February 26. Back from West Bengal, Music Equality’s Geographical Underrepresentation research, related reflections and much more. #92

Summary 👇

Editorial
🔸Recent memories with Vigüela at the Sur Jahan Festival, West Bengal
🔸Farewell to Erasmo Treglia

Music Equality’s Geographical Underrepresentation research and related reflections

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🔸Recent memories with Vigüela at the Sur Jahan Festival, West Bengal

A month ago I set off on a trip with Vigüela to Kolkata. The reason was their participation in the Sur Jahan festival, organized by the social enterprise Banglanatak. This is how they define themselves on their website: “We are a social enterprise working across India with a mission to foster inclusive and sustainable development using culture-based approaches. We work for protection of rights of women, children and indigenous people.”

I have known their work for quite a few years. I was already at this festival in Kolkata in 2014, and also in Gorbangha, where there is a meeting space for the baul, and in several other locations, where we were able to learn about Banglanatak’s work with diverse communities, mainly from quite rural areas, in the professionalization of their traditional arts and crafts. In the previous edition I already mentioned the patachitra singing-storytelling tradition.

On this new visit I was blown away again. In this case, the festival took the groups from five countries (Spain, Denmark, Latvia, a group of Hungarian culture in Transylvania (Romania), and India) to the great metropolis of Kolkata, to the very rural area of Bannabagram (in a “baul ashram”, a meeting point for the baul, where they gather regularly and which has space to host other visitors in some beautiful little houses) and to the cutting-edge Kharagpur Institute of Technology. Three places that provided us with radically different experiences.

🔸An aside: This short video will give you an impression of what the baul ashram in Bannabagram is like.

🔸 And one more aside: If you are not familiar with the concept of baul, this is a definition by UNESCO: “The Baul are a group of mystic minstrels of Bengal, constituting both a syncretic religious sect and a musical tradition. Their practice blends elements of Sufism and Vaishnava Sahajiya, and despite being a small portion of the population, they have had a considerable cultural influence in the region.” Their art was inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2005).

In Bannabagram, each foreign group collaborated with baul musicians. Vigüela’s experience was truly fascinating. I also have a real treasure in them, both artistically and humanly. If you follow Vigüela or me on Facebook you may already have seen this.

I am sharing here the text that Juan Antonio Torres and I wrote together to explain what is happening at this moment and how it was possible for this collaboration to be generated almost immediately after listening to one another:

“After briefly listening to Vigüela developing several stanzas in peretas genre, at this point in the video Girish Baul listens to the peretas prelude and comes in, placing his stanzas from the baul tradition in exactly the right place. How is this possible? We explain it. Peretas and, more generally, many traditional styles have a harmonic code that unfolds over metronomic rhythms, that is, rhythms characterized by a constant regularity of pulse, comparable to the tick-tock of a metronome. This also happens in baul music and in many other musical traditions around the world, as a globally shared principle.

On this metronomic basis, and listening to the harmonics of the guitar as it develops the peretas genre, Girish starts singing his melodies, moving them within the pulse, just as he does in his own baul music.

Girish Baul placed accents in his music in positions that seemed illogical to the cajón player from their perspective of meter understood as a pulse divided into closed bars. They seemed illogical because they did not fit into those bars, but the accents Girish used are, for him, completely logical. By trying to force the melody into a meter of closed bars, baul music stopped working in the same way, because a rhythm that is not its own was imposed on it, thus forcing the baul musicians to do something that is not the music according to their tradition.”

The situation reminded us of the collaboration with Maria Siwiec, a folk artist from Poland, from the Radom region (we had the opportunity of doing this collaboration also thanks to Janusz Prusinowski and his team). She knew almost nothing about Spain and of course did not speak Spanish. But she knew exactly where to strike the tambourine in Vigüela’s music, something that is not so predictable for musicians who approach music from an academic or modern perspective.

This is Maria Siwiec singing in Granada with Janusz Prusinowski and his colleagues, the beautiful song “W ciemnym lesie ptaszek siada.” The concert was in collaboration with Vigüela, but at that moment Juan Antonio Torres and I opted to dance — you will see us doing so — like many others. This video brings back vivid memories.

I have a dream. For now it is just that, a dream. To further develop this collaboration between Girish Baul and Vigüela. We also fell in love with the flautist, Mohan Patra.

What happened in Bannabagram was not accidental. It was the result of shared traditional grammars. When those grammars align, collaboration is immediate. When they do not, friction appears.

Throughout almost two weeks in West Bengal we were also able to dance in honor of the goddess Saraswati, whose day caught us in Kolkata. In Kharagpur we attended the talk by Professor Denis Laborde, about the festival Haizebegi, which has a special relationship with Banglanatak and with the tradition of the bauls. We also had precious moments in the workshops in Kolkata and at IIT Kharagpur. I saw in the students and also in the professors a strong desire to learn and share and a curiosity in their eyes that I think moved us all very deeply.

I do not want to fail to mention that both at the Sur Jahan festival in Kolkata and in Bannabagram, the organization facilitated the presence of and spaces for the sale of handicraft products, mainly with the presence of women artisans. And we brought our suitcases back almost bursting with clothes and other textile and basketry products.

Vigüela’s participation was made possible thanks to the Embassy of Spain in India.

🔸Farewell to Erasmo Treglia

On 24 February we were in Kolkata. The first evening of the Sur Jahan festival took place. I returned with Vigüela to the street of our guest house. Just in front of it there was a craft brewery. After two rounds of beers, we went back to the rooms of the guest house. I opened Facebook. I saw the news posted by Gigi di Luca that Erasmo Treglia had passed away, at the age of 65.

The last time I saw Erasmo was in Marseille in 2025, during Babel Music XP. He had to leave the event because of the illness that has ultimately taken his life. It is possible that you knew him, as Erasmo, in addition to his work as a musician, was a cultural manager, director of Finisterre, co-founder of the Festival della Zampogna in Maranola and many other things. In the February newsletter of the European Folk Network (here) you can find the obituary previously published in Rai News translated into English.

I know that his loss has been deeply felt by many people, myself among them. The effect of the craft beers disappeared and I spent quite some time crying and listening over and over again to Tammurriata del Camafro, a piece by his group Acquaragia Drom, which I associate with very beautiful memories. You can listen to it, here.

I know that his wife Clara Graziano and their son Giordano have received countless messages of affection and condolences. Erasmo’s impact and the beauty he created will last for a very, very long time.

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

MUSIC EQUALITY’S GEOGRAPHICAL UNDERREPRESENTATION RESEARCH AND RELATED REFLECTIONS

A few days ago I received an email from Music Equality with this subject line: “Independent policy confirms geographical exclusion in European music“. It was very direct, and it immediately resonated with an idea I have been thinking about and discussing for quite some time with my artists and with colleagues.

I work with Xabi Aburruzaga, a Basque musician. They have spectacular support from Etxepare for touring out of Basque Country. In addition, Xabi can benefit from all the funding schemes available to Spanish artists. I work with Vigüela. They do not receive support from their region. They do have access to whatever Spanish artists in general can apply for. I work with Ali Doğan Gönültaş. In his case… he has my support, and the strength of his art and his trajectory. He does not have institutional backing.

Therefore, I see very directly the effect of these differential resources in terms of what I can do, or in terms of how much more I have to compensate personally in some situations. I know that many colleagues experience what I am describing, but there are also quite a few who work exclusively with artists established in their own region and are not exposed to this inequality.

Further down in the email I read “How Market Structure Is Silencing Parts of Europe’s Music Ecosystem“. Once again, this feels both evident and deeply troubling. You have the email here.

Music Equality is connected with So Alive Music Conference, an event in Sofia, Bulgaria. And the email is about the results of the Music Equality’s Geographical Underrepresentation research. Learn more about them, here. Their focus is the presence of the artists from South Eastern Europe.

They also mention in the email that according to IMPALA, the European organisation for independent music companies and national associations, in their new policy paper “Powering an Independent and Culturally Diverse European Music Ecosystem” that “Geographical underrepresentation in European music is structural, not artistic.” This work is available here.

The documents are available at the links, so there you have them. The issue can undoubtedly be expanded to the international sphere. I do not have a formal study carried out, but I do have some reflections that I would like to share because they trouble me and sadden me. That is why the Music Equality email resonated with me so strongly.

We all know that there are countries that are over-represented at international events. We all know that there are international festivals that only consider bringing artists if those artists can secure support from their home country to cover flights, but that they do not actively work with embassies or other on-site institutions themselves to take the initiative in accessing those resources. It is perfectly understandable that these festivals want to save those costs.

I cannot demand that this situation change, because I do not want, for example, Etxepare’s support to be removed, nor do I know what I can do so that Vigüela can obtain other forms of public funding. But I would at least like this question to be raised, and for festivals with institutional resources, public funding and relevant infrastructures at their disposal to be aware of whether they are increasing inequality in access to the market for artists from certain geographical regions where there is no support, and at the same time preventing audiences from accessing that talent, which also contributes to the much-invoked diversity.

This raises a structural question: how can the principles of free competition and equal access to the internal market be reconciled with asymmetrical public support mechanisms across different European regions and states? It is difficult to understand how these two dynamics can operate simultaneously without producing measurable distortions in market access and visibility.

Institutional support for the arts is an aspect of countries’ and regions’ cultural policy, associated with the maintenance and/or construction of a national brand and cultural diplomacy. Music Equality includes, for example, Romania within its framework. It is the paradigmatic example I always mention when we discuss this topic. A country from which artists such as Taraf de Haidouks or Fanfare Ciocărlia emerged, genuine stars in the world music field for several decades — where is it now?

Another paradigmatic example is Albania. It does not even appear in the WOMEX search engine when you perform an advanced search using country as a criterion. Gaurav Narula once explained to me that someone from Albania had attended, but must have registered under the country in which they were based. So, since no one has registered in WOMEX as being from Albania, the country does not even appear in the list of companies for search purposes.

A country with a musical tradition declared in 2005 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — folk iso-polyphony — does not appear with any presence in the WOMEX search engine.

This search engine does have one positive aspect: it contains historical data since WOMEX began compiling this information in its virtual database. Most of the companies listed no longer exist, but it still gives us a global idea of how represented some countries have been. I will use this database, which is accessible to me and which I consider particularly meaningful in this context.

Initially I included countries such as Egypt, Bolivia and Madagascar. They are very poorly represented. I do not think that is a surprise. Even much of the music that reaches Mundofonías and TWMC from artists from Madagascar — and it is not insignificant — comes from artists who live in Europe or partly in Europe, especially France. Egypt and Bolivia are very scarcely present in the world music sphere, despite being countries with wonderful musical traditions.

🔽 You can access the data table and the graphs shown below, along with some additional ones, here.

But let us focus on Europe, since WOMEX takes place in Europe. In this graph, the X-axis shows the countries ordered by number of inhabitants, and the Y-axis shows the number of registered companies listed in Virtual WOMEX.

Click to download it bigger:

In this graph, countries above the red line have more registered companies in WOMEX than would be expected if representation were strictly proportional to population size. In that sense, they are relatively overrepresented. And countries below the red line have fewer companies than would correspond to their population size. They can therefore be considered relatively underrepresented.

The red line is a benchmark that illustrates what proportional representation would look like. It is useful because it provides a visually intuitive way to discuss structural imbalance. It does not describe the empirical trend of the data, but rather a hypothetical proportional scenario against which actual representation can be compared.

Most overrepresented countries, ordered from largest to smallest percentage deviation:
Finland → +369% (+233 companies)
Denmark → +265% (+179 companies)
Portugal → +249% (+289 companies)
Sweden → +180% (+217 companies)
Norway → +168% (+102 companies)
Belgium → +149% (+202 companies)
Netherlands → +126% (+256 companies)
Spain → +117% (+633 companies) – Be aware that WOMEX has been held in Spain on multiple occasions, so it is normal that Spain appears relatively overrepresented. Anyway, check the note in the next model of calculations.
UK → +106% (+838 companies)
France → +30% (+233 companies)

Ranking by percentage deviation (intensity of underrepresentation), ordered from largest to smallest percentage deviation:
Albania → −100% (−34 companies)
Ukraine → −93% (−460 companies)
Romania → −88% (−188 companies)
Slovakia → −66% (−41 companies)
Poland → −53% (−232 companies)
Serbia → −52% (−41 companies)
Bulgaria → −47% (−35 companies)
Czech Republic → −43% (−51 companies)
North Macedonia → −43% (−9 companies)
Croatia → −32% (−15 companies)
Italy → −31% (−207 companies)
Lithuania → −28% (−9 companies)

The data reveal a clear structural imbalance in representation within the European music ecosystem. When comparing the number of companies registered in Virtual WOMEX with national population size, Western and Nordic European countries appear systematically overrepresented, while Eastern and South-Eastern European countries are consistently underrepresented. In some cases, countries show two to four times more presence than proportionality would suggest, while others fall dramatically below what their population size would indicate.

Let’s check another graph. Compared to the previous chart (absolute number of WOMEX-registered companies vs population), this version normalises the data by population size. I left the very little countries because this graph is clearer and the data are relative to the inhabitants. Luxembourg functions as a high-density outlier.

Click to download it bigger:

Instead of showing volume, it shows density: how many WOMEX-registered companies a country has per million inhabitants. This removes the scale advantage of larger countries and makes it easier to identify structural intensity (or weakness) in representation. In the absolute chart, large countries tend to dominate simply because they are large; in the per-million chart, small and mid-sized countries can emerge as highly represented ecosystems, while some larger countries may appear underrepresented once population size is taken into account.

Click to download it bigger:

Removing microstates such as Luxembourg and Estonia reduces the statistical dispersion of the dataset and produces a more stable regression model. These countries have extremely high per-capita densities, which stretch the vertical scale and exert influence on the regression slope. Once removed, the cloud of points becomes more compact and the negative relationship between population size and density becomes slightly less pronounced. Importantly, however, the structural pattern does not disappear. Western and Nordic European countries still cluster above the trend line, while Eastern and South-Eastern European countries remain consistently below it. What changes is the intensity of the extremes, not the overall imbalance. The argument therefore becomes less dependent on exceptional cases and more grounded in a broader systemic pattern.

Overrepresented countries, ordered from most to least overrepresented, according to deviation from the regression line:

Luxembourg
Finland
Estonia
Denmark
Portugal
Sweden
UK
Spain (When using the European regression model, Spain exceeds expected levels by approximately 49%. Spain has hosted WOMEX on multiple occasions, which may partly explain this deviation. Finland, by contrast, has hosted WOMEX only twice, yet it exceeds the expected level by nearly ten times.)
Norway
Belgium
Netherlands
France
Germany
Switzerland
Latvia

Underrepresented countries, ordered from most to least underrepresented:

Albania
Romania
Slovakia
North Macedonia
Serbia
Bulgaria
Ukraine
Czech Republic
Croatia
Lithuania
Poland
Slovenia
Greece
Italy
Ireland

What is going on here? What are the reasons? That requires a deeper analysis that goes beyond my capacity for now. But I believe there are several possible explanations.

One obvious factor is institutional presence. In some countries, public institutions actively support international visibility. In Spain, for example, there are several structures — Sounds from Spain and other regional initiatives — which are usually present with their own stands. In my case, I have to pay for the table at the stand, but there is a stand and they deal with the production and the design (and also support economically the artists selected for a showcase). At the same time, our domestic market is not particularly welcoming to world music proposals, despite the fact that we have very strong artistic projects with considerable international potential. Spain’s national brand is internationally powerful.

However, Portugal appears even more overrepresented than Spain, and they do not have the same kind of institutional export structures. Why Portugal is a private-sector initiative. But they have fado, a very strond brand. In the case of Italy, its presence in recent years has been huge, but this is a relatively recent development and does not compensate for the historical data. Italy, however, has a strong national brand. In pop music, it has exported extensively — at least from my perspective in Spain, through artists such as Eros Ramazzotti, Laura Pausini or Franco Batiatto — but in world music there is not such a globally dominant equivalent to flamenco or fado (with all due respect to tarantella or pizzica, which I greatly admire).

And Greece? It appears among the underrepresented countries, despite having rebetiko, recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Is it not exportable? It may be that the domestic market provides significant work for folk artists. I know several cases of excellent musicians who prefer to play at weddings on weekends rather than travel internationally and earn less money. Ireland appears among the underrepresented countries as well (though the least underrepresented), and perhaps for similar reasons. If there is a strong internal market, the need to export may be lower.

Another clear aspect aligns with Music Equality’s initiative: all countries in South-Eastern Europe appear on the underrepresented list. I imagine the reasons may be largely economic, because their musical traditions are fascinating, and I am sure there is both the desire and the need to export.

For now, I will leave it here. I wanted to offer a few preliminary reflections on possible reasons — more impressions than data. I hope you have found this interesting, and I would very much welcome your thoughts.

INDIEBALKANS

I learnt about this from Ruth Koleva, who is involved in So Alive Music Conference and in Music Equality. According to the website, “Bridging Balkan Borders is an online platform that brings together the best venues, studios, media outlets, and labels to connect the indie music scene in the Balkans. Our mission is to bridge gaps and build opportunities for artists and music professionals alike.”

The website provides a database of labels, media, studios and venues and news about open calls for artists & music professionals (check it because they mention some of them that I have not included below because they are generalistic or focused in different styles of music than the ones I work with). They organice Songwriting Camps for Balkan artists.

EUROPEAN FOLK NETWORK IN BABEL MUSIC XP

This year EFN will be present at Babel Music XP with its own stand, which the network and several members have jointly reserved: Sierra Contratación Artística, alba Kultur and Mapamundi Música. Other members will also be present (Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, FolkOrg and Music4You). Several Board members (Nod Knowles, Steven Vanderaspoilden, Eric Van Monckhoven, Ann Helen Erichsen and I) will attend this edition as well, so if you are coming, it will be a pleasure to welcome you there.

In addition, continuing the discussion we began in last year’s panel, New Narratives of Traditional Music in the Face of Current Political Challenges in Europe, we will once again take part in developing this topic (ACT 2), with a representative of FAMDT.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in February of 2026 is: Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino’s Il Mito (Ponderosa)

🔸Mundofonías: the favourites of February have been Neba Solo & Benego Diakité’s A djinn and a hunter went walking (Nonesuch); Jocelyn Mienniel’s Les instruments migrateurs (Buda Musique) and Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino’s Il mito (Ponderosa)

🔸Balkan World Music Chart. On this occasion, I was not able to vote. It was impossible for me to devote the time that listening to the albums deserved in the period before travelling to Kolkata and during my stay there. Even so, I would like to highlight the results of the 2025 annual chart. You can find the full chart here.

My congratulations to Širom (#1), Divanhana (#2) and Raphael Rogiński & Ružičnjak Tajni (#3), as well as to all the artists included in the chart.

Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call of relevance to the community.

The following calls are new in the newsletter:

🔸WOMEX
The call is open until midnight Friday, 27 February 2026 (CET). This edition will take place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where it was already done in 2018. This is the most known showcase and conference in the field of world music. Even so, for those who may not be aware, I should mention that submitting showcase proposals has a fee: it is currently €25 (until February 6 it was €15). The payment must be done via Paypal.

Selected artists have, in previous editions (as I cannot say with 100% certainty whether this will remain the case), their dinner on the night of the concert covered, as well as the transfer from the accommodation to the stage and the return transfer after the performance.

Accommodation, travel expenses and fees are not covered. However, technical production is provided, meaning the stage, technical equipment and the necessary staff are covered.

I have had artists selected four times (indeed, five times, but one was in 2020 and it could not take place). This year, I have submitted three proposals.

What do I think about charging a fee to submit proposals? I understand it as a way of somehow reducing the avalanche of applications. In the context of WOMEX, it is clear that any artist who can seriously consider attending and performing needs far more money than 25 euros.

I am currently serving as a juror for another showcase, which I cannot announce yet until the selection becomes public, and I have already received fewer than 100 pre-selected proposals to review. Some of them are quite amateur and have little or no real chance, yet several hundred applications were submitted to the open call. It has meant quite a few evenings on my part, listening, watching, reading and applying different criteria. It cannot be done in a superficial way.

In my experience, I have worked with artistic projects whose trajectory might have been very different if, at a specific moment, they had received the support of a relevant showcase. In some cases, not having that support was decisive in the project gradually fading away.

If those 25 euros help reduce noise — meaning proposals that are submitted just on the off chance that something might come of it — then I think it makes sense and is reasonable in the context of WOMEX. In other words, those 25 euros are negligible if you have a project with real potential to attend and perform.

🔸19th Premio Andrea Parodi (Cagliari, Sardinia)

It will take place from 15 to 17 October 2026 at the Teatro Massimo in Cagliari. Note that “The award is dedicated to Andrea Parodi, a highly regarded Sardinian musician in the world music scene who passed away on 17 October 2006. He is honoured every year at the event through performances of songs from his repertoire by the finalists and guests.” In this competition, the focus is on specific songs: the artist’s own compositions and their interpretation of an Andrea Parodi song, which is mandatory.

The new call for entries is available at www.premioandreaparodi.it/premio, with registration free of charge until 9 May 2026.

What do the winners get?

“The overall winner will receive a €2,500 scholarship, as well as the opportunity to perform at some of Parodi’s partner festivals in 2027, including the European Jazz Expo (Sardinia), Folkest (Friuli) and the Festival del Torto (Sicily), as well as at the Premio Andrea Parodi itself.
The winner of the Critics’ Award will have the chance to produce a professional music video for a song with the support of the Andrea Parodi Foundation.
Some of the Award’s finalists will also be invited to perform at partner festivals such as Mare e Miniere in Sardinia and the Bianca d’Aponte Award in Campania.”

I’m not sure whether the organisation covers accommodation. I believe travel expenses are not covered. I’ve only been there once, quite a few years ago, and I think meals were provided to the artists, but I don’t know how they are handling it now. You can send your questions to fondazione.andreaparodi@gmail.com.

The following calls were already in the newsletter of December:

🔸Mercat de Música Viva de Vic. Call for artists
The call is open until 31th of March, for the event to take place in Vic, Catalonia, from 16th of 20th of September. Registration, here.

“The programming is structured around two lines: MMVV Pro Catalan Arts! program, designed for professionals with the aim of promoting the hiring of premieres and new proposals, and MMVV Festival program, aimed at the general public with a more playful and festive spirit. […] Proposals can be submitted for all musical styles and genres, with the exception of classical music. ”

Check the selection criteria, on the website.
No restriction about countries of origin of the artists.

🔸Babel Music XP: accreditation and stand bookings for Babel Music XP 2026 are open
This is another of the events that I have attended since they revived from Babel Med. It will be in Marseille from 19th to 21st of March.

MEET ME AT

27th February. Concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş in Andalucia (Spain). Las Tardes del Foro. 21h. Foro Iberoamericano de La Rábida.
19th-21st March: Babel Music XP.
9th-11th April: Budapest Ritmo.
18th-26th April: Tour with Ali Doğan Gönültaş in Paris, Den Haag and several cultural centers in Belgium.

This is how Vigüela’s visit to India went

Last Tuesday we returned from Kolkata after two weeks of travel that took us to three locations in West Bengal, where Vigüela gave concerts, workshops and made collaborations with local artists. Our participation in the Sur Jahan festival, organiced by Banglanatak dot com was made possible thanks to the support of the Embassy of Spain in India. It has been a fascinating adventure, full of contrasts, and we’d like to share a few moments with you:

FIRST LOCATION: KOLKATA

In Kolkata we gave a concert, a workshop, and rehearsed and presented to the public the collaboration for the “Grand Finale”: a panoramic piece with the participation of all the groups programmed on the bill. Click to watch a snippet of our performance:

In the one-hour workshop we had time to explain some key ideas behind our music and a few basic notions of jota dance:

We worked a lot! Here we are with the rest of our colleagues at the end of the rehearsal for the Grand Finale:

But we also had time to enjoy ourselves. Here we are attending the opening ceremony, where our Carmen helped water a plant together with representatives of the other groups, as a symbolic gesture:

SECOND LOCATION: BANNABAGRAM BAUL ASHRAM

At the ashram—an encounter space for baul musicians (a tradition of mystic singers and musicians from Bengal who convey a spiritual and life philosophy through song, poetry and music), located next to a small village in a very rural area—besides our own performance we had the pleasure of preparing and presenting a collaboration with several baul musicians. Click to watch the beginning of the rehearsal and be amazed by how Girish Baul interacts with our peretas. Below you’ll find some musicological notes about this collaboration:

After briefly listening to Vigüela developing several stanzas in peretas genre, at this point in the video Girish Baul listens to the peretas prelude and comes in, placing his stanzas from the baul tradition in exactly the right place. How is this possible? We explain it. Peretas and, more generally, many traditional styles have a harmonic code that unfolds over metronomic rhythms, that is, rhythms characterized by a constant regularity of pulse, comparable to the tick-tock of a metronome. This also happens in baul music and in many other musical traditions around the world, as a globally shared principle. On this metronomic basis, and listening to the harmonics of the guitar as it develops the peretas genre, Girish starts singing his melodies, moving them within the pulse, just as he does in his own baul music.

Later in the day, a musician with a cajón was introduced, marking the rhythm from a different concept. This musician tried to identify the “rhythms” of baul music and to “guide” the baul musicians to follow that pattern. This caused the baul musicians to have to alter their performance, modifying the places in the melody where they placed the accent in order to try to constrain themselves to what the cajón was doing. Girish Baul placed accents in his music in positions that seemed illogical to the cajón player from their perspective of meter understood as a pulse divided into closed bars. They seemed illogical because they did not fit into those bars, but the accents Girish used are, for him, completely logical. By trying to force the melody into a meter of closed bars, baul music stopped working in the same way, because a rhythm that is not its own was imposed on it, thus forcing the baul musicians to do something that is not the music according to their tradition. This text has been developed together by me and by Juan Antonio Torres, musical director of Vigüela.

The result of the collaboration was presented on stage during the festival programme. Click to watch it:

Some of the group slept at the ashram and others at a nearby hostel where monkeys serenaded us every night 🙂

At the ashram they have a vegetable garden with lots of produce, and there’s a nearby river where they fish. The background image of this email is from the ashram. On all our road trips we also saw shops with live chickens that you can buy and they sell them freshly slaughtered—so fresher is impossible. Here’s a typical dish of what we ate those days: fish or chicken, chapati bread, rice, lentil soup and several vegetable stews. This is the kind of menu we also had at the next location.

THIRD LOCATION: IIT KHARAGPUR

And the third stop was at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, a university specialized in technology that also pursues the holistic education of students from a humanistic perspective. There we carried out many activities, such as this workshop. We’re sharing a moment here practicing hand clapping with students in some seguidillas sevillanas. Click to watch it:

We also gave our own performance. Here’s a fragment of tonada and jota in the style of Candeleda:

We attended the conference by Prof. Dr. Denis Laborde about the festival Haizebegi, a cross-border Basque festival that combines vocal traditions and contemporary creation with a clear political commitment to cultural diversity, minority languages and social engagement.

And we once again opened the Grand Finale with a wedding song from Extremadura, in which we collaborated with colleagues from Transylvania, Latvia, Denmark and India:

It’s hard to condense everything we experienced over these days into one email, but we hope we’ve conveyed a little of our journey. It has been a pleasure and an honour to bring the music of our land once again to faraway latitudes and to see how its beauty and energy win hearts wherever they go.

Contact me for bookings:

Vigüela
Castilla-La Mancha

Rural Spain, raw voices, timeless power

40 years, 10 albums and the same fire. They have performed at top-level festivals and circuits across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

🔸“Interpretive nuances of folk styles that embody emotional depth and cultural storytelling. Their work resonates with audiences of all ages.” World Music Central, USA

Their latest album, We, included in:🔸the Bestenliste (honor list) of the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik 🔸Top 10 Flamenco and Roots Music Albums by the veteran Spanish music magazine Mondo Sonoro

🌐 Web – ⏯️ Video – 📷 Instagram

January 26. Rushed but… here I am + many calls for applications #91

Summary 👇

Editorial

Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

Transglobal WMC Festival Awards

Open calls and professional events: So Alive Music Conference & Festival, A To Jazz world music showcase, Mercat de Música Viva de Vic, Circulart, Upbeat Artist Mentoring Programme, Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, Babel Music XP: accreditation and stand bookings, Sicily Music Conference 2026

Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you?

This time, the newsletter will be brief. I’m about to set off on a trip to Kolkata with Vigüela. They will be performing at Sur Jahan, the festival organised by Banglanatak dot com. We’ll be in Kolkata, and also in Ashram and Kharagpur, to run workshops and collaborate with local artists.

Some last-minute work issues have kept me on hold right up until the very last moment. Not everything has been easy, but some really nice things have happened over the past few days.

I’ve confirmed Ali Doğan Gönültaş’s return to Spain. It will be in Huelva, at the Muelle de las Carabelas, the harbour from which Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 on his journey—ironically—towards India. Although, as we all know, he didn’t exactly get there. I really hope I do make it to India! Though I’m sure we’ll find some surprises along the way.

I’ve already been to the festival once, back when it was still called Sufi Sutra. The team from Banglanatak dot com showed us some of the treasures of traditional art from the state of West Bengal. One example is patachitra singing, of which I’m sharing this memory with you.

Swarna Chitrakar sings the story of Krishna & Radha

In this occasion there is no interview. Only the usual sections and many open calls. I hope this will be of your interest.

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

TRANSGLOBAL WMC FESTIVAL AWARDS

These are the results of the 4th edition:
1. (tie) URÀ Mercado Cultural de la Música (CR) + World Music Festival Bratislava (SK)
3. (tie) Alkantara Fest (IT) + Supernova International Ska Festival (US)
5. (tie) Sukiyaki Meets The World (JP) + Cordas World Music Festival (PT)
7. Fira Mediterrània de Manresa (ES)
8. Rainforest World Music Festival (MY)
9. Ethno Port Festival (PL)
10. Festival Arabesques (FR)

Learn more on the website.

Congratulations!!!

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in January December of 2026 is: Nusantara Beat’s homonymous album (Glitterbeat)

🔸Mundofonías: the favourites of January have been Los Originarios del Plan’s ¡Puritito Michoacán!; Ravi Kulur & Barry Phillips’ Breath & bow and La Cuivraille’sTournivelle

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call of relevance to the community.

The following calls are new in the newsletter:

🔸So Alive Music Conference & Festival. Call for artists

It will take place from 14 – 16 October 2026 in Sofia, Bulgaria. I attended the last edition, in which we had a showcase by Ali Doğan Gönültaş. The styles of music they program is not that much world music, but mainly indie, with an open approach. I found it interesting to meet professional who don’t use to attend the world music events. The content of the panels was very practical of market-oriented.

Application Deadline: 10 February 2026. Live performing artists (solo acts or bands) presenting original music.

Eligible Genres: genres include (but are not limited to): Pop, jazz, hip-hop, electronic music with live instruments, soul, indie, funk, rock, metal, electro-pop, nu-jazz, folk, world music, acoustic pop, and related styles.

Eligible Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey.

Check the conditions on the website.

🔸A To Jazz world music showcase. Call for artists
Also in Sofia: The showcase will take place on July 2, 2026. Participation includes a live performance, an educational module and speed meetings with international delegates held on July 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2026. Participation in all programme components (educational module, speed meetings, soundcheck and live performance) is mandatory.

Elegible countries: All EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Armenia, Tunisia, Ukraine and Moldova.

Deadline: February 06, 2026

Check all the details, on their website.

🔸Mercat de Música Viva de Vic. Call for artists
The call is open until 31th of March, for the event to take place in Vic, Catalonia, from 16th of 20th of September. Registration, here.

Check the selection criteria, on the website.
No restriction about countries of origin of the artists.

The following calls were already in the newsletter of December:

🔸Circulart
It is a meeting for the Ibero-American music sector, which will take place in Medellín from 4 to 7 June 2026. I should note in advance that all the documentation and the website are only available in Spanish. I think this gives a clear idea of who the call is — and is not — aimed at. This is the website.

The call is open to artists, musical groups, booking agencies, management agencies, and record labels. The programme includes showcases, business meetings, conferences, and training activities. The application deadline is 12 February 2026 at 6:00 p.m. (Colombia time).

Artists interested in applying for live performances (showcases) should be aware that CirculArt will not cover fees, travel and accommodation expenses, or any other costs. The market organisation will provide the selected artists with a stage and appropriate technical equipment for their performance, under equal technical conditions for all participants.

🔸Upbeat Artist Mentoring Programme: call for artists

“In the Programme we pair up music industry experts having solid mentoring experiences with emerging artists from the world music field. The pairs will work together for up to 10 months developing personalized, in-depth career plans that support the artists to scale up their careers.
We are looking for emerging European talents who wish to grow their careers in the music industry.”

Application deadline for artists: 21 January 2026

Who is it for: “Emerging artists who are connected to the world/global music industry and are ready for international work” from “EU member state or one of the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Ukraine, Tunisia.” Also, artists from other countries, legal residents in any of the countris of the list.

More details and application form, here.

🔸Fira Mediterrània de Manresa

The call for proposals for the showcases is open until 22 January 2026 at 23:59. The 29th Fira Mediterrània will take place from 15 to 18 October 2026 in Manresa. Check the conditions and apply, here.

This is one of the events I attend almost always and every year I send proposals. I have talked about the Fira on many occasions before in this newsletter. It is a multidisciplinary event, including music, dance and “Memory, legacy and oral storytelling”.

This phrase is specially meaningful: “Fira Mediterrània works with what we like to call 360 degrees of roots, starting with the first level, intangible heritage; continuing through folk and traditional culture associations, which take that heritage and work to connect it with society; and ending with the professional sector, the artists whose creations are based on that tradition. At the Fira, we place particular importance on the interchange, interrelation and intersection of all of those elements.

What do they offer? “Fira, as a performing arts fair attended by sector professionals (1,234 registered delegates), will agree a financial contribution with companies and groups.” They also provide meals and accommodation for artists that reside outside Catalonia. All the details are very well explained on the website.

🔸 Sicily Music Conference 2026: Call for Artists

The call for proposals for the showcases is open here, until 31 January 2026. Artists to be announced in February 2026. This is the official page for the call. I will bring some infos here:

It will take place in Palermo – Catania, from 13 to 16 of May 2026.
It provides access to professionals, to the workshops and all the events of the conference, for the artists and their representatives.
Practical needs covered:
- Transportation: transfer from airport or ferry terminal to/from the hotel/venue(s)
- Accommodation: twin rooms for show night(s)
- Catering on the show day(s) …Sicilian food and hospitality
- Support to reach out to export offices or similar organizations with official invitations to apply for funding
- Support to connect with additional venues in Italy – I highlight this because some other events like this —showcases— require artists to maintain exclusivity in the surrounding region for some time before and after. This Sicilian conference, however, aims to support artists in getting more gigs. I don’t know yet if they have any restrictions regarding performances in the area around Palermo, but it’s really nice that they’re thinking about facilitating contacts to help organize other concerts around the showcase trip.

Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap

MEET ME AT

22nd January-2nd February. With Vigüela in India for Sur Jahan festival and workshops and collaborations.
27th February. Concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş in Andalucia (Spain). TBA.
19th-21st March: Babel Music XP.

