Jan. 23. Interview with András Halmos, news, calls and + #55

Jan. 23. Interview with András Halmos, news, calls and + #55

Summary 👇 

Editorial

Interview with András Halmos, musician, head of concert programming at the House of Music Hungary and artistic advisor and concert booker for the MÜPA

Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

Open calls and more news from professional events 💼

Meet me at ✈️

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Hello, how are you?

I am very well. I started this year by confirming some concert dates that make me very happy. Others I can even announce now. For instance, Ali Doğan Gönültaş with his trio in Urkult.I am sending you this letter from Brussels. Tomorrow I will attend a meeting in Gent of the board of the European Folk Network (EFN). By the way, the EFN has been granted in the program MusicAIRE, for the project of the European Folk Day. It has been publicly announced in the latest newsletter of the EFN. I invite you to be updated about this organization by signing up for that monthly newsletter (just fill in this form). Its latest edition is somehow connected with this one of Mapamundi, but it is just by chance. The featured artist of the month is Balogh Kálmán, the fantastic Hungarian Roma cymbalonist. There you will find a small tribute to him and some brief memories of those times, 23 years ago, when I had much more difficult access to this musics than I do now.

And our protagonist for today is also Hungarian. One of the aims of this newsletter is to understand the events, paths and passions that lie beneath the delicate fabric of cultural management related to the activity of the kinds musics that Mapamundi Música work with. We see who is where, who does what, but I often wonder how that person came to be responsible for the decisions that shape the circuit of world, traditional and folk musics. I really enjoyed it and I am very grateful to András Halmos for revealing some of the keys to his development to become the head of programming at the House of Music Hungary. A position that sounds fascinating as well as a great responsibility. My path and his are very different, but there is something about what he explains that I understand very well and that many who read this will surely understand too: this need, this impeliment, to create spaces for the dissemination of the music we love.

I won’t go on any longer and I’ll give way to him. And under the interview there is some other information that I hope will be of interest to you.

Remember: if you have any news of interest for our community, let me know. Thank you very much for your attention.
Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música | +34 676 30 28 82 

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR:

ANDRÁS HALMOS

My first approach to András Halmos has been through his role as head of programming of the House of Music Hungary (Magyar Zene Háza, in Hungarian)”. It is a building which is itself a work of art designed by Sou Fujimoto and which opened a year ago, in January 2022. Here is a photo below, which I have taken from the Facebook page of the organisation, and here is a gallery of impressive photos of the building outside and inside.

But András’ profile, like that of many of the people who appear on these pages, is not monolithic. He is also a musician. You can listen to a playlist about the albums he has played on while you read the interview. Moreover, years before assuming his role at the Zene Háza, he was already artistic advisor and concert booker for the MÜPA. But it is he himself who will explain his professional path.

I am very grateful to András for his generosity in answering all my questions.

 

Mapamundi Música: Your website enumerates your activities as a drummer and as a concert programmer but, could you tell us a bit more about your background? How did you start in music? 

András Halmos: I started playing the drums at the age of 17 and I got into it quite intensively. Soon, I joined various bands, and I was lucky enough to play with more advanced players than I was at that time.

At the beginning, my main inspiration was the music of the 60’s (singer-songwriters, psychedelic rock, blues, etc.), then I began to be influenced by jazz and Indian classical music. For the latter, my entry point was a concert by Sultan Khan and Zakir Hussain, that was a revelation to me. Later on, while I was playing in a jazz big band (organised by Mediawave Festival for 3 consecutive years), I had the opportunity to play and learn from drummer Hamid Drake and double bass player William Parker, they also had a huge impact on me. They drew my attention to Moroccan Gnawa music, also to the African origins of jazz. By that time, I had become interested in traditional music from all over the world.

I was listening to amazing bands and musicians who had never played in Hungary, and I also saw many while I was on tours abroad, so I decided to find a part time job as a music programmer. It took three and a half years of searching and applications before I won the trust of the director at the Trafo House of Contemporary Arts and became their concert programmer in 2004. This venue is mainly for contemporary dance, but they had 2 concerts each month, and I was given the freedom to experiment in new territories. I’ve focused on music that had only rarely or never been heard in Hungary before. These were really good times. As it turned out, there was a demand for these kinds of concerts and somehow this music profile gained a reputation in some local circles.

Let’s try to understand what András might have felt at that Sultan Khan and Zakir Hussain concert

MM: You are also a drummer, which of your project/s would you like to highlight? 

