Summary ?

Results of the clinical research with the concert for 5000 attendants: no data yet
The vision of Alkis Zopoglou for Cosmopolis Festival
In depth Juliana Volož (J-V Promotion)
Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects
Open calls and professional events. WOMEX deadline for showcases call is soon.

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How are you? I hope well! It may not be easy to be well in these times. I have just received the news of the cancellation of the festival Poborina Folk (there is an interview with Sergio Zaera, from this festival, in a previous edition) for this next Summer. It is a multitudinous festival with activities all day long, with the public standing, moving, dancing, drinking and hugging and that is an essential part of the festival. I’m already looking forward to being able to do all that.

Nevertheless, it will end. Let’s look at the future through the eyes of two people I like a lot, Alkis Zopoglou and Juliana Volož ?. I hope you enjoy the interviews in this edition and find the other information useful. And if you have any suggestions for content, calls or useful information for our community, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música

Do you want to share any useful experience you have had during this difficult time or another content relevant for our community of the world musics?

Contact me if you want to share some relevant information. And if you find this interesting, share it with your friends. You can read the previous editions here.

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

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

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NOT YET PUBLISHED, THE RESULTS OF THE CLINICAL RESEARCH ABOUT CONCERTS AND COVID, WITH 5000 ATTENDANTS

In the edition of March I explained about the clinical research that consisted in a concert that took place on March 27th at the Palau Sant Jordi, in Barcelona, with 5000 attendants (the place has capacity for 20 thousand), with no social distance, with masks FFP2 and with fast antigen test before entering the venue.

The results have not yet been published. I have phoned the chief of communication of one of the hospitals involved (this one) and he said it will be done probably at the beginning of the next week.

After the concert, a positive result was detected 3 days after the concert (this is the reference of this info), so it is believed that he was infected prior to the concert and the antigen test did not detect it. I’ll keep an eye on it anyway and as soon as I find any new news, I’ll post it on Mapamundi Música’s Facebook page.

INTERVIEW WITH ALKIS ZOPOGLOU ABOUT HIS VISION FOR COSMOPOLIS FESTIVAL

In issue 17 (November 2019) I mentioned that Alkis Zopoglou, qanunist of the Rodopi Ensemble and director of the Mediterranean Music Festival in Switzerland, had been appointed artistic director of the Cosmopolis festival, the flagship festival of his city, Kavala, two hours east of Thessaloniki on the Aegean coast.

Many things have happened since then, which have meant that the vision Alkis had for the festival could not be fully realized in 2020. Over the last few months, however, I have had the opportunity to talk to him and share his thoughts and it is a pleasure to share his insights again. Hopefully the plans for Cosmopolis can be realized as he wishes. In the meantime, let’s share some words with Alkis.

Mapamundi Música: One of the features I like most about your vision for Cosmopolis is that it is not just a series of concerts, but rather a series of activities that contribute to a better understanding of the culture behind the band or artist. Now – I have a theory about your vision: You come from the world of traditional music, you have grown up in the environment in which this music is performed and which is still strong in everyday life. And you have performed in many other countries around the world.

This traditional music is beautiful on its own, even out of context, and of course, in its own context it has an even deeper dimension. I’ve met you at several festivals playing the music of Greece in front of foreign audiences. For example, the last time we met in Lublin, Poland in 2019, or in Mallorca further ahead, and that’s really wonderful. Teaching to dance, in the workshop you did, makes the audience the protagonist. And these artistic expressions also provide a worldview that can be seen in cinema, in folk games, in handicrafts, in a typical gastronomy… I think the Cosmopolis Festival complements your experience of life in all these dimensions. It is like bringing the music as well as its context into the Kavala program. Apologies – this is more of a reflection than a question (hehehe). Let me know if you agree with my suggestion or if you would like to add something else 🙂

Alkis Zopoglou: It is true that when we refer to the tradition of a place, we do not only refer to its songs or its dances. It is rather a combination of elements and we should not exclude one from the other for the sake of impressiveness. All these things happen in a unified environment and are a continuation of one another.

