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 


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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 

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)


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:

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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