relevant and lovely things. It is not certain, however, that these things cannot be achieved without the Santa’s help… Of course we will have to wait but after all Rome was not built in a day… Am I a dreamer?

CDR: Upgrading the website and having the chance to pay contributors would be the priority, as said. Also, we organized a small party in Rome for our 400th issue with live music from Stefano Saletti and Piccola Banda Ikona, an artist not to be missed. So, a three day festival to celebrate our next editorial score would be an excellent present.

MM – Would you give any advice to the artists and the managers to improve their communication when they want to get attention from the media?

SE: First of all, I would recommend working hard on music, research and sound. There is a lot of music around, but not truly original and of good quality music. The rest may come by itself. It did not happen to us often but at times we have accompanied groups or artists in their growth and it was a satisfaction to see them establish themselves even on an international level. For example, Duo Bottasso we followed from their beginning as a duo. It also takes a little perseverance and does not give in to the first difficulties. In the end, talent will always prevail.

CDR: Working hard in terms of quality of music and stage presence. Be professional from the very beginning.

Credits:

Logo of Blogfoolk
Portraits of Ciro and Salvatore, from Facebook
Front page of Blogfoolk
Cover of the book mentioned. Downloadable, here.

OUR LATEST NEWS

In the aim of gathering fabulous artists who are masters of music traditions and with awesome artistry, we have included in our offer the Albanese band of isopoliphony Sazet e Permetit.

Feel free to check our updated rooster in our website.

OPEN CALL

The application period for Fira Mediterrània de Manresa is still open and until 29th of January at 15h (central Europe time). Check the conditions and requirements at their website.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE…

Who in this world doesn’t know Birgit Ellinghaus? Since 1989 she directs the arts management agency alba Kultur, settled in Cologne, Germany, with which she has developed hundreds of projects, building bridges between cultures. She is also advisor of many international organizations focused on culture and diversity.It will be such a pleasure to spread some of Birgit knowledge and vision in the next issue!

Thank you, Birgit.

FIND ME AT…

Some interesting dates for the community (and where you can find me if you happened to be there, just let me know):

Mediterranean Music Festival (Zurich, Switzerland). 18th January. My first international trip of the year will be to the festival lead by Alkis Zopoglou, who is mentioned below. I will travel there with Josep Aparicio “Apa”, the Valencian superb singer of cant d’estil, and with his musicians Eduard Navarro and Toni Porcar.

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This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

Magazine #18 December 2019

Mini-interview with Jarmila Vlčková from WMF Bratislava, in deep with the Luthiers’ fair in Warsaw, charts time & much more

Welcome to Mapamundi Música‘s December’s magazine, with contents for us, the community of world / folk / traditional music all over the world. You can read the previous issues, here. I am Araceli Tzigane.

It’s almost time for celebrations in my region of the world but it’s also the moment of the year of summarising and planning. Wish us clarity of mind for the challenges ahead. Thank you 🙂

I invite you to read this contents with the soundtrack of our new playlist in Soundcloud. You might discover some awesomely enchanting recordings of artists we have included recently in our catalogue for 2020 and beyond.

Enjoy much and, remember: if you have any suggestion of contents for the next editions, let us know. And if you like it, share it and tell it to your friends!

Thanks for your attention.

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

Feel free to resend this newsletter to your friends if you like it. Subscription is available here.

Summary:

· Mini interview with festival manager: Jarmila Vlčková from World Music Festival Bratislava (Slovakia)
· In deep with Piotr Piszczatowski about the Targowisko Instrumentów (Warsaw, Poland)
· Open call not to miss
· It’s charts time! The best albums of the year by WMCE and TWMC
· What will come in next issue? In deep with BlogFoolk
· Find me at…

Do you have a world music festival and you want to be included in our mini interviews? Contact us. ****

This magazine is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS

MINI INTERVIEW WITH JARMILA VLČKOVÁ FROM WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL BRATISLAVA

Jarmila Vlčková is the artistic director of the World Music Festival Bratislava and, without a doubt, one of the persons who is shaping the image of the music from Slovakia abroad during the last years. She also leads the platform World Music from Slovakia (WOMUSK). Both of the initiatives are held by the NGO Amity o.z., founded in 2012.