December 25. Talk with Bernhard Frei (Folk Club Zurich); charts, lists and 18th anniversary & + #90

Summary 👇

▫️Editorial

▫️Talk with Bernhard Frei, director of Folk Club Zurich

▫️My artists for 2026 & 18th birthday of Mapamundi Música

▫️Upbeat Impact Assessment

▫️Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects: Mundofonías Favis 2025, LIMúR, TWMC…

▫️Open calls and professional events: Circulart, Budapest Ritmo, Upbeat Artist Mentoring Programme, Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, Babel Music XP: accreditation and stand bookings, Sicily Music Conference

▫️Meet me at ✈️

Hello, how are you?

I am well. I chose this photo to open the newsletter because it captures a moment I love and that will stay in my memory as something precious, and because it reflects my year. I left the apartment where I was staying during Napoli World at around 3 a.m. on Sunday, November 30, to return to Spain and make it to Toledo, where Vigüela took part in a television gala of a talent-show-style competition in which the most beautiful Manchega sheep was selected. Said like this, it may sound a bit strange, but the aim of the programme was to promote native sheep breeds from Castilla-La Mancha.

I think Manchego cheese is quite well known outside Spain. Manchego cheese is not just any cured hard cheese from Spain: it must be made from the milk of Manchega sheep. The competition was quite technical. Vigüela performed a tonada followed by a fandango and some jotas. In the photo, Mari Nieto is ready to be made up. If you’d like to see their performances, you can find them here, at 55:20 and at 01:49:49. On this occasion, they invited two traditional musician friends from the village of La Estrella, in the province of Toledo: Paco and Fran.

I am writing this on December 25. The year has been intense, and I am mentally exhausted. I have spent a lot of time travelling, always for music-related reasons. My next trip will be to Kolkata with Vigüela, who will perform at the Sur Jahan festival and take part in workshops and collaborations with Bauls.

But before that, I wish you a good end of the year and a good start to the new one. I hope you have some good days, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. Thank you for your attention. 🥂

I hope you find the reading interesting. If you enjoyed any part of this newsletter, feel free to share it with someone who might like it too. Thank you in advance.

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

TALK WITH BERNHARD FREI, DIRECTOR OF FOLK CLUB ZURICH

Last November I travelled to Zurich with Vigüela for their concert at Folk Club Zurich. The venue where the concerts take place is GZ Riesbach, a community centre that is part of the city’s network of Zürcher Gemeinschaftszentren (GZ). You can see the stage in this picture. I didn’t take many photos because I danced at several moments during the concert, but they should still give you a sense of the space.

Vigüela performed without amplification, as we realised that the band’s acoustic sound was sufficient. However, Folk Club Zurich does have sound equipment, and Bernhard places great importance on sound quality. The space holds around 120 people. In addition to the concert area, there is a simple bar in the entrance hall. Overall, I found Folk Club Zurich very welcoming, and we felt very comfortable there.

It is a pleasure to help give visibility to Folk Club Zurich and to the work of Bernhard and his collaborators. So, I took advantage of my travel there and Bernhard accepted to make the interview at that very moment. In the interview, we go through Bernhard’s background, as well as briefly touching on the history of folk clubs in Switzerland and the concept of folk music as understood at Folk Club Zurich. The portrait of Bernhard is from his Facebook profile.

Araceli Tzigane: So you are Bernhard Frei and you have been directing Folk Club Zurich for the last 10 years. Tell us how did all this begin?

Bernhard Frei: When I came to Folk Club, I was working in a student house where we also had concerts and Folk Club was renting the room for the concerts. And I was taking care of the house at that time. It was, I think, in 1984. So, long time ago. And I started doing sound every now and then for Folk Club. I did it for other bands all the time at that time. And then I became a little bit more involved in the ’90s. And then I was doing the sound always in all the concerts and started to do some of the program also.

And then, about 10 years ago the former president of Folk Club decided to quit and then I had to decide: do I continue or not. And then I decided, okay, I’m doing myself my way. I am doing it more or less alone, so I can decide and there are no discussions. We don’t have any meetings or so just like once a year or so we have a meeting. I don’t discuss the program, I do it.

AT: So you take the decisions on the program but you have also some volunteers helping you.

BF: Yes, but basically here for the concert. And there is a guy doing the bookkeeping. And another one helping me a lot with the sound and the technical equipment. And he’s doing the website and the graphics of the flyer and these things.
And then I have a lot of people who help at the bar, that changes all the time. There’s a whole crew of bar people.

AT: And it is a not-for-profit organization.

BF: Not for profit. No, we don’t earn any money actually. Yes, we got some money, extra money last year, but usually it’s like nothing.

AT: And you are called “Folk Club”. How do you define what is Folk? I ask you this because the term of folk is quite complicated and, in every country, has different meaning. What is F for you or for Switzerland or for Zurich?

BF: Yes. In the 70s when Folk Club was founded, in all over Switzerland there were folk clubs. And every city or every village had its folk club. There were like 40 folk clubs in all over Switzerland. And Zurich was just one of them. And then in Chur, in the East part of Switzerland, there is one still existing and the others died. So, it’s only Chur and us left from that time. And at that time, at the ‘70s, folk was Bob Dylan, Irish folk, American folk in general and, then, of course, a lot of South American music. In Chile, Pinochet took power and there were a lot of refugees. It was in 1973, and then all these bands like Quilapayún and Inti Illimani and so travelled all over Europe and that was part of it. And then, of course, some Italian bands or French music. And Swiss music was almost not involved and that came later. So now we have a lot of Swiss bands. We have the so-called “new Swiss folk music”. Nowadays, for some years, you can study folk music in Luzerne at the conservatory. In Finland they started in 1982, I think, with folk music and there is a big department at the conservatory where you can study folk music. And Sweden was, I think, even before. And now it’s also in Switzerland. It’s on a small scale.

But there were before already some bands that may started to do new things in Swiss folk music. So Swiss folk music also became an important part of our program.

The interview continues under the video. From previous conversations with other professionals, I believe that the music groups mentioned by Bernhard, Quilapayún and Inti-Illimani, played a very important role in the cultural and musical scene, just as other groups and artists did in different fields.

These two groups in particular were touring Europe when Pinochet’s coup d’état took place in September 1973. Inti-Illimani settled in Italy and did not return to Chile until 1988, when the ban on their entry into the country was lifted. The story of Quilapayún at that time is very similar, except that they settled in France during their exile.

I find it interesting to talk about all this because I believe that, at that moment, these music groups helped to make the situation in their country known and to increase international solidarity, in addition to the importance they had within the artistic scene

In this song by Quilapayún, “Vamos, mujer” (come on, woman), a man tells his woman not to hesitate and to gather their things, to carry the child, because they are leaving for the city of Iquique, where they will see the sea. Iquique is big and has many beautiful houses. They have a long journey ahead of them, crossing hills. He insists that she trust him, and it is understood that she is not entirely convinced, although her voice is not explicitly present in the song.

AT: And your job was teacher of ethnomusicology.

BF: I studied ethnomusicology. After my studies I became assistant professor at the ethnomusicology department in Zurich and then they closed down the ethnomusicology department. So I lost my job and nowadays I work as a lifeguard in a swimming pool. Something a bit different. But that’s my profession actually.

AT: Why do you think they closed the ethnomusicology courses?

BF: It was some kind of intrigue between one ethnology professor and the two classical music professors. And they somehow realized if they close it down, they get one assistant for them both, you know. So they wanted to have one more assistant in their department, so they closed it down. And then in Bern they started to have ethnomusicology and that’s pretty close to us.

AT: Hm, what a pity… And what do you do? How many concerts do you organise in the year? What are you interested in for the Folk Club?

BF: We do 12 concerts a year. And at the moment I do it basically in the winter months, wintertime, because in Summer I am working at the swimming pool and but next year I’ll be retired and so I’ll probably do it also in the summer.

AT: So this is depending a lot on you and your own motivation and your own strength.

BF: Yeah, that’s true. Yes. If I stop, then Folk Club stops. That will not continue. I think.

AF: I think that happens with many of these kinds of initiatives, also festivals that the founder founded them in the 80s and, after, there’s no one taking care of that. When the founder just say I can’t continue and they stop. I hope you will have someone to take care of it when you don’t want to make it anymore.

BF: I don’t know. I mean, somebody will do something else. Maybe it’s not something that has to be taken for thousands of years.

AT: What drives you to make all this?

BF: I always liked… I started in the 80s. I also did the programming for another agency at that time, and I always liked doing it and I liked the contact with the musicians. I’m nowadays a little bit part of the music scene in Switzerland and I like that.

AT: But why folk music? Because you could have gone to rock or something else.

BF: Yeah, that’s just by accident, kind of. I mean, I studied ethnomusicology, that I like the music. I’m especially interested in this one little segment of folk music, but it’s hard to describe what segment it is, actually. I would say we often have this roots music, but what is roots music? We have many of our musicians are from a conservatorium. They have higher music education in folk music, or some come from the classical music. Some have made jazz school, or so…Not so much like Chur: they have a lot of singer songwriters who have therefore a cord of the guitar and not very much more. That’s not my interest. And also, we have the audience for that. I mean, sometimes I book some singer songwriters or so and then we have nobody. I think we have our audience and it’s a very small segment and within this segment we have usually a little audience, maybe small, but some always come. If we leave this, then, there’s nobody.

MY ARTISTS FOR 2026 & 18TH BIRTHDAY OF MAPAMUNDI MÚSICA

Next 27th of December it will be the 18th anniversary of the first concert booked by Mapamundi Música. It was the trio Cherno More, with the Sudanese musician Wafir Shaikheldin and the Bulgarian brothers Nasco and Ivo Hristov.

Allow me a few moments to update you on the artistic projects I work with for booking in all, or nearly all, territories. Contact me for details.
▫️Ali Doğan Gönültaş (Eastern Anatolia) – The enchanting voice born of Anatolia, resonating worldwide. Booking in Austria: Diverted Music ; Booking in Eastern Europe: Most Music Agency / Rok Kosir
▫️Vigüela (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) – Rural Spain, raw voices, timeless power
▫️Thanos Stavridis & Drom (Greece) – The accordion driving the Balkan spirit
▫️Xabi Aburruzaga (Basque Country) – Trikitixa unleashed: heritage in motion
▫️A Cantadeira (Portugal) – Her voice stands alone, unadorned and essential. Booking in Germany: LavioLa ; Booking in Portugal: Repasseado

UPBEAT IMPACT ASSESSMENT

In the previous edition of the newsletter I talked about the case study “The Impact of Showcase Festivals on the Development of Their Participants. WOMEX 2024”, by Zone Franche. I touched on some of the ideas raised by the study. Just now I have come across this Impact Assessment by Upbeat, the showcase festival network. I haven’t read it and I’m not going to do so now. I’m writing this on December 25, and in a little while I’ll be heading to my parents’ house for lunch. I’m not going to share any reflections on this document, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to let you know that it exists and that it is available here.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in December of 2025 is: Noura Mint Seymali’s Yenbett (Glitterbeat)

🔸Mundofonías: the favourites of December have been Muluken Mèllèssè’s Éthiopiques 31 (Buda Musique), Veronika Varga’s True picture (CPL-Music) and Mehrnam Rastegari’s Dislocated pulse (self-produced)

🔸Mundofonías’ Favis 2025.
Every year we make a list of what we liked most, with no fixed limit on the number of items. This year’s Favis are:
– Tatros Együttes – Pillanat – Tatros Együttes
– Guillaume Latil & Matheus Donato – Hémisphères – Matrisse Productions / L’Autre Distribution
– Murmurosi – Svitanok – Murmurosi
– Kaabi Kouyaté – Tribute to Kandia – Buda Musique
– Minyo Crusaders – Tour of Japan – Minyo Crusaders
– Muslim Shaggan – Asar – Honiunhoni
– Radio Tarifa – La Noche – Buda Musique
– Damily & Toliara Tsapiky Band – Fihisa – Damily
– Ozan Baysal – Tel ve ten – ARC Music
– Kraffft – Kraffft – Vlad Records
– Hawa & Kassé Mady Diabaté – Toumaro – One World
– Assafir – Traversées – Rakomelo
– Muluken Mèllèssè – Éthiopiques 31 – Buda Musique
– Thanos Stavridis & Drom – Fygame – Thanos Stavridis & Drom
– V.A. – Tsapiky! Modern music from southwest Madagascar – Sublime Frequencies
– Veronika Varga – True Picture – CPL-Music / CPL-Musicgroup
– Fanoos Ensemble – Echoes of Afghanistan – Fanoos Ensemble
– Mustafa Said & Asil Ensemble – Maqam pilgrims – Mapamundi Música

🔸LIMúR, the Iberian Roots Music Chart, has released the chart of the last quarter of the year. These is the top 5:
1. Casapalma · Jotas · Raso Estudio
2. Carminho · Eu vou morrer de amor ou resistir · Sony Music
3. Xabi Aburruzaga · Bask · DND
4. Radio Tarifa · La noche · Buda Musique
5. Nancy Vieira & Fred Martins · Esperança · Galileo Music CommunicationI didn’t vote for this chart because I am working with Xabi Aburruzaga for the bookings. Check the complete chart, here.

Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call of relevance to the community.

The following calls are new in the newsletter:

🔸Budapest Ritmo
This call is open to “regional bands”: “V4 countries, Western-Balkan countries, Eastern Partnership countries, Baltics, Turkey and Hungary’s neighboring countries”. In other words:
– V4 countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary;
– Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia;
– Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine;
– Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania;
– Turkey;
– Hungary’s neighbouring countries: Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

The application process is on the website.

🔸Upbeat Artist Mentoring Programme: call for artists

Application deadline for artists: 21 January 2026

More details and application form, here.

The following calls were already in the newsletter of November:

🔸Fira Mediterrània de Manresa

The call for proposals for the showcases is open until 22 January 2026 at 23:59. The 29th Fira Mediterrània will take place from 15 to 18 October 2026 in Manresa. Check the conditions and apply, here.

🔸 Sicily Music Conference 2026: Call for Artists

The call for proposals for the showcases is open here, until 31 January 2026. Artists to be announced in February 2026. This is the official page for the call. I will bring some infos here:

It will take place in Palermo – Catania, from 13 to 16 of May 2026.
It provides access to professionals, to the workshops and all the events of the conference, for the artists and their representatives.
Practical needs covered:
- Transportation: transfer from airport or ferry terminal to/from the hotel/venue(s)
- Accommodation: twin rooms for show night(s)
- Catering on the show day(s) …Sicilian food and hospitality
- Support to reach out to export offices or similar organizations with official invitations to apply for funding
- Support to connect with additional venues in Italy – I highlight this because some other events like this —showcases— require artists to maintain exclusivity in the surrounding region for some time before and after. This Sicilian conference, however, aims to support artists in getting more gigs. I don’t know yet if they have any restrictions regarding performances in the area around Palermo, but it’s really nice that they’re thinking about facilitating contacts to help organize other concerts around the showcase trip.

MEET ME AT

22nd January-2nd February. With Vigüela in India for Sur Jahan festival and workshops and collaborations.

November 25. Talk with Sabina Smailagic; a follow-up on Unbounded Sounds, Case Study on the Impact of Showcases and + #89

Summary

Editorial
▫️And farewell to Érik Marchand

A follow-up on Unbounded Sounds, with Sofia Labropoulou

A follow-up on the annual conference of the European Folk Network

Talk with Sabina Smailagic about “World Corner”, a listening-sessions project

Results of the Case Study “The Impact Of Showcase Festivals On The Development Of Their Participants. WOMEX 2024”, by Zone Franche

Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

Open calls and professional events: Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, Babel Music XP opens accreditation, Sicily Music Conference still open

Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you?

I am well. The photo accompanying this text today was taken at Sarajevo Airport with Francesco Martinelli. We had already met at the hotel, where I was staying for Ali Doğan Gönültaş’s concert at the Sarajevo Jazz Festival. Francesco had given a lecture at the festival, which we couldn’t attend because we were not yet in the city. Over those couple of days, we learned that Francesco speaks Turkish and had been teaching in Turkey. His area of expertise is the history of jazz.

At the airport we had a spontaneous conversation about concepts such as folk, about how he entered the field of jazz studies, and about the work each of us does, while we waited for our flight to Frankfurt. As someone deeply involved in jazz in Europe, Francesco knows Nod Knowles, dear friend of mine, coordinator of the European Folk Network and board member of the Europe Jazz Network since 2003.

It was a very warm ending to Ali’s tour, organized by Rok Rošir / MOST Music Agency in Zagreb, Ljubljana and Sarajevo, which was a pleasure from start to finish. My face clearly shows exhaustion, but it was an absolute joy. Ali and his group surpass themselves every day, and the collaboration with Rok and everyone involved at each venue was impeccable, including the many hours spent driving and talking with Rok from Ljubljana to Sarajevo, as well as meeting Damir Imamović in person.

I hope you find the reading interesting. If you enjoyed any part of this newsletter, feel free to share it with someone who might like it too. Thank you in advance.

A farewell to Érik Marchand

The picture is from Babel Med in 2017. Juan Antonio Vázquez and me met Érik Marchand there for the second time. The first one was at the FMM Sines festival, in Portugal, a few years before.

This newsletter is not focused on the artists themselves but on what happens behind the stage. But why do I do this? Because there have been artists whose work has made me so happy that I felt compelled to work in music to help spread it—first in written media and radio, and later through management and booking. Érik was one of those artists, especially because of his work with Taraf de Caransebeș, which I discovered through the album +Dor. Mr. Marchand passed away on October 30. I still think the album is a marvel. I chose this piece as I could have chosen any other, because it is incredible from beginning to end.

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

A FOLLOW-UP ON UNBOUNDED SOUNDS, WITH SOFIA LABROPOULOU

In the edition of April of this newsletter (available here) I shared a conversation with Sofia Labropoulou about Unbounded Sounds, the initiative she launched in Vienna, the city where this Greek kanunist and composer has been living for several years. I invited you to read that interview if you haven’t read it yet, before reading this follow-up.

Sofia provided me with several pictures of the concerts that already took place in this program. This one is from the concert with Sokratis Sinopoulos (lyra), Sarvin Hazin (kamanche), and Sofia. You can also watch a video with some insights from the artists and highlights of this concert, here.

Araceli Tzigane: What is the program already planned for 2026? Please share what you can announce. Perhaps the full program isn’t confirmed yet, so feel free to share whatever works for you.

Sofia Labropoulou: Before I mention the 2026 edition I need to say that there’s still one more concert and workshop in the 2025 edition:

4 December: Shabnam Parvaresh – Sofia Labropoulou – Matthias Loibner at Sargfabrik;
5 December: Workshop: Exploring Presence and Communication in Improvisation (mica – music austria Seminarraum)

As for 2026, the full program is still evolving — much depends on pending funding. What’s certain is that the new edition will feature four concerts, each in trio formation, continuing the spirit of deep artistic exchange.

The first concert is fully confirmed:

13 February 2026, ORF Radiokulturhaus (Studio 3): Savina Yannatou – Christian Reiner – Sofia Labropoulou
14 February: Workshop with Savina Yannatou, open to all singers and instrumentalists.

Three more concerts are planned for autumn, the lineups are almost set, but I’d like to keep some mystery for now.

AT: After the experience of 2025, will you make any changes to the model you have developed?

SL: Yes and no. The core concept remains the same: I invite exceptional artists from abroad to collaborate with equally outstanding musicians from or based in Austria, with a strong emphasis on improvisation, experimentation, exchange, and shared exploration. This meeting point, this dialogue, is the heart of Unbounded Sounds, and that will never change.

What evolves is the format of each edition. In 2025, each concert started as a duo that became a trio. In 2026, all performances are conceived from the start as trios. There is also a geographic expansion this year: I am including artists not only from Vienna but from other parts of Austria as well. So the essence remains, but the structure shifts and that evolution is something I plan to embrace with new every edition.

AT: Will the venues remain the same in 2026?

SL: I’m deeply grateful to the people of Sargfabrik and their collaborative spirit, and I treasure the experience of 2025. But for 2026, I felt the need to explore new spaces. Each venue brings its own audience, atmosphere, and artistic context, and I find it fascinating to see how different listeners respond to the same musical experiment in different surroundings.

Thanks to Martina Laab and the ORF Radiokulturhaus, two concerts will take place in Studio 3, a beautiful space with excellent acoustics. One concert will be in February, the others between September and December 2026.

I’m also in conversation with Echoraum and other potential partners in Vienna. Choosing the right space for each performance is part of the artistic process. I really care not to close the spirit of the series inside a space or idea of any music subculture.

AT: What lessons have you learned from what has already been done?

SL: So many. The deepest lesson begins with a Greek word: Utopia, οὐ τόπος, “the place that does not exist.” Unbounded Sounds is, for me, an attempt to give shape to such a place. A space I imagined for so long, and then slowly began to build in real life. A universe of listening, generosity, and artistic freedom. Not because what we do has never happened before, nothing in art is ever entirely new, but because we dare to ask what if?
What if people listened more carefully?
What if respect came before genre?
What if collaboration and openness to the unknown mattered more than categories?

This “what if” has guided me more than any fixed structure. Realistic intentions the way our given society dictates is not an issue here. We create our own realism.
In the attempt to answer all these I have the honor to have the best companions with me.

I saw the people in the audience respond with real curiosity and emotion to “unfamiliar music”, even when it was complex, unexpected, or outside their cultural references. The human connection made all the difference.

Also, musicians need these kind of collaborations. Collaborations that bring you to a point to rethink and remember the reasons why you to became a musician and to do at this the first place. Music and art is not just a job. In all traditions the role of music was always deeper than just to gain our living. It was the center of the community in many powerful ways. We really need to focus on the importance of it. We all need it more than we think.

Organizing a concert, not just performing, is a completely different universe. You become curator, communicator, administrator, mediator. You learn to stretch yourself, sometimes to the point of leaving your own body. But even in exhaustion, there’s a sweetness: “I’m doing my thing and it’s truly mine.” And there is a truly meditative power to all that.
And if this space I imagined begins to belong to others too, then the dream is coming alive.

I’ve also realized how artificial genre boundaries are. For me sound is sound, love is love. Of course, the market needs categories, and we all need it in order to be active in the given society, but artistically, I think we need to move beyond them. That openness has been one of the most affirming elements of this journey.

I’ve made “mistakes”, many. Some showed me clearly what needs to change. Others are still unclear. For instance, why did the workshops not go that well? Was it timing? Communication? Audience? Do we need them, and if so, in what form? Shall I do them in the next edition?

These questions are part of the work. Doubt and self-doubt is also part of it too. Each misstep has taught me more compassion, more patience, and a more nuanced understanding of the artistic ecosystem that evolves around all this.

And finally, this, above all: There is nothing impossible. If you create a space with honesty, curiosity, and courage, people will find it. And they will step into it with you.

I’m deeply grateful.

AT: Anything else you’d like to share?

SL: Unbounded Sounds is not just a concert series. It’s a long-term commitment to reimagining how we listen, how we collaborate, and how we build cultural spaces that are inclusive, fearless, and alive.

I’m endlessly thankful to the artists, venues, collaborators, sponsors (MA7, 14. Bezirk Penzing, mica-musicaustria) and supporters who have made this journey possible.

And I can’t wait to share what’s coming next.

Thank you, Sofia! All the best for the new steps of Unbounded Sounds!

As an example of what has happened in Unbounded Sounds so far, here you have a free Improvisation with Michel Godard, Tahereh Nourani and Sofia Labropoulou:

A FOLLOW-UP ON THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN FOLK NETWORK

This year we had the joy of having Dave Francis as a reporter and he made a report which is available, here.

SABINA SMAILAGIC ABOUT “WORLD CORNER”, A LISTENING-SESSIONS PROJECT… AND MANY OTHER THINGS

I have crossed paths with Sabina Smailagic on several occasions over the past few years. At the last edition of WOMEX we met briefly and agreed to do this interview. She wanted to tell me something and, being very curious, of course I didn’t say no.

