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

TRANSGLOBAL WORLD MUSIC CHART FESTIVAL AWARDS

The results of the first edition of these Festival Awards have been published this morning. The top 10 of global results is this. Check the website for the results in the different categories and some learn about the criteria, procedure and definitions.

Global top 10:
1.    (In a tie): Jeonju Int’l Sori Festival & WOMADelaide
3.    World Music Festival Bratislava
4.    Fira Mediterrània de Manresa
5.    Ethnoport Poznan
6.    Urkult
7.    Cordas World Music Festival
8.    Rainforest World Music Festival
9.    Førdefestivalen
10.  Lowell Folk Festival

Transglobal World Music Chart Festival Awards is an initiative of our sister project, Transglobal WMC and it is focused on world music / folk / traditional music festivals. Just to name a few of other festival awards that have included world music festivals in their results:

· Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe. There have been so far 2 editions: 2015-2016 and 2017. Will it happen again? We’ll try to find it out and, in the mean time, they also provide the EFFE Label, Europe’s quality stamp for remarkable arts festivals and the application period is currently open.· Iberian Festival Awards, not exclusively for world music festivals and oriented to Iberian festivals and this year the awards ceremony  will take place on 13th of March.

· And… what more? We are planning to make a comprehensive list to share it with the world music community. If you have any tip, let us know. If we get a bunch of awards we’ll edit a document and will share it publicly.

CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS

· We, I mean, Mapamundi Música, have open a gathering of proposals for an intimate and little line-ups concert series. Calling for duos to quartets, able to play with no amplification. Send your info, here. 

These professional fairs have applications for showcases open right now:

· Mapas (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain). Application open until February 15th. TODAY, it closes at 22h in Canary Islands time. You have some few hours after we sent this! 
· Fira Mediterrània de Manresa. As announced above, the artistic direction is changing but the application is open now, until 4th of March at 15h local time. Apply here.
· Mercat de Música Viva de Vic. Open call for the 31st edition, until 29th of March. Apply here.

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FLASH NEWS

· fRoots magazine is awarded with “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Folk Alliance International conference. Congratulations, Ian Anderson and team of fRoots!

· Check here the list of the “50 Greatest World Music Albums of the Last Five Years” by Jo Frost and Simon Broughton from Songlines. I agree with many and I would have included some wonders like Po Kolana W Niebie, by Janusz Prusinowski Trio or Angathin by Monsieur Doumani, but it is great to remember so many beauties like Saz’iso’s or Söndörgő’s albums. Thank you, Jo and Simon!

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In this occasion we pay attention to a festival from our country. The picture of Sergio doesn´t evoke the usual image of Spain but the true is that our country is super diverse and El Pobo, in Teruel province, one of the most depopulated areas in Europe, Winter time is cold and, very often, snowy.

Poborina Folk talks place in this little village since 1999 in the weekend most near to the Summer solstice. The program includes concerts of local and international artists, activities inspired on the tradition and the rural environment, like singing the albada for San Juan, traditional cooking and workshops. Sergio is part of a big team of enthusiastic lovers of music and party.

MM – What do you search in an artist when you program?
SZ –  First of all, we want them to make a style of music that fits somehow in the festival and which live show was able to capture the attention of the public. And, after that, as programmers, we must consider the budget we have, as some of the bands that we explore, some times we can´t affort to pay them.

MM – Which are the global objectives of your festival?
SZ – Poborina Folk has proved during the over time that it is a festival that has successfully adapted to the passage of time without giving up the objectives it was born with, that are to disseminate folk music, opting for providing to the public a wide variety of styles and full filling the cultural proposals with family activities.

MM – What are the most complicated or difficult issues to deal with in your festival? 
SZ – The fact of being held in a locality that does not exceed 50 inhabitants during the year and has limited infrastructures undoubtedly conditions the organization of the festival. For example, we do not have any type of accommodation for groups or visitors in El Pobo. Despite the economic difficulties, we want to maintain the free nature of the festival, so we must optimize resources. Note that the entire festival is organized by volunteers. However, these difficulties mean that the festival has a special charm and has managed to maintain its identity, differentiating itself from other events.MM – Which are currently the main challenges for this kind of cultural proposals like yours? 
SZ – In our case, after 20 editions, the main challenge is to give continuity to the project, maintaining a varied program, with high-quality, that helps to maintain the magical atmosphere that surrounds the festival. We are proud to count year after year with a loyal audience that is accompanied by new people who discover the festival for the first time and are pleasantly surprised.MM – In one sentence, summarize the reason/s to go to your festival. 
SZ – Discover the magic of celebrating the summer solstice in Poborina Folk.

Picture: Sergio Zaera in a picture stolen from his facebook.