The World Music Festival Bratislava takes place in Bratislava. The last edition was at the end of September, previous editions were hold in August. The program includes concerts, showcases of Slovak emerging bands, conferences, listening sessions and speed datings, as the activity of the Festival has two addresses, the public and the professionals.

Thank you, Jarmila, for the kind and enriching answers.

MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?

JV: When we plan the program of our festival, our main intention is to bring diverse and balanced program to our audience. We look for traditional performers from different parts of the world, but also new approaches and original projects. It is always a special moment when artists build up interaction with the crowd or even exceed their expectations. We are lucky enough to have a warm – hearted audience that can appreciate good music; it doesn´t matter if it is a classical Indian raga or electronic music from Argentina.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?

JV: The festival strives to reveal the global culture, from traditional to the modern one, with a focus on world music, jazz and folklore. The WMFB has daytime and evening program at different venues in the Old Town of Bratislava and we are glad if the visitors experience both, the music and city during the festival. The events offer notable opportunity to discover Slovak and global music scene at the showcases and concerts. The significant part of the festival is international conference, a place to share ideas and network.

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?

JV: We still see our festival as a new one, in 2020 it will be only its 5th edition. However, we had good feedback and we would be happy if it stays that way. In fact, we deal with similar simple issues as other events: what is the social, ecological impact, economic result and cultural footprint of festival in the world? Can we do better?

MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?

JV: There are many challenges for small festivals. We live in a fast-changing world, where art plays a vital role. The festival like ours, is a place that is supposed to build respect, educate and inspire through music.

MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.

JV: Our festival is taking place in the historic centre of a capital of Slovakia and, for visitors, it is a chance to explore the town, discover different venues from noble concert halls to hidden small clubs that are open to welcome anybody interested in Central European region, but also those who want to enjoy a variety of music from around the world.

Pictures’ credits:

Logo of the festival at their Facebook
Jarmila’s former Facebook profile picture
Collage of the edition 2019, courtesy of WMFB

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IN DEEP WITH…

Piotr Piszczatowski and **the Targowisko Instrumentów, the instruments market in Warsaw.**

I’ve been lucky to attend this market three times. It takes place in April in the closing day of the Spring edition of the Festiwal Wszystkie Mazurki Świata (all the mazurkas of the world) in Warsaw and it is an outstanding experience of colours, shapes, sounds, voices and joy. Furthermore, from 19h it starts the night of dance, in which around 30 bands, mainly performers of traditional Polish music, both rural and urban, both old masters and young enthusiasts play for the audience that will dance all night long.

Check their website to discover the instruments makers and check their Facebook page to get an idea of the ambient there. And read the interview below (translated from Polish into English by the kind Ewa Gomółka) to understand the steps that, for 10 years, Piotr and his partners took to reach their current achievements.

··· The application to participate in the market will be open at mid of January ···

MM – I think you were a kind of pioneer in Poland of this idea of a fair of instruments makers, why did you start this, instead of any other thing?

PP – I was not the first one who tried to organize such an event. But the unpredictable luck made that I was the first person who succeeded to organize this kind of event on a large scale in Poland. The event where real market rules are applied – the makers really sell their instruments-, and, most importantly, it wasn’t a one-time event, but it led to the multiannual process of recreating the community of the instrument makers in Poland and neighboring countries.

“They are all dead”, I was told in one of the musical instruments museums. That was the common view back then. It was 2010 when we came back from Brittany with Janusz Prusinowski Kompania. We saw there many phenomena that were revolutionary for us. First, the Dance Night (Fest Noz) with thousands of people dancing marvelously. There were so many of them, that the organizers could spend the money from the tickets to hire more than a dozen bands to play all night. Nearby, there was a tent with instrument fair in it. That was another shock – excellent instruments were purchased at fair prices, everything based on the market rules, with almost no state support. That was in sharp contrast to the situation in Poland at the time, where we were constantly told that there was no future for traditional music. In Brittany we saw that traditional musicians, their music and instruments should not be put in the museum. This gave us hope that we could change the situation in Poland. We devoted the next 10 years to this mission, to develop the Mazurkas of the World festival, the Instrument Fair, Słuchaj Uchem children theatre and our band.