The initial topic of this interview is Sabina’s listening-session initiative, but throughout a fairly spontaneous conversation we revisited her professional journey, paused to reflect on certain aspects in more depth, and even talked about terminology and how the future of the artistic field we work in might look.

I noticed several things we share, such as an interest in the more roots side of music, as she calls it, as well as an educational intention behind much of what we both do, and also an understanding that we work with something deeper than an aesthetic expression, since we deal with music distilled over long stretches of history.

I hope you find the conversation interesting. If you are a colleague working in booking or management, you may see yourself reflected in some of the ideas. If you are a programmer for a venue or a festival, it may spark your interest in inviting Sabina to lead a listening session before the concerts you offer your audience. And whatever your profile, I hope it engages you and prompts some reflection.

You will see in the interview that Sabina announces some future plans. I hope to follow her journey and witness many successes! Two links will be useful for this:

Follow Sabina – DJ Sabs on her FB page
Check the website of the venue Turkis

Araceli Tzigane: Sabina, I have some fragmentary information about you during the last years. So, let’s begin. What are you doing now? I learned recently you quit a job as a teacher and you will be only working in culture and music.

Sabina Smailagic: I quit my job last year, in June, and I’ve worked as a school pedagogue, because in Denmark, the pedagogues are also working in schools with the teachers, in the afternoon.

I was working as a booking agent and manager for some bands, then I quit also that. And I’m working as a DJ and a freelance culture facilitator. Right now, I’m DJing, and I’m working as a volunteer on some boards of associations in the music sector. And I’m making a project called, “World Corner.” It consists of listening sessions. It is taking place in a venue called Turkis in Aarhus town.

The goal of the listening sessions is that… When I’m DJing, people always come and ask me which is the name of the band, which country are they from, which kind of instruments they are playing… And then I realized that we need some listening sessions where I can tell the story, because I’m also a pedagogical anthropologist, and I’m working with the music from a socio-cultural perspective. I’m always interested in the stories behind it, and how they’re showing culture through the music, and, when they’re on the stage, what they are showing. So, I saw the need to make listening sessions at the venue Turkis, with those subjects.

For example, I have had 9 listening sessions. There are two per month, on Sundays. And the subject is from Cumbia, Balkan, roots and hybrid, Nordic folk music, bands from the diaspora, psychedelic rock… So, I’m making as a subject, and every Sunday it’s something about them.

Turkis is a very nice venue. We have carpets on the floor. I’m making Turkish tea, Bosnian coffee and ordinary coffee, and some sweets from Bosnia. So, the audience, when they come, they’re sitting on the floor. I’m presenting the subject, and I’m presenting the term “roots and hybrid”, like the “world music” term, and then we are listening and talking about. So it’s not like a lecture. The audience are also involved, because we are reflecting about the music, what is there, how they experience the music which I’m playing, and what they feel, what they think, what they can hear, what they can see on the covers of the albums. They’re very interesting to see the covers. So that’s what I’m most busy about right now about it.

AT: Are you from Bosnia?

SS: I’m from Bosnia, and I was raised in Bosnia, and I lived there for 17 years, and we… I escaped during the war with my family to Denmark 30 years ago. I have good life in Denmark, and in Bosnia, there are still big consequences after the war. It’s not the same Bosnia anymore, and I’m not the same Sabina, you know, I’m the mix of everything. I’m the global Sabina now, I’m not just Bosnian, because I’m living in Denmark, I have friends from around the globe, so I have good life here.

AT: So now you are making these world sessions…

SS: And I’m working as a DJ. It’s a freelance work. And I’m in the board in the two associations in Aarhus.

AT: So you are not working as a booking agent now, but you did it in the past. So, when did you start to be a booking agent?

SS: In 2016, with the band Hudna. That name means ceasefire. I was in Budapest for WOMEX as an audience. I was not in the music industry. And I knew in that band, I was DJing for them, and then I asked them, can you give me some visit cards? I can give them to some people who I met in Womex. And I was meeting people just outside, because I didn’t have a Womex accreditation, I just had tickets for the concert. It was in Budapest, near the water, many people were sitting outside, so I made the networking outside, actually.

And then they asked me if I wanted to be their booking agent. And I said, “What is booking agent?” And then they explained me, and I said “yeah, I can try to help”. And it went very well.

So I worked with Hudna and the Afrobeat Addis Ababa band, from Denmark, and İpek Yolu band, which means Silk Road in Turkish and it’s Cumbia with Turkish folk music. And I collaborated with Rok Košir and his bands. I made a tour twice for Damir Imamovich, with Derya Türkan and Greg Cohen. And I made one with Damir Imamović’s Sevdah Takht. I made a tour for the Croatian Ben Afyon. And I made a tour for Chris Eckman Trio. And it was my last one.

I had a lot of work, and I couldn’t share my love for so many bands. That’s why I quit, actually. It was hard, because when I want to book one band, I really need love, you know? I really want to love them… like a child, you know? I can’t… I can’t share my love with so many bands. That’s why I quit.

The truth is that it’s a coincidence that Sabina appears in these lines shortly after my first visit to Sarajevo, where I met Damir Imamović in person — someone Sabina has worked with, as she has just told us. So, as a tribute to him and to the aforementioned Rok Kosir, I’m going to share here a performance by Damir, which you can listen to while you continue reading the conversation.

AT: So you preferred to quit instead of keeping less bands?

SS: Yeah, and I was also tired of it. And I had a bad period, because in 2020, I lost my both parents. Not because of corona, but during Corona. And then it came some things after that. I was… I didn’t feel very well, and I was actually sick. Sick from work. And I needed a break… I needed a break from everything.

And then I wanted to try to go by my own, as a culture facilitator and a DJ, and it’s going okay, but it’s… I miss, you know, I miss tours, I miss those victories: when you’re booking, when you book a concert, and “yeah”, you know, I miss tours. I realised in WOMEX and I have plans to come back. In WOMEX I realized that I miss to work as a booking agent.

AT: So, you said, you were missing the, let’s say, the success when you make bookings, when you make a deal. But I think, in this work, there are more times not success than success.

SS: There are more times without success. That’s why I’m celebrating always. I had the tradition, when I book one concert, I’m not doing anything the rest of the day. I’m celebrating that booking.

AT: That’s great, because sometimes I think, “OK, I have achieved this wonderful thing, I made this amazing event in somewhere very wonderful, and I feel I don’t have time for tasting the moment.”

SS: Yes, exactly, exactly.

AT: You take your time to savour the moment of the achievement?

SS: And I don’t care who is writing, who is calling, I’m celebrating that moment. I’m enjoying that moment, and that’s what is giving me energy to go move on.

AT: So, you have worked with these bands, you have mentioned, I think, in total, like, 4 or 5. And you said you want to start again to work as a booking agent. What are you searching for in advance? Of course, you said love. You have to love them as a kid, but you know, sometimes you and me and all of us, we receive proposals that are bands that are nice, they sound great, and they look more or less professional, but what would you investigate, to consider if you could really work with them?

SS: To begin, if I feel that they are good, I need to think… If I don’t feel the band, then I will not book them. I need to be in love with that band, with their music, to book them. And there must be… quality? I don’t know how to explain that quality… That there is dynamic in their music… I like roots, you know, like your artist from Turkey, the guy, Ali Doğan Gönültaş. I love him. That kind. For example, I worked with Damir Imamovic because I wanted to show, first, Balkan music. Music from, Ex-Yugoslavia: I wanted to show another story of Balkan music. From Ex-Yugoslavia there is not just Balkan kitsch and Balkan beat. There is also Sevdah music.

Then, I’m listening to the albums, I’m talking with them, I need to see how serious they are. I don’t like unserious musicians. For instance, they didn’t play for 5 years, and now they are coming back, and they need 7 bookings. I don’t believe in that. They need to invest in the music. And the music, it must be good. And it must be something with roots and a good story.

So the first thing I need is to have love for their music. And then, when I think, “oh, this is so beautiful”, this is something I want to promote. I’m not promoting because of jobs or money; I’m promoting because I want to promote them.

To make success, to make something good, because when you know you have great band, you need to be pure, you need to be honest, and you need to show that love. When I’m showing that love, you know, with the band, I’m shining, and I’m booking them because I’m shining.

AT: And do you think it makes sense that a band that you don’t know at all contacts you by email and searching for a booking agent? Can this work at any moment? I ask you because I received many, many artists who sent me an email searching for a booking agent or manager.

SS: If I already have few artists, I’m opening all these emails, and I’m listening to their music, and I’m always telling the truth. I said: “I have so many bands, I don’t want any more, but I like your music, and I will come back if I see it is interesting.” I’m also saying the truth in other case: “I don’t like your music, no. You are good, but I can’t feel it”.

AT: If you have to give some kind of tips to the bands who are thinking about contacting you by mail, what do you think they must have before contacting you? What do they have to include in this contact?

SS: In this contact they must have good PR material, a good video where I can see a live concert, and the short story, and their history. I’m always interested in what is the history? What is the behind the band? The history and good presentation of 10 sentences. I don’t need whole history, but you can take the most important things out.

As a not good example: “we are from Spain, and we are playing ska with Afrobeat…” No. They need to present it on a cultural way for me. They don’t need to describe the music to me music, I can listen, I can hear.

They can’t say which genre they’re mixing, how many albums, what is their success, and what they need. Not just, for example, “we need to tour in Denmark”. Okay, but maybe you should explore a little bit Denmark. If they say, “Hey, we are in Sweden, and we are playing that, we think we can fit in Turkis, because Turkis…,” they need to be prepared for what they are searching and where they are searching. Make research on which kind of bands do they like. Like us, we propose bands to the festival. We go and make research in the website.

So, make research in my profile, which kind of bands I’m working with. Be prepared, as we booking agents are prepared when we are making proposals of our brands.

AT: Sometimes I receive messages from artists that I realize they don’t understand our point of view, because they consider they are good, and for them, it’s like logical that I would like to work with them.

SS: So they’re not giving you a reason why you need to work with them.

AT: Recently, I received one. I tried, as you said, to be sincere, and also didactical. I explained… I received an email from a trio, they were very raw, let’s say. They just had a picture. In this picture, you saw them little here and you didn’t even see the instruments or whatever. That’s all the image they had. And the person contacted me, saying, “we are searching for a booking agent, and we will have an agreement of 15%, and there won’t be a fixed fee for you. And that’s what we offer.” And I answered her, “Look at this from my point of view, I have dozens of artists proposing themselves, more mature. So you don’t have the position of putting the conditions, let’s say.” I was super didactical, and she appreciated, and she thanked. Sometimes some people don’t take it so well. Sometimes they feel they are personally refused when you are not interested in them. I feel the art is so personal… They feel that there is totally their identity, and it is very difficult sometimes, to reject them in a way that they don’t feel attacked.

SS: Yeah, that’s true. But there’s no other way. I want to say the true instead of, “Okay, you sound interesting, I’ll come back to you”. I hate those messages, also from a festivals or other venues. “Although, it sounds interesting, if it’s going to be relevant, we’ll come back to you.” It’s so non-personal. I like personal things, as you said, personal. Be personal. That’s what I also really like. Be personal. Don’t just say, we need booking agent. Research which kind of booking agent do you want.

I’m also considering what Denmark needs. I’m also thinking, “do they need one more Afro band? Or do they need one more Balkan band?”. I’m also thinking also about the audience. I have a big network in the Balkan and ex-Yugoslavian audience, and also international audience. So I’m thinking, “Okay, Damir Imamovic, yeah, it will be great. I can bring audience to venues, and I know where they are. I can help venues with the PR, because I know where people are and what they need.” And if after Imamovich, there is another Balkan band coming, then I would say no, because you need to be strategic, also. If Damir Imamovic had a tour in April, I will not book new band in May, because people will not come, they need a break.
And maybe this sounds snubbed, but it’s not… I’m trying, really, to work with a few things, but quality things.