AH: Tariqa is my only band now. I can’t commit to being a member of any groups that work on a regular basis. Alongside this, I occasionally play freely improvised music with various line ups. 

MM: You have been an artistic advisor and concert booker for the MÜPA since 2008. How did you come to occupy this role at the venue? 

AH: While booking concerts for Trafo, I got the opportunity to invite an Indonesian gamelan group with 46 members, musicians and dancers. Strangely, there had never been any authentic, public Indonesian gamelan concerts in Hungary prior to that. The project was too big for Trafo, so I asked for a meeting with the programme director of Müpa Budapest with the idea of offering this concert to them. He was really happy for the opportunity and we staged a successful and unique concert. During the preparations, we talked about music a lot, and he asked for more recommendations of performers who could perhaps play at Müpa. That was how I began to work at that amazing venue, and I’m lucky to still be there 14 years later.

This is Tariqa, András’ band:

MM: As this newsletter is mainly oriented to the world of non-classical music, how much space is there at the MÜPA for world/traditional/folk music? Do you have any opportunities for including them in the programme of events? 

AH: Yes, they do all kinds of music, although classical music is, indeed, the main profile there. I’ve staged many Hungarian premiers here for greats like Danyel Waro, Bnet Marrakesh, Alim Qasimov & Alizera Ghorbani, Zohar Fresco Quartet, Giovanni Hidalgo – Horazio “El Negro” Hernandez, Ttukunak, Jordi Savall, L. Subramaniam, Erdal Erzican & Kayhan Kalhor, Sona Jobareth. I have also have presented Anouar Brahem, Anoushka Shankar, Bombino, Eva Quartet, Zakir Hussain, Shakti, etcetera. 

MM: Since 2020 you have been the head of concert programming at the House of Music Hungary. You started in 2020, so you were assigned to the role even before it opened. How did you get into this role at the institution? 

AH: Márton Horn, the director of the House of Music, and I knew each other from Trafo, where we had worked together for a few years, so he invited me to take this job. We had to build up the whole venue/concert profile and the administrative background from scratch, so we started working on it well before the venue opened in January 2022. Our two directors, Marton Horn and the CEO, András Batta started working on the concept for the venue many years before me, they’ve done an amazing job.

MM: What are your criteria? What is it that you are searching for when selecting acts for the House of Music and the MÜPA?

AH: I still like to present music that can’t often be heard everywhere, in other words, music that is not too obvious. Some of these performers are established mainstream artists who rarely or never played in Hungary, but most of them are representatives of less widely known genres. Generally, I prefer traditional music to world music, and I’m looking for sounds and approaches that are new or fresh to my ears.

Before I started working for the House of Music, I had mainly booked international concerts, but here I do more local ones. This is a top notch and highly visible venue where we stage all kinds of music, and we like to go underground and really reach out in our programming. It’s important that we welcome and address everyone with our programme that is accessible and enjoyable to all, regardless of their background. So, it takes some balancing.

MM: From now on I will focus on the House of Music. I see that you programme workshops as well as concerts at the House of Music. Are you responsible for both of these things? 

AH: There are three main pillars at the House of Music: education, concerts and exhibitions. All three elements support each other. The concept is that all our concert programmers – myself included – add educational programmes connected to their concerts, but our department for music education also offers a programme of interactive events. 

MM: What is the profile of those who attend the workshops? I mean, are they students of music, professional musicians, the general public, adults, kids, or a combination of these…? 

AH: We provide programmes for kids and families just as much as for younger and older generations with different musical preferences.  We also offer workshops, presentations, and interviews that delve more deeply into particular topics. 

MM: The House of Music has been operating for more than a year now. What have been your main challenges? 

AH: For me it has clearly been the volume of work. From day one we were offering a full programme of events, and had to face our limitations, regardless how much we love what we do. We have so many plans, but there are also many demands from musicians, from partner institutions and from the b2b sector as well. 
MM: How is it financed? I couldn’t find any information on the website. 

AH: We are a part of the City Park Project and have state support through them. We also rely on our income and on applications [for funding] of course.

MM: Can you share any plans for the future? 

AH: Speaking of traditional and world related music, I can mention Mazaher. We do their concert with Ritmo Festival as the opening concert, so we do it together with Balázs Weyer. Also a special 50th anniversary concert of Muzsikás and friends, many traditional concerts that present the different styles and regions of the ethnic Hungary, and a special project with local musicians and Sainkho Namtchylak. In summer we’ll have a two-day focus on Latin American music.

THANK YOU, ANDRÁS! 🙏

Mazaher will perform at the Zene Háza on April 12th. Let’s enjoy with their showcase at WOMEX 2021:

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

  • The Balkan World Music Chart has announced the annual chart of 2022.  In the previous edition I announced that the album Throisma, by Antonis Antoniou, released by Ajabu! was #1 in World Music Charts Europe. Well, it is the #1 in the Balkan World Music Chart too. The Bosnian band Divanhana, with their album Zavrzlama, released by CPL Music, is #2. And the aforementioned, Ali Doğan Gönültaş, with his self-produced debut album Kiğı, is #3. Check the top 20 on the website.

 

OPEN CALLS AND PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

If you have anything to share in this section in a future edition, let me know.

  • Fira-B. NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER. It is a showcase festival and professional market in Palma de Mallorca. I have to say that the conditions offered to the selected artists are one of the best for a professional event that is not a festival as such. The music program will take place from 2nd to 5th of November. Note there is also a section of performing arts, which program will take place from  9th to 12th of October. Who can apply? “Musical projects that release or have released a new album or EP between January 1, 2021 and November 30, 2023 can submit a proposal. Additionally, they must have performed five live concerts since January 1 2021.” The form for the submissions and more details are here.
  • Jornadas Profesionales de la Música en Extremadura (MUM2023). NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER. I include this specially for the Spanish and Portuguese artists because of the location of the event and because the information is only in English, but I see nothing to indicate that an artist from another country cannot propose. This event is also building connections, so it can be interesting for organizers and institutions from other countries. It will take place in Mérida (Badajoz, Spain) from 13 to 15 of April. The call for proposals is open until January 31 at 23:59h. More info and application form, here.
  • Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, open call for showcases. DEADLINE SOON. It will take place from 5 to 8 of October in Manresa, Catalonia. The call for artistic proposals is open here until 19th of January at 24h. The participation rules are available here.
  • Babel Music XP has announced the artistic program. You can check it here. The registration of stands and the accreditations is open. The long-awaited fair in Marseille is finally approaching. “From the 23 – 25 March 2023, BABEL MUSIC XP will make Marseille the economic and cultural epicentre of the music industry. With its professional trade fair at the Friche La Belle de Mai and world music festival open to the general public at the Dock des Suds, BABEL MUSIC XP is firmly at the heart of the Mediterranean hub on the world music map.”  For now and until February 01st, the small stand (3m2) costs 500€ and includes 2 accreditations, 1 table, 2 chairs, light and electricity, wifi, trashcan. The standard unit (6m2) costs 670. The price will be increased on February 2nd. The accreditation for a person costs 129 euros and I don’t see any deadline or date for an increase of cost. Check the official information on their website.
  • »FolkHerbst« (Folk Music Autumn), open call. FolkHerbst “is a series of folk music events that culminate in handing out the only European Folk Music Award of Germany, the »Eiserner Eversteiner (the Iron Eversteiner)«. The promoter Malzhaus e.V. bestows this award upon folk musicians living in Europe as he/she has for the past 30 years. He/she will do it again next year at the 31th FolkHerbst. We anticipate the best, most accomplished and inspired musicians competing for this prestigious award.” “Musician/ artist must be a European resident. The performance/ music must be derivative of or influenced by folk music. This includes both the broadest interpretation and most specific, as a traditional folk music“. It is open until 01th March 2023. I have received the complete information with the procedure and conditions from Christian Dressel (kultur(at)malzhaus.de) and I don’t see them on the website so I suggest you to ask him. Their website is this.

MEET ME AT

Will we meet? Drop me a line!

  • Istanbul. I will be there from 9th to 15th of February on the occasion of a concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş that will be recorded in video and I will take advantage of my stay there if a professional proposal of interest arises.
  • And in March 2023, Babel Music XP, of which I have talked several times in previous editions.
  • More news to come in the next newsletter.

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS 

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

We also offer you our Mundofonías radio show, probably the leader about world music in Spanish language (on 50 stations in 18 countries). We produce the Transglobal World Music Chart with our partner Ángel Romero from WorldMusicCentral.com.

Feel free to request info if you wish. For further information about us, get in touch by email, telephone (+34 676 30 28 82), our website or at our Facebook.