All these phenomena became, as one of our friends said, the “icebreaker” to the existing prejudice. However, we must highlight that all of them are complementary, like parts of one engine. The Instrument Fair wouldn’t exist without the Festival and its growing, enthusiastic public.Why do I do this? Because there is no greater pleasure than seeing something reborn. That’s why I call the Instrument Fair my fourth child.

MM – Which are been the biggest achievements that you have got in the fair along the years?

PP – It’s the carnival! For me, the Fair’s formula is the key issue. These aren’t strictly business meetings. You know, those with renting separate stands and without contact between the participants. It’s the opposite. I think that the formula of carnival taking place in the central square of a city, the formula we know from historical times, f. ex. medieval or renaissance is perfect. So this is very special festive time of role reversal, atmosphere of excitement, many events, overflowing crowd, hustle and bustle, many languages from around the world, contrasts, unusual and unknown musical instruments. We intentionally add a lot of simultaneous events to our Instrument Fair: concerts, ritual and children theatre, paratheatrical and dance events. All these ingredients raise the temperature in this interpersonal meeting where the barriers between people are being broken. There may appear something new between the people – a new quality.

It was great success, from the very beginning, that the instrument makers liberated themselves from the isolation, or even specific hibernation. We must realize that at that time, many of them never succeeded to sell an instrument and also weren’t really seen as artists by their own communities. This means not only that they were living in a certain state of frustration but also that they weren’t performing their culture-creating and integration function. It’s changing now. They are great personalities able to bring together the artistic and spiritual life of the community. The traditional role of the art is something that sticks together the parts of a broken jug and makes that we can drink water from it again.

Secondly, this very specific Polish tendency to work in narrow fields of expertise was broken. It came out that if we invite people of different luthier specialties whether it is traditional, futuristic or classical, we get wonderful effect of unfettered and miscellaneous space of liberty. There are amateur instrument makers and professional luthiers standing side by side. Each of them is different, dissimilar and I enjoy the fact that they are unlike each other. Each of them is a potential master to the future generations of students.

So the instrument makers met and the following years the community has grown up to almost 300 people, who are invited to the event. Each year about 120 instrument makers meet at the instrument fair and then they collaborate creatively, interchange their knowledge and ideas, make some projects together all year round. Before this first gathering, it was unimaginable.

The last important thing is the international character of this event. Over the years it became not only local and rural but just international. Each year we host artists and instrument makers from at least ten European countries and we happened to host artist from Mongolia or India too. I consider this aspect as crucial today in these very difficult times when so many spaces are closed and hostile. Creating spaces that are friendly to people who create new artistic and social realities is a really great venture for us. The art has this really big potential to cross the boundaries that are constantly being rebuilt.

MM – How do you organise the work, to be able to attend all your other responsibilities, as a musician, as a father of a family and also as coordinator of folk music department for the Instytut Muzyki i Tańca?

The answer is really easy – I work hard and I have my family and friends without whom I wouldn’t have succeed. I admit that it’s not easy. Together with Janusz Prusinowski, from the very beginning of this adventure, we had to build a network of artistic institutions designed to create the space for traditional Polish music revival. We built this house from basement to roof.

For that reason we are really busy. I work as a civil servant in the Institute of Music and Dance [Instytut Muzyki i Tańca] in the Traditional Music and Dance Studio [Pracownia Muzyki Tradycyjnej], in addition, I’m an actor in a children’s theatre Słuchaj Uchem that we run with Kaja and Janusz. Apart from that, we play a lot of concerts all over the world with Janusz Prusinowski Kompania and all the time new challenges appear, like hosting concerts for children of Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra [Narodowa Orkiestra Symfoniczna Polskiego Radia], the shows in the TV station TVP Kultura, or organizing other instrument fairs which, as a formula of the fresh look at artistic and people-to-people meeting, widely succeeded and became highly demanded all around the country.

There was even the idea to introduce the special carnival formula of the instrument fair in other countries. We’ll see, it requires financial aid of a serious institutional partner.

MM – If you could ask anything to Santa Claus, related to the fair, what would you ask?

I would be really glad if the international aspect of our Instrument Fair developed to become a Mecca or, if you like, the place of pilgrimage for musicians and instrument makers from all over Europe. I’d like it to be obvious that they should come and meet us at least once in their lives.

MM – In one phrase, invited our readers to attend the fair with a teasing statement

The instrument fair is like a dream come true, like from Hieronymus Bosch paintings. A dream about a place at the edge of the world where the initiates meet once a year. If you really love music and dance, you must not miss this event.

MM – And in one phrase, invite the instruments makers to the fair.

Come to the instrument fair! There are rumors that the instrument makers who didn’t come to our instrument fair and get a stamp for this are not allowed into heaven. Anyway, in purgatory and hell they also ask you for this stamp 😉

Thank you, Piotr! Let’s go for the next 10.

Credits:

Translation from Polish to English, by Ewa Gomółka.
Pictures:
- Portrait of Piotr by Araceli
- Picture with bagpiper, by Artur Kowalski
- Picture of folk theatre and bloc of 4 pictures and bloc of two pictures at the bottom, by Mariusz Cieszewski
- Other 3 pictures (two fiddlers and portrait of female fiddler and bearded man), by Jan Piszczatowski

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details

OPEN CALL

Note that this year the application period for Fira Mediterrània de Manresa has been moved forward. It is open now and until 29th of January at 15h (central Europe time). Check the conditions and requirements at their website.

TA-DAH! THE BEST ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

By World Music Charts Europe and Transglobal World Music Chart

The end of the year is close so it’s time for annual charts! As cofounder of TWMC, first of all is to congratulate the panelists and the administrators of both of the charts for the constant work during the year. And, secondly, these are the top of the year for both:

TWMC top 15

1. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Miri
2. Kronos Quartet, Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat: Placeless
3. Refugees for Refugees: Amina
4. Minyo Crusaders: Echoes of Japan
5. Mara Aranda: Sefarad en el Corazón de Turquía
6. Le Trio Joubran: The Long March
7. Urna Chahar-Tugchi featuring Kroke: Ser
8. AKA Trio: Joy
9. Vardan Hovanissian & Emre Gültekin: Karin
10. Dhafer Youssef: Sounds of Mirrors
11. Angélique Kidjo: Celia
12. Cimarrón: Orinoco
13. Oratnitza: Alter Ethno
14. The Gloaming: 3
15. Janusz Prusinowski Kompania: Po śladach / In the footsteps

Check the top 100 in our website

WMCE top 15

1. Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat, Kronos Quartet: Placeless
2. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Miri
3. Dona Onete: Rebujo
4. Minyo Crusaders: Echoes of Japan
5. Salif Keita: Un autre blanc
6. Habib Koite: Kharifa
7. Boban Markovic Orkestar: Mrak
8. Lajko Felix & Vołosi: Lajko Felix & Vołosi
9. V.A.: Jambú e os Míticos Sons da Amazônia
10. Black Flower: Future Flora
11. Urna & Kroke: Ser
12. Luedji Luna: Um Corpo No Mundo
13. Aka Trio: Joy
14. Leyla McCalla: The Capitalist Blues
15. Angélique Kidjo: Celia

Check their top 200 in their website

In TWMC we make some cathegories:
· Best album: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Miri
· Best of Subsaharian Africa: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Miri
· Best transregional album: Kronos Quartet, Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat: Placeless
· Best of Asia (Central & East) & Pacific: Minyo Crusaders: Echoes of Japan
· Best of Europe: Mara Aranda: Sefarad en el Corazón de Turquía
· Best of North Africa & Middle East: Le Trio Joubran: The Long March
· Best of South America: Cimarrón: Orinoco
· Best of North & Central America: Leyla McCalla: The Capitalist Blues
· Best compilation: V.A.: Nostalgique Porto Rico: Plenas, guarachas, boléros et chansons jíbaras, 1940-1960

Congratulations for the achievement!

IN THE NEXT ISSUE…

I’ve known Ciro de Rosa for many years. We have met in delighting events like Globaltica festival in Poland or Sharq Taronalari in Uzbekistan, as well as in his own country, Italy, specifically in Sardinia, where I had the pleasure to meet also Salvatore Esposito, the founder of the initiative about which they two will explain us broadly in the next issue.Blogfoolk is an editorial project focused on world and traditional music. They release one issue each week, that includes reviews of albums, interviews chronicles of concerts and festivals… all of them available at the web. The latest issue is the #435… so you can imagine the thousands of hours of work they have behind.

I take my hat off to the team of Blogfoolk and with honour will share with the community their insight about many questions, in the first issue of the year.

Thank you, Ciro and Salvatore, receive the best wishes for 2020.

FIND ME AT…

Some interesting dates for the community (and where you can find me if you happened to be there, just let me know):

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

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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.

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.

Newsletter #17 November 2019

Mini-interview with Park Jechun, from Sori Festival, congratulations, resurrections and much +

I am Araceli Tzigane. Welcome to Mapamundi Música‘s November’s newsletter, with exciting news for us, the community of world / folk / traditional music all over the world.

I write you from the office. A few days after a enjoyable edition of WOMEX, after the trip to Portugal for the Harmonia Polska magic concert at Acordeões do Mundo Festival, by Janusz Prusinowski Kompania (check here and here) and before leaving to Folkelarm in Oslo next Thursday.

Some relevant dates for our community, before the Christmas break, that I am missing and that take place this month are Visa for Music 6th edition and Mundial Montreal 9th edition. And the last days it took place the first edition of Musafir Ethnic music forum in Ufa, Russia. Wishing all of them fruitful results, I invite you to check the contents below. Ah, what is the resurrection of the subject? Discover it, below. 😉

And, remember: if you have any suggestion of contents for the next editions, let us know. And if you like it, share it!

Thanks for your attention.

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

Subscription is available here.

Summary:

· Mini interview with festival manager: Park Jechun from Jeonju Int’l Sori Festival (South Korea)
· Signing announced for Cosmopolis Festival direction: Alkis Zopoglou
· Welcome to a new magazine: Berlin Bazzar, by Robert Rigney
· Resurrection of what? Yes! Babel Med. Viva!
· News of our signings after WOMEX.
· Find me at…

**** Do you have a world music festival and you want to be included in our mini interviews? Contact us. ****

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS

If you haven´t read them, you can find the previous interviews clicking on the names: Michal Schmidt (Folk Holidays, CZ) – Jun-Lin Yeoh (Rainforest WMF, MY) – Luis Lles (Pirineos Sur, ES) – Amitava Bhattacharya (Sur Jahan, IN) – Nicolas Ribalet (Sukiyaki Meets the World, JP) – Sergio Zaera (Poborina Folk, ES) – Per Idar Almås (Førdefestivalen, NO) – Bożena Szota (EthnoPort, PL) – Ken Day (Urkult, SE) – Mads Olesen (5 Continents, CH) – Karolina Waszczuk & Bartek Drozd(Jagiellonian Fair, PL) – Alkis Zopoglou (Mediterranean Music Festival, GR/CH) – Tom Frouge(Globalquerque, US) – Braulio Pérez (Música en el Parque, ES) – Bojan Djordjevic (Todo Mundo, RS)

MINI INTERVIEW WITH PARK JECHUN FROM JEONJU INT’L SORI FESTIVAL

Park Jechun is the artistic director of the festival since 2014. He is also percussionist and he has a duo with his wife, the pianist Miyeon. This interview was possible thanks to other of the hearts of the festival, Ji-Young Han, known by many people of our community of world music around the world, as she is usually the one present in the fairs and other professional meetings.

The festival combines perfectly in its program the ancestral and unique Sori repertoire, performed by old and by young artists, the new trends from Korean music and a bunch of high quality international proposals, including also activities for kids. Apart of hosting the festival, Jeonju is the paradigm city about Korean traditional cooking. If you still don´t find reasons enough to wish to visit the festival, Park will give you one more at the end of the interview.