For instance, if you are called to represent your tradition in front of a foreign audience far from the place where this tradition origins, it is ideal, if possible, to present song and dance as a unity. In this way, the audience gains a more rounded impression. I’m telling you this because I also have the experience of living abroad for several years. Accordingly, when you simply show a dance to a foreigner without the necessary framing, that includes elements of the space in which that dance lives in, an observer will see it more like a gymnastic exercise than an expression of tradition. However, this is not the desired effect.

On the other hand, one could argue that no one can convey the social activity of a traditional event entirely outside of its actual environment. I do agree but, in any case, it is crucial that the audience receives the most accurate depiction of reality. Thus, by presenting a variety of local activities (dance, music, folk games, people’s stories, food tastes) we motivate people to accept and understand diversity. This also aims to soften the social differences, that are nowadays one of the biggest problems in our world. We all must learn to live together and understand each other wherever we come from, and this is, after all, the profound duty of a cultural institution that deals with culture.

MM: What are you looking for when choosing artists for a program?

AK: First of all, I look for artistic ethos and passion for what they’re doing. I appreciate the authenticity in the cultural product that each artist chooses to present. Additionally, artists must artistically support what they are called upon to project and have studied it in depth, not just superficially. It is not my intention to give space to artists whose only dream is to get on a stage and gain a brief moment of fame.

MM: The festival also highlights the multicultural background of the city, with the presence of Armenians, Jews, Muslims, Roman Catholics… Thus, the festival is also a speaker of local culture and history. Do you usually have an audience from other regions of Greece or other countries?

AK: Kavala, my city, really is a magical place, that I highly recommend you to visit.
No matter which way you look at it, it will be love at first sight. A city where its past is inseparably linked to its future. A crossroad of cultures that has hosted a multitude of people (Italians, Franks, Hungarians, Austrians, Jews, Turks, etc.) whose cultures have wandered its streets and have been assimilated by its inhabitants. A city with its own history, its stone-paved streets, its beautiful corners and its former tobacco factories “planted” all over Kavala to remind us of its vibrant past.The Cosmopolis Festival is essentially a contemporary way of connecting the city’s history with its future. Its aim is to attract people of all ages and interests by presenting a variety of activities throughout the year. During the festival, the city invites both locals and visitors to stroll around and experience its beauty and traditions. Certainly, not only people from neighboring regions, but also people from nearby countries are frequent visitors of the festival. Cosmopolis Festival provides attractive opportunities to spend a few pleasant days in our city and the people of Kavala are happy to welcome people from all over the world.

MM: In a previous edition (#17) I announced that you had become the new director of the Cosmopolis festival. That was in November 2019. So, your first edition as director was in 2020, the year of the pandemic. The international program was moved to the following year and you adapted the program to this situation. What was the 2020 edition like?

AK: It was not completely postponed. We worked hard and I think we finally succeeded to organize and carry out as many activities as were allowed by the health protocols. It was a desire of both the Mayor of the city, and me, as artistic director, that the festival was not entirely cancelled for one or two years, because this would have made it much more difficult to restart it again. We also wanted to support our local artists during these difficult times, who were hit hard by the pandemic and in the end, we managed to make the most out of the situation. I think that we also had the opportunity and time to develop a different vision of the festival which, after about 15 years of life, needed a refreshment. Now we are prepared and ready to move on to a new model, with much greater public appeal, due to the numerous new activities the festival has to offer.

MM: At the time of this interview, the pandemic situation is still complicated and there is a bit of uncertainty. Let’s assume that the festival will take place as planned, from 26 to 29 August. What will happen in Kavala during those days?

AK: The festival now, as I mentioned in my previous answer, has been modified altogether. One of the most important changes for which a special effort has been made, is that the festival lasts much longer and it is split into different themes during the year. Its first section, the CosmoHome, begins in late spring in the yards and homes of the residents of the old town. The second section is called CosmoWorld and constitutes the peak of the festival during late August. Lastly, the third section, CosmoClasssical, focuses more on classical music and is planned for November and December. Hence, there are various activities and if you would like to learn more about the different sections, visit the website which will be fully updated by end of April. Hopefully, despite the pandemic situation, we will be able to carry out as many activities as possible.

MM: The programme includes a number of professional conferences, of which I am part of and I am very proud! Could you briefly explain what the objectives of this section of the programme are?