AT: And why did you work with this? Have you always been interested in music with roots?

SS: Yeah, for example, I danced folk music when I was young. And that dance music is, especially, Turkish. Because everything we have in Bosnia, it’s from the Turks. And their tradition, the dances, it’s history… it was so mysterious for me. It was so strong and mysterious. And then I began to have love for roots. And then, while I was dancing folk dances, I began to listen to punk. And I became a punk. And it’s not good for a punk dancing folklore music, so I stopped, because it was a shame, you know?

But for example, in WOMEX, I’m always searching for roots music, I love it. Of course, I love crossovers, and modern music…, but me, I’m roots. I’m a roots girl.

AT: And you see the relationship with this music with history.

SS: Yeah, and music with history. And then the roots bands, they have stories and they are from the past. It’s a mystery what they bring, the tradition, which is formed from the past, formed with the present. But they also… they present tradition as it was in the tradition, many of them.

AT: Okay, so you are interested on this, but your history of your life has been very diverse, with different works and different styles of music. And everybody in our field says something that world music is not trendy, this kind of things. And I visualized the path in the way that, these labels have to end, but because those musics, more roots or more fusioned, they must become just music in a landscape of diverse music. Do you think this is going to happen? I have some obsessions, and you see, one of them is the accessibility of the diversity of the population to the creation of music in Europe. In Denmark, you have… you have had compilations of war music from Denmark for years. They included the immigrant musicians. But always, somehow, in the label of world music, separate from the general music, let’s say. And people say, world music is not fancy, whatever. So, what shall we do in the near future about this? I feel music is music. Do you think this enter into the general idea of music, not in the label of “immigrants’ music”, “world music”, “music from the third world”?

SS: They will keep the label, because, “world music”, the world music term is a marketing’s term. It’s from England, from 1987, when those people from record labels had a meeting in a pub and they wanted to make a term for that music from Africa and from around the world, not from the Europe. Not to give them the name, but to make the category to promote them and to sell them.

So, I don’t think so. When you’re looking in the record stores, world music is mostly African music. But it will never be music as music. I don’t think so. It’ll always be ethno, roots, something traditional, old… Gold for anthropologists.

AT: You mentioned this venue, Turkis in Aarhus. Over there, there is world music but also other kind of generalistic music.

SS: Yeah, in Turkis, we are not saying world music. We are saying roots and hybrids, and that’s because of that: because world music, it’s not a natural category. And in Turkis, we are calling roots and hybrids to give them place, because, in Turkis, it’s not a shame. Music needs to have a place, for example, for the roots. Open that box for the new music, for the world music, and give them a place for the different musical cultures, Gnawa, cumbia, Balkan, Turkish, Anatolian folk music… So, when we’re saying roots and hybrid, that means that our music profile is roots and hybrid. Roots is a place for tradition, for traditional music to be as a tradition, and the hybrids is for the mix of crossovers of the musical genres, musical cultures and traditions, and also when tradition is changing form. So we’re giving the place for roots to be roots, and to hybrid to be mixed. To open that world music box and give a focus, give place for that music, so people can see and hear, not just world music.

AT: And in this concept of roots, you include also roots from Denmark.

SS: Yeah. It includes world roots from Denmark. Of course, that’s also interesting. For example, we are collaborating with the Aarhus Roots Festival. And in Turkis they do all kinds of things—from Gnawa band concerts to club nights—and their musical profile also includes Danish and Nordic folk music. They collaborate a lot with local communities, and there is always something happening at Turkis: from tango and Afro dance and yoga to different roots and hybrid activities. It is a real venue, but it also functions as an active cultural house, because of all those activities.

That’s also an interesting thing, because, for example, in Sweden, if a venue is of world music, you can hear everything else, but not Swedish music. But that’s not correct, you know, the venue Turkis is also booking that music from that country they are in. And especially in folk music, it’s so popular in the last 10 years. It becomes more and more popular.

And I forgot to tell you that I also was working with the school concerts. I was in a jury for the school concerts in Denmark, where we were six persons. It’s like an award. Every year, we’re listening around 250 bands and there are also some bands from last year. And then we needed to pick up from 30 to 40 bands per year, which will be making tours in the schools. There’s also lots of roots in hybrid music, pop, metal… And every third year, the jury changes. I’ve been also working there. I put myself forward because I was working for 15 years as a pedagogue in a school, and I was working with music. So they took me, and when you are working, you need to think how they can fit in the school, because when they’re playing in the school, it’s typically in halls where they have the gym. And they need to do in the pedagogical way.

It is a company called LMS (Levende Musik i Skolen). They’re talking with schools and offering bands, and the schools buy the bands. And they have a tour for two seasons. They’re talking with the bands about how they can make it so kids can understand their music and how they can do their concerts in a pedagogical way. They need to have a lot of story to tell about their work with music, what it’s about, about instruments, involve the kids in the concerts… The goal is to present quality music for the school kids.

AT: The language is important in this for kids.

SS: Yes. The bands from outside of Denmark have translators from English. They’re talking in English, but it’s a little bit hard, because kids feel that it’s not 100%. But they are trying. It’s also important also to present routes and hybrid bands for the kids, because we have also many kids from many countries in Denmark. And all kind of bands.

AT: Yes, in this program you are talking about, I see realised my idea of the future. Music is music, of course, they’re genres, but you have in the same environment, in the same program, you have, world music, or blues and hybrid music, and metal, and all the other kinds of music. So, these kinds of music, they are treated equally.

SS: Exactly.

AT: It’s not that we have classical music mainly, and two or three little things of world music. No, it’s treated equally.

SS: It’s equally, and that’s the goal. For example, we need to think about bands with the women, if there are enough women bands, enough men bands, enough metal, enough rock…

And we also had that the schools want concerts for the big kids in the 8th, 9th degree. They want more electronic music, pop music… So you need to fit the needs from the teachers and what we think that the kids need.

It’s very interesting. It’s a Nordic thing, they also have in Norway. I think they have in Sweden as well. The kids are experiencing music before they are old enough to get to the venue.

Sabina mentions Tamikrest a couple of times throughout the interview, so it’s interesting to include something from them here:

AT: So, Sabina, what else do you want to tell to the people, or what else do you want to talk about?

SS: About the listening sessions, I want to highlight how important it is. Two times in the month is the pilot project. But I think I will continue now and propose it to other venues and also to libraries, because there is a need for the listening session, especially for the world music, because people are afraid. They don’t know, especially in the small towns, they don’t know the music, so they will not come to the concert. And the listening sessions can open a new perspective to you, they can show you a new perspective of the world music, roots and hybrid music.

When I run my listening clubs, people tell me that they learn new things about genres or bands they didn’t know before. I once hosted a listening club about desert blues and rock, where I talked about Tamikrest. One of the participants even bought a ticket to a Tamikrest concert a month later—he hadn’t heard of them before the session. People often tell me that I share knowledge about bands and genres in a curious, engaging way that sparks their own curiosity.

AT: Yeah, it’s interesting also, because during the concert, you can’t expect the artist to explain anything.

SS: Yeah, they are playing, so I wanted to give a voice for a listening session. There is a reason… I know it’s not a new thing, but it’s opening so many perspectives about world music, what people can expect. And then, world music, becomes more “music”, you know, than a strange thing.

AT: Yeah, that’s a great idea. So, if someone wants to book you for making listening sessions, they can contact you.

SS: They can contact me, and it will be great to book me. For example, one festival can book me, I can talk about the lineup before the festival. It’s a great idea to make small listening sessions before a festival, or before one band you really want to sell the concerts.

And explain about that musical culture. Invite people, make something extra to sell the tickets, because world music is not selling so well as other genres. It’s always been like that. It’ll begin now, but it’s not enough. We are still on the way. There are a few banks, you know, Altin Gun, Tinariwen, Omar Suleyman, you know, he is selling, he’s mainstream.

But especially roots bands, and those working in roots and hybrid forms, deserve to be here, to be seen, and to put real creativity into their promotion. It’s not enough for a venue to say they “need to book some world music,” pick one act, and check the box as if the requirement were fulfilled. Make something, respect them, make noise about them on another way, be creative, not just promote on Facebook. Give them some love, they deserve it.

For example, I asked the venue of Voxhall if I could be a DJ, the support for the Tamikrest concert. I had supported Tamikrest as a DJ many times, and the venue booker agreed that I could do it again.

I make a great party as a DJ, but people came and came. “Hey, what band you are playing? Can I see that record you are playing now? Where are they from?” So I took a microphone and said “God damn it, people, come to Turkis to the listening sessions, you need it. I can’t explain right now, I’m playing a set, you know, I can’t just talk. It’s confusing me.” There is a need. People are coming and asking, so there is a need for listening sessions.

AT: And how can they find you? In your Facebook, Instagram, website…?

SS: As DJ Sabs. I’m on Instagram (@smailagicsabina) and Facebook.

FIRST CASE STUDY: WOMEX 2024 THE IMPACT OF SHOWCASE FESTIVALS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR PARTICIPANTS

A very interesting study has just been published by Zone Franche, titled First Case Study: WOMEX 2024 – The Impact of Showcase Festivals on the Development of Their Participants. At that edition of WOMEX in Manchester, Ali Doğan Gönültaş performed. It’s true that even now I keep receiving comments from people who attended, and I know it helped strengthen his positioning on the European and global scene. I took part in the survey carried out to produce this Case Study and received the document last Wednesday. It is available here.

I’ve looked to see if WOMEX itself has published anything like this. I haven’t found it. On their website I don’t find any information about the ROI for the exhibitors or the delegates. On the one hand, it makes sense that they wouldn’t conduct the study themselves because they wouldn’t be independent, unless they commissioned it to a truly independent third party. In any case, now Zone Franche has done it, and they call it First Case Study, and this study is intended to be a multi-year project.

Every time I go to a showcase — and even more so if I have an artist performing — I ask myself, like everyone else, whether it will be worth it. On several occasions I’ve asked showcase organizers if they have a formal way of tracking the impact of participating in their event. This is something I discussed, for example, with Davide Mastropaolo from Napoli World in this interview last June. Davide explained how they do it and noted that UpBeat, the platform that brings together many showcase events, monitors the results. It’s also true, as I mentioned at the time, that it’s not easy to determine whether a booking is due to a specific showcase, because sometimes it comes two or three years later. Peter Van Rompaey shared this idea with me in a conversation a few months ago and he’s right.

I will quote Sébastien Laussel, Director of Zone Franche, who explains that the aim of this Case Study is “to lay the groundwork for a more systematic evaluation of trade fairs and thus build a broader vision of how our music ecosystem works.“

Michaël Spanu, the scientific director of the Case Study, is not unfamiliar with this complications, as he states in the Introduction:“While this cooperation opens up real opportunities for artists and professionals from non-hegemonic markets, it is not without its tensions, particularly in relation to the difficulty of measuring its impact.”

I am so thankful to Zone Franche for had done this work. Now that we’re witnessing an explosion of showcase festivals everywhere, and given that criticism of the model is both common and justified, it becomes essential to shed light on this issue. We need solid arguments that show whether attending is truly useful — and to what extent — considering the significant investment it usually requires, especially when you bring an artist who is programmed to perform.

I will quote Sébastien Laussel again, in the Edito of the Case Study: “we felt that this financial investment, as well as the human energy involved, deserved to take the time to assess the impact of these trade fairs on the development strategies of professionals.“

How much is that investment? According to the Case Study: “Among the 17 respondents who had a showcase, the average artistic budget reached €4,464 (median: €4,500).” And “more than half of respondents received no subsidy.” How much is the return? The Study explains that: “Sales directly linked to WOMEX 2024 averaged €13,250, but the median stood at €4,000, a more representative measure of the typical experience. This discrepancy illustrates the effect of a small number of highly successful outliers that significantly raise the mean.” And if you have an artist showcasing? Then: “In median terms, showcase participants reported €6,000 in sales, compared with only €1,750 for non-showcase participants.”

But if you are interested in the role of showcases, read the page 8. The conclusions of the data are meaningful: “Overall, the showcase effect creates a dual reality: it amplifies sales potential but increases financial risk. For most, the immediate ROI is negative, but for a minority it can be transformative.“

Also, I believe showcases help create or maintain the conversation around an artist within a network of professionals who are potential clients or other stakeholders. Let’s say that it strengthens the brand.

Another benefit of attending showcases is meeting new colleagues and potential clients, and reconnecting with those you already know, even if you don’t have an artist performing. This is obviously one of the main reasons to attend. But I this Case Study focuses more on the more direct return. Indeed, I will quote Sébastien Laussel, again: “We will not dwell here on the essential role that these fairs play as key meeting places for producers, programmers, labels, distributors, agents and specialised media, or on the increased visibility, networking and creation of transnational partnerships that they offer, etc., as all this seems to be accepted by everyone.“

I’ve had four showcases at WOMEX, and the results have been different in each case. It’s also true that at WOMEX, the artists who are selected usually have some degree of established trajectory and the support of management, booking companies or record labels, which in some way legitimises their professionalism. That’s why I think it’s unlikely for WOMEX to have a dramatic impact on an artist’s career, given the type of artists that are usually selected. They haven’t come out of nowhere. They’re not usually newcomers; they’re typically artists who already meet the conditions to perform internationally.

In my case, some of the artists I presented were already on an upward path, and the showcase helped to some extent. I can’t claim any spectacular impact, although as a professional attending showcases I have booked artists, and I find it a very good way to discover many artistic proposals in a short time. At Napoli World I saw around 20 concerts and later booked one of the groups. I will attend Napoli World for the second time this next week and it may be really useful because I have clients specialiced in Mediterranean music.

Beyond the measurable outcomes and the usual metrics of visibility, bookings or international reach, there is another potential benefit that is rarely discussed and even harder to quantify: the role of showcases in stimulating artistic creation within a specific region. Let me illustrate this with an example. A very particular showcase is the MUM fair, the professional music days of Extremadura. I mention it because in this case I believe the showcase provides something beyond potential bookings and collaborations: it creates a yearly moment in which artists from the region know they will have a space for visibility to professionals, even international ones. In a region historically economically disadvantaged (I must mention that it’s where my mother is from, and although it has immense landscape, culinary and historical value, it remains quite rural and somewhat isolated), I find it especially relevant to create spaces for showcasing and professionalisation, even for proposals that may not yet be ready to go beyond their borders. What matters most is that these spaces exist, giving meaning to the effort required to build an artistic project.

From this perspective, some things make more sense. For example, at the MUM I have seen artists performing who are not really interesting to book unless you are a city council from the region and need to fill a slot with reduced costs. I understood that there is an objective aimed at strengthening the regional artistic fabric. Those specific artists may not be interesting for me, but they are part of the artistic landscape of the region.

So, when a showcase is designed not just as a market platform but as a cultural development tool, it can play an essential role. In territories where the professional ecosystem is still fragile, where opportunities for visibility are limited, or where the music scene remains geographically isolated, a showcase can act as a catalyst. It can encourage emerging groups to take their work more seriously, motivate new artistic proposals, and give meaning to the creative effort by offering an annual moment of visibility and recognition. In these cases, the value of the showcase lies not only in its capacity to generate bookings, but also in its ability to build a sense of artistic purpose and community. This developmental dimension is difficult to measure and rarely appears in impact studies. Yet, in certain regions, it may be one of the most meaningful contributions a showcase can make.

I should also highlight that at MUM this year there were several very useful talks for artists, including mine — ahem — I think I worked really seriously and put everything I had into it.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in November of 2025 is: Radio Tarifa’s La Noche (Buda Musique)

🔸Mundofonías: the favourites of November have been The Secret Trio’s Old Friends (Anderson Audio New York), Murmurosi’s Svitanok (self-released) and Carl Petter Opsahl & Johannes Opsahl’s Folkcore (Visions and Dreams)

Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call of relevance to the community.

The following call is new in the newsletter:

🔸Fira Mediterrània de Manresa

🔸Babel Music XP: accreditation and stand bookings for Babel Music XP 2026 are open
This is another of the events that I have attended since they revived from Babel Med. It will be in Marseille from 19th to 21st of March.

The following call was already in the newsletter of October:

🔸 Sicily Music Conference 2026: Call for Artists

The call for proposals for the showcases is open here, until 31 January 2026. Artists to be announced in February 2026. This is the official page for the call. I will bring some infos here:

It will take place in Palermo – Catania, from 13 to 16 of May 2026.
It provides access to professionals, to the workshops and all the events of the conference, for the artists and their representatives.
Practical needs covered:
- Transportation: transfer from airport or ferry terminal to/from the hotel/venue(s)
- Accommodation: twin rooms for show night(s)
- Catering on the show day(s) …Sicilian food and hospitality
- Support to reach out to export offices or similar organizations with official invitations to apply for funding
- Support to connect with additional venues in Italy – I highlight this because some other events like this —showcases— require artists to maintain exclusivity in the surrounding region for some time before and after. This Sicilian conference, however, aims to support artists in getting more gigs. I don’t know yet if they have any restrictions regarding performances in the area around Palermo, but it’s really nice that they’re thinking about facilitating contacts to help organize other concerts around the showcase trip.

MEET ME AT

27-29th November. Napoli World.
10-14th December. Tour of Ali Doğan Gönültaş in Luxembourg, Lublin and Innsbruck
23rd January-1st February. With Vigüela in India for Sur Jahan festival and workshops and collaborations

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.

October 25. After Fira Mediterrània de Manresa & EFN conference, So Alive Music Conference and WOMEX, new calls and + #88

Summary 👇

🔸Editorial
▫️After Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, panel about diversity and inclusion and associated reflections
▫️So Alive Music Conference
▫️WOMEX

🔸Brief words about FIMU with its director, Julian Catusse

🔸A little something from me: Xabi Aburruzaga’s 1st single from Bask

🔸Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

🔸Open calls and professional events: Sicily Music Conference, Professional Days of Music in Extremadura, FIMU Belfort

🔸Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you?

I am well. The picture of this edition was made still in September. On 27th it took place the 12th SON Estrella Galicia Spanish Guitar Conference and 3rd Flamenco Guitar Awards “Maestro Paco de Lucía – Molino del Manto”. In the picture I am with the guitarrist Pituquete (whose interesting Youtube channel is this), the singer Encarna Anillo and Juan Antonio Vázquez. For more information, in English, about the event, you can check this website.

Molino del Manto is a wedding estate in the town of Chinchón (province of Madrid) that also hosts musical projects like this one, which included both the concert evening, with the award ceremony, and a prior artistic residency. I chose this photo because I’m unable to pick just one moment from October. Shortly after this event, I travelled to Germany for Ali Doğan’s tour, then to the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa (at the same time as the annual conference of the European Folk Network), then to the So Alive Music Conference in Sofia, and finally to WOMEX. It feels like that photo was taken six months ago… So much has happened this month. I’ll pull on the thread of memory to give shape to some of those moments in these lines.

Many important things will slip my mind. On the other hand, I’ve been so busy traveling (before all this, I was on an international tour with Ali Dogan) that I don’t really have an interview as such. In future editions, I’ll pick up again with Ultranesia, because we talked much more than what I’ve already published, and I have several people in mind —for instance, Sabina Smailagic and Mariana Bondarenko, with whom I spoke at WOMEX— to share a conversation. In any case, you won’t be short of content, and I hope that some of it moves you, attracts you, or even annoys you.

I hope you find the reading interesting. If you enjoyed any part of this newsletter, feel free to share it with someone who might like it too. Thank you in advance.

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

Fira Mediterrània de Manresa and the Annual Conference of the European Folk Network

One of my highlights of the conference was the panel I moderated. The topic was broad, and the speakers were able to talk for a few minutes at the beginning, presenting their activities related to the theme: diversity and inclusion. Some of the ideas reminded me of the enriching panel from the previous year in Kaustinen, with the participation of Birgit Ellinghaus (whose full speech can be read here) and Alan Ibrahim (with whom I had an eye-opening interview about several issues, available here).

I am unable to find who made this picture but I need this one specifically because we are all relaxed and look happy, even when the discussion was dense and deep. From left to right, Imed Alibi, Laia Canals, Peter Van Rompaey, Kutay Kugay and me:

Alan Ibrahim spoke last year and also in that interview about the label refugee, which is often placed above one’s artistic abilities (he is a classical guitarist), overshadowing them. Imed Alibi, the Tunisian percussionist, composer and cultural thinker, in his intervention at this year’s panel, spoke about the term cliché in the same line. Peter Van Rompaey explained that the group promoted by MuziekPublique, Refugees for Refugees, decided to change its name to “Refa” precisely to avoid maintaining that cliché, so that what was put in value for the public was their art, not their status. He explained that once they changed the name, since the word “Refugee” no longer appeared on the poster, some programmers refused to book the group.

This, among many other ideas, came up regarding inclusion related to ethnic origin. Another topic we discussed was ageism, and how there is an age when artists are not young anymore but not old enough to be considered legends. The general agreement was that such ageism does exist. I believe this will become a hot topic in our sector in the near future.

The truth is that this is a subject about which I have strong opinions, and I couldn’t — nor did I want to — limit myself to merely moderating. Fortunately, we had an hour and a half in the context of a packed two-day conference, with activities from morning until the start of the evening. Some of my ideas I had already shared last March at Babel Music XP, in the panel “The New Narratives for Traditional Music in the Face of Current Political Challenges”, to which I was invited as part of the EFN by FAMDT. The full panel is available here.

My point then and now is that Europe’s demographic reality is what it is: the population is diverse. In Ireland, 21.8% of the population was born abroad; in Austria, 21.6%; Sweden, 20.4%; Germany, 19.5%; and in my country, Spain, 17.1%.

At that moment in Babel Music XP, I mentioned Sofia Labropoulou, a Greek kanun player based in Vienna, who runs in her adopted city the music series Unbounded Sounds (there is an interview about this, here, and here it is the program for 2025), where she performs with one artist living in Austria and another from elsewhere. The last concert of the year will feature Shabnam Parvaresh, an Iranian artist living in Osnabrück, Germany, and Matthias Loibner (Austrian). By the way, Unbounded Sounds will be done again in 2026. Bravo! I gave it as an example of the facts, of the current reality in Europe’s music scene — at least in the field of music connected in some way to the traditions of peoples. I’m not sure if pop music is different in that sense.

Returning to this year’s panel in Manresa, two other important ideas also emerged. One was the need to collect data that supports the demands we make from this sector to institutions. On this point, Laia Canals explained what they are doing through Tempi, the organization she leads in Denmark. I am sure that from our field of the art, we can improve much in this matter. For my part, I defended the idea that even though there are artistic expressions that are and will likely remain minority ones — for example, a concert of classical Persian music — we are supposed to have certain shared values in Europe, and we pay taxes for a reason. Pay attention now:

In Germany, there are 129 orchestras professionally financed with public funds (source).
In France, 26 public opera houses received in 2019 a total of €360 million in subsidies from central and local governments, compared with just €147 million generated by ticket sales and commercial activities (source).
In Spain, according to the Teatro Real’s annual report, between 2019–2023 the total public contribution rose from 26.0% (2019) to 36.8% (2023). In 2023, the total budget was €75,187,672, meaning that nearly €30 million came from public funding — paid with our taxes.
The Liceu of Barcelona, in 2024, had 48% of its €54.8 million budget covered by public administration subsidies (source).

I don’t think there’s even a need to look for more references to prove that classical music in Europe is not economically self-sustaining. We all know it. Thousands of millions are invested (I was about to write “spent”) to maintain an artistic legacy made for the high classes, 300 and 200 years ago, from a very specific part of the world (Central Europe and Italy), performed by hundreds or thousands of orchestras around the world. Yet, on the other hand, we have to provide endless arguments, plead, and justify why support should be given — hoping