Thank you, Park and Ji-Young!

MM – What do you search in an artist when you create the programme?

PJ: In externally way, we have set the subject (the topic) of the year in order of drum, dance, wind instrument, string instrument and vocal music. It was wind instrumentS this year and string instrument Snext year. It will be vocal music in 2021, the 20th anniversary of the festival. And, on the other side, we see the “attitude” of an artist doing his/her art. It is very important whether they are young musicians or masters.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?

PJ: I’ve never thought of the word ‘global goal’. Our goal is the happiness of artists and audiences who participate in the festival through a legacy given to us in the areas leading to the world – Asia – Korea – Jeonju. I am grateful for this cultural environment.

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival?

PJ: It is difficult to distinguish between tradition and modern, classic and contemporary. Is it really tradition that is being passed down from the past? Is evolution novel? It is difficult to judge such a thing.

MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours?

PJ: As we prepare for the big festival, there are growing concerns about the environment every year. I tried to run an environment-friendly festival this year, but it was not easy. We will make continuous efforts.
And with the changing tendency of leisure life and culture, I always think about what the role of festival is in this era.
We consider the consideration and cultural heritage for the next generation a priority.

MM – In one sentence, summarise the reason/s to go to your festival.

PJ: If you want to see how the old customs of East Asia exist in modern society, come to the Sori Festival!

Pictures’ credits:

Logo of the festival at their Facebook
Mr. Park playing, from the website of the festival
Ms. Ji-Young Han and Mr. Park with Juan Antonio Vázquez (from Juan Antonio’s archive)

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CONGRATULATIONS TO…

Alkis Zopoglou! He is the new director of Cosmopolis Festival, in his home town, Kavala, in Greece. His achievement was a super happy news for me, as it is the result of a life working with devotion and wisdom by a friend and collaborator that I admire.We had an interview with him in a previous issue of the newsletter, about the Mediterranean Music Festival he directs in Zurich. Check it here.

Apart of all this, he is musician at Rodopi Ensemble and teacher of traditional dances.

WELCOME TO…

Berlin Bazzar. I knew about this surprising initiative by Yuri, flautist of Hudaki Village Band. What he explained seemed a bit weird so I requested the man, Robert Rigney, as friend at Facebook (this picture is his profile picture), in order to ask him a few questions.So, what is Berlin Bazzar? It is a paper magazine, exclusively in paper, focused on music from Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, distributed in bars in Berlin. The cover of the first edition is here at the right. It will be sold for 3€ in alternative bookshops and record shops in Berlin.

According to Robert, some of the objectives are:

to reflect multicultural reality of Berlin and other cities like it,
to provide a forum and a platform for so-called “world music”,
to publish stories about world music that wouldn’t have a chance of being realized in the mainstream media.

Robert searchs for writers who can write about these kinds music, concert reviews and profiles. At the moment the project can’t afford to pay contributors.

I wanted to share this initiative, as we are losing presence in the media for our music and this quixotic project that starts now is, in all senses, contrary to the trends 🙂

AND WELCOME BACK, BABEL MED

After checking with Sami Sadak, we are allowed to announce that Babel Med will return in 2020! Congratulations, Sami and team, for gathering of supports that allow you to come back with the fair.

Great news indeed. We’ll keep an eye on this waiting for more news to share.

MAPAMUNDI’S NEW ARTISTS SIGNINGS AND SERVICES

After some conversations at WOMEX, we have included some outstanding artists in our catalogue, with which we will work for different terrories, like Hudaki Village Band or Svetlana Spajic Group, and with the collaboration of colleagues from many places. We are thrilled of the tons of talent we have available.

Apart of these, we are making occasional bookings for specific programs.Clic the picture to learn more.

And as we have so many artists, we can´t take more stable commitments but we can be of help for many unsigned artists who needs to deal with their self management. Check Araceli Tzigane’s website and feel free to address your friend artists there.

FIND ME AT…

Some interesting dates for the community (and where you can find me if you happened to be there, just let me know):

Oslo (Norway). 14th-17th November, for Folkelarm. Check the list of delegates here. On Saturday I will participate in a seminar about exporting the Nordic folk music, with a bunch of experts, starting with the master Birgit Ellinghaus from albaKultur, Germany. Check the program of the seminar, here.

Israel Showcase for Jazz and Worldwide Music. 20th-23th November. I will be in Tel Aviv and available for meetings on days 18-20, before the festival. The other time I was there I started to collaborate with Gulaza and we are still. Check the program here. Check the list of delegates, here and click Jazz & World.

Brussels (Belgium). 28th-29th November, for the first meeting of the European Folk Network. Check the interview with Nod Knowles, administrator of the network, in the previous issue of this newsletter.

Mediterranean Music Festival (Zurich, Switzerland). 18th January. After the Christmas break, I will travel again: to the festival lead by Alkis Zopoglou, who is mentioned below. I will travel there with Josep Aparicio “Apa”, the Valencian superb singer of cant d’estil, and with his musicians Eduard Navarro and Toni Porcar.

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This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mapamundi Música is an agency of management and booking. Learn more here. Check our proposals at our website.

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.

Category Archives: Monthly newsletters

Magazine #26 | August’20. Babel Music XP, Mikołajki Folkowe & a life that deserves a movie

Summary:

· How is it going to be: Babel Music XP with an interview with Olivier Rey · Mini interviews with festival manager: Agnieszka Matecka from Mikołajki Folkowe · In deep with Andrzej Bieńkowski, a life devoted to the dissemination of the traditional music

BABEL MUSIC XP, THE NEW PROFESSIONAL DATE FOR THE COMMUNITY

“That’s our ambition: to become again a international platform for the music sector, a Mediterranean gate for music exchange”

“Past, present and future of music from the world is our credo.”

CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS

MINI INTERVIEW WITH AGNIESZKA MATECKA FROM THE MIKOŁAJKI FOLKOWE FESTIVAL (LUBLIN, POLAND)

I met Agnieszka in person was in Scotland, the last September, at The Visit. I hope they will be able to make a proper celebration of the 30 anniversary, and ephemeris worth celebrating. In the meantime, let’s discover more in her own words.

IN DEEP WITH ANDRZEJ BIEŃKOWSKI

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

July’20. 2 years + interviews, news and rebirths

Subscription is available here.

BABEL MED REBIRTHS AS BABEL MUSIC XP

IN THE QUEST FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE RECORD MUSIC BUSINESS, WITH EDITH LEI, FROM NAXOS MUSIC LIBRARY

Hey! Do you want a free 3 months trial for Naxos Music Library? Email me and tell me. The first 3 requests will have it.

CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS

MINI INTERVIEW WITH BÉLA PAP FROM THE ÖRÖKSÉG VILÁGZENEI FESZTIVÁL (HERITAGE WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL) (SZOLNOK, HUNGARY)

IN DEEP WITH ANGIE LEMON PR

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

June 2020 | Life returns, mini interviews, joint ventures and more

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends if you like it. Subscription is available here.

Summary:

· Recent news and calls. Please, consider to sign. · Union means strength: joint venture with Spain is Music · Mini interviews with festival managers: Dragoș Rusu from the Outernational Days and with Mirza Redzepagic, from the World Music Fest Zeman · In the next edition…

RECENT NEWS AND CALLS, IN SHORT

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

**** 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

MINI INTERVIEW WITH DRAGOȘ RUSU FROM THE OUTERNATIONAL DAYS (BUCHAREST, ROMANIA)

MINI INTERVIEW WITH MIRZA REDZEPAGIC FROM THE WORLD MUSIC FEST ZEMAN (NOVI PAZAR, SERBIA)

IN THE NEXT EDITION

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

Summary:

· Research initiatives to gather data · Project MOST for dissemination of Balkan music and online talk TOMORROW MORNING! · Mini interviews with festival managers: Zlatan Jaganjac, from Ritam Mediterana and Davide Mancini from Musicastrada Festival · In the next edition

RESEARCH INITIATIVES TO GATHER DATA

Survey by WOMEX, for all the countries

Survey by DISCE, specifically about Europe

MOST, BRIDGE FOR BALKAN MUSIC

BRIEF OVERVIEW AND CALL FOR TOMORROW‘S TALK

CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS

MINI INTERVIEW WITH ZLATAN JAGANJAC FROM RITAM MEDITERANA (ZAGREB, CROATIA)

IN THE NEXT EDITION

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mini-interview with Yu Su-Ying from World Music Festival @Taiwan, updated calls and +

Summary:

· Mini interview with a festival manager: Yu Su-Ying from World Music Festival @Taiwan · Open calls, deadlines updated · Do you want more?

This newsletter is open to sponsorship. Feel free to ask for details.

CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS

MINI INTERVIEW WITH YU SU-YING FROM WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL @TAIWAN

OPEN CALLS

With big hope and strong wish to see all these taking place in 2020, let’s update some deadlines:

Visa for Music (Morocco).

Mundial Montreal (Canada).

Mobility program of grants by AC/E.

DO YOU WANT MORE?

I am involved in other initiatives that produce content, much before the crisis of the pandemic, that have been continued during this time. Feel free to check:

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mini-interview with Marié Abe from Boston University Global Music Festival, open calls and coronavirus confinement won´t last forever!

Summary:

· Mini interview with festival manager: Marié Abe from BU Global Music Festival (USA) · Open calls not to miss · Find me at…

CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS

MINI INTERVIEW WITH MARIE ABÉ FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY GLOBAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

Thanks to Marié Abe and Ty Furman (producer of the festival, who also supported me to create this content). I really with you a super successful third edition.

OPEN CALLS

OUR LATEST ACHIEVEMENT, POSTPONED TO STILL DON’T KNOW…

FIND ME AT…

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mini-interview with Georgia Dötzer from Rialto WM Festival, Birgit Ellinghaus, open calls and +

GLOBAL FEST SEARCHES FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

OPEN CALLS

CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVALS

MINI INTERVIEW WITH GEORGIA DÖTZER FROM RIALTO WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL

Limassol, at the South of the island of Cyprus, and July… The idea that comes to the mind is hot Sun, beach, roasted halloumi cheese with frozen white wine… and, for the past 14 years, also world music! Yes, because Rialto World Music Festival in been held in Limassol since 2006.

IN DEEP WITH…

Birgit Ellinghaus from alba KULTUR

OUR SPANISH ACTS RECOMMENDED BY AECID

OUR LATEST ACHIEVEMENT

· How is it going to be: Babel Music XP with an interview with Olivier Rey
· Mini interviews with festival manager: Agnieszka Matecka from Mikołajki Folkowe
· In deep with Andrzej Bieńkowski, a life devoted to the dissemination of the traditional music

· Recent news and calls. Please, consider to sign.
· Union means strength: joint venture with Spain is Music
· Mini interviews with festival managers: Dragoș Rusu from the Outernational Days and with Mirza Redzepagic, from the World Music Fest Zeman
· In the next edition…

Do you have a world music festival and you want to be included in our mini interviews? Contact us. ****

· Research initiatives to gather data
· Project MOST for dissemination of Balkan music and online talk TOMORROW MORNING!
· Mini interviews with festival managers: Zlatan Jaganjac, from Ritam Mediterana and Davide Mancini from Musicastrada Festival
· In the next edition

· Mini interview with a festival manager: Yu Su-Ying from World Music Festival @Taiwan
· Open calls, deadlines updated
· Do you want more?

· Mini interview with festival manager: Marié Abe from BU Global Music Festival (USA)
· Open calls not to miss
· Find me at…

· Mini interview with festival manager: Leo Ličof from Festival Okarina (Slovenia)
· In deep with Ciro de Rosa & Salvatore Esposito from Blogfoolk
· Our latest addition
· Open call not to miss
· What will come in next issue? In deep with Birgit Ellinghaus from alba Kultur
· Find me at…

Do you have a world music festival and you want to be included in our mini interviews? Contact us. ****

Piotr Piszczatowski and **the Targowisko Instrumentów, the instruments market in Warsaw.**