AK: Our region in northern Greece is an endless source from which new artistic concerns and personalities are constantly rising. Perhaps, due to the fact that, this part of Greece borders 4 other countries and is, at the same time, connected to the Aegean Sea. In this way, there are many different stimuli and influences for the people, which probably shapes the way they see life and their overall mentality.

The aim of this action is to inform young artists already at the beginning of their careers in order for them to be best prepared for the “market” and be able to overcome every obstacle in the most effective way. This knowledge-transfer from professionals in the field to the new uprising generation will not only allow them to get in contact with the global market and hear real-life experiences, but also broaden up their horizons and shape their attitude regarding various issues so that, they can choose their own artistic path.Therefore, I hope that this program will be a very important tool for the growing of their career in the artistic scene, both in Greece but also in the global market. The local artists deserve it and I am convinced that it will prove very useful to them.

Credits:

Portraits of Alkis, provided by himself
Landscape of Kavala, from the Facebook page of Kavala’s municipality
Logo of the festival, from the Facebook page of the festival

IN DEPTH WITH JULIANA VOLOŽ

In recent months I have also had the opportunity to exchange many reflections with this colleague, a wise and passionate woman, and it is an honour now to share her thoughts on this peculiar “business” of being an agent for artists of roots music.

In preparation for this interview, I had access to Christian Pliefke‘s previous interview with him in his magazine FolkGalore. Christian is the owner of CPL Music and of Nordic Notes too. Thank you, Christian!!

This is a very brief summary of the interview with Christian:

Juliana graduated in chemistry in Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia). After that, she worked for 10 years in marine chemistry and marine biology at the Institute of Oceanography in Tallinn. This work gave her the opportunity to travel through different cities of the Baltic States at the Soviet times. In 1989 she moved with her family to Stockholm and started to be an active photographer. In 1998, they moved to Germany. The chance to become an agent came when the Georgian band The Shin asked her for support to play in Russia. After some encouraging experiences, Juliana opened her own agency in 2007.
—

Mapamundi Música – Dear Juliana, it is my pleasure to share your insights. You are one of the referential agents from Europe in the world music circuit and, despite our background is a bit different, I feel identified with some of the events of your life, like the fact of developing an initiative related to music, in an organic way, not from a conscious project of entrepreneurship but because a passion that aroused and found a way to grow into something that would become a profession. With these questions, I will try to delve in your personality, as well as to highlight relevant info for artists searching for agents and inspiring infos for our colleagues.

You graduated in chemistry from Tallinn University of Technology and have worked for 10 years in marine chemistry and marine biology at the Institute of Oceanography in Tallinn. Which or which ones of the skills or knowledge you got from those experiences have been the most useful for your career as an agent of musicians?

Juliana Volož – I am used to structuring and organizing things. It helps me to have an overview and see the entire process “from above” so to say. Also, during my work as a marine chemist, I was communicating with my international colleagues from all countries around the Baltic sea. It was my first experience of international networking 🙂

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

JV – First of all one should like music, he is representing :). I think one very essential skill is to like to communicate and do it sincerely.

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

JV – Be passionate about the bands you represent, as if you have a spark, you can ignite others.
Be honest in accounting. It is much easier to have it clear and transparent, that to hide something.
Keep your reputation spotless: the bad news spreads much faster and sticks stronger than the good one 😉 Be quick in communication. It creates trust with your partners.

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

JV – I like when the artists really check to whom they write and what kind of music this person represents to avoid confusion. Sometimes I get proposals from classical musicians, or cover pop singers saying I checked your website and I am sure my music perfectly suits your roster… I always ask them which roster they mean 🙂

Anyways, the mail should be short, with the photo of the band, short description, a couple of links to good quality videos, links to a streaming platform and social media.

MM – Do you think it makes sense for the artists to try to find an agent?

JV – Definitely! As the agent work is very time consuming and based on the experience and personal contacts, a good agent could save a lot of creative time for the artist.

MM – Have you ever started a stable collaboration with a band or artist that approached you in their search of an agent?

JV – Mostly I choose bands myself, but in some cases I also start working with the bands that approach me. The cooperation could work if several conditions coincide: I like the music, I see that this band is ready for cooperation and export. One example of successful cooperation is Tuvan band Khoomei Beat. They have approached me in 2018. I liked their music and saw the potential in it. At the same time I could tell that this band has some work to do before we could talk about cooperation. I told them what I am expecting from them and suggested they come back when they are ready. They approached me in one year and proved that they fulfilled my requirements :). I was really impressed and we started to cooperate. It was right before the pandemic hit…

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

JV – The business itself is interesting, but the type of music we are representing is niche music with a relatively small audience. The target group in many big and established countries, is not particularly young and dynamic. In small countries, on the contrary, rooted music is getting more and more popular among young people as part of their identity.

MM – Especially in the last year, many of us, independent agents or micro-companies, have felt a bit alone and misunderstood. I have heard claims from colleagues from different countries arguing they have not been considered in the support for the arts after the ravages of the pandemic. My experience in Spain has not been exactly like that (I have got support because I am an independent worker in a field with loss of income, not because I worked with art, and the support in Spain depends a lot on the region, so the situation is a bit complex), but yes other countries colleague’s. With this in mind, I have several questions:
We are required by the artists but, at the same time, it seems we are a bit invisible. Do you feel that?

JV – Most of the agents and managers are invisible, because our task is to help the artists to become more visible, not to become visible ourselves :). What makes me and many of my colleagues frustrated is that since spring 2020 with few exceptions we can not book live concerts.

MM – How could we explain briefly which is the value we, the agents, provide to the value chain?

JV – We are part of a team, where each member does what he knows best. We use our experience and network to bring bands to different markets and let them to concentrate on what they do best – making music

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

JV – I like to compare music with trees. The music, inspired by tradition, has stronger roots, it is more stable and gives more power to its leaves, blossoms and fruits. This music gives something which makes us rich – the cultural treasure passed by generations.

Credits:

Logo, from the Facebook page of JV-Promotion
Portrait, by Feliks Volož, provided by Juliana
The banner is the cover page of the Facebook of JV-Promotions

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

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

About Mundofonías, our monthly favourites are the albums: In transition, by Scott Stobbe Collection, Maasai footsteps, by Anuang’a Fernando & Maasai Vocals and El fabuloso sonido de Andrés Vargas Pinedo, by Andrés Vargas Pinedo and bands. This is the edition in which we announced them.

OPEN CALLS AND PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

WOMEX:

The call for proposals is open until Friday 16th April. This is the website for the application. And, wow, I am so happy! In 2022, it will take place in Lisbon, one of my favourite cities in the world!

European Folk Network:

Saturday, April 24th. It will take place the second session of the European Folk Network virtual meeting, “Spring Forward #2”. You can register for the second and third editions, here. The second edition will include a round table with several personalities from the folk and the traditional music scene in Europe.

I am proudly part of the board for the last months and I really encourage you to join us for this session as well as to follow the page on Facebook and to sing up for the announcements here. The speakers have made a little video to tease you to join! Watch them by clicking their name: Alistair Anderson, S vetlana Spajic, Linda Dyrnes, Janusz Prusinowski and there will also talk Alban Cogrel, president of FAMDT (France’s traditional music association).

Canadian Music Week:

Artist submissions for CMV virtual festival are now open. Deadline: April 18th, at Midnight EST.

Mundial Montreal – job opportunity for event producer!:

Artist submissions period will be open soon. This is their latest newsletter. Note they are searching for an event producer.

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.

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Araceli Tzigane, member of the jury for the second time of the Radio_Head Awards from the Slovak radio

Araceli Tzigane, international judge of the Belgian World Music Network Showcase

Araceli Tzigane in Ah! World Music

Monthly Archives: April 2021

Summary ?

NOT YET PUBLISHED, THE RESULTS OF THE CLINICAL RESEARCH ABOUT CONCERTS AND COVID, WITH 5000 ATTENDANTS

INTERVIEW WITH ALKIS ZOPOGLOU ABOUT HIS VISION FOR COSMOPOLIS FESTIVAL

IN DEPTH WITH JULIANA VOLOŽ

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

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

OPEN CALLS AND PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

WOMEX:

European Folk Network:

Canadian Music Week:

Mundial Montreal – job opportunity for event producer!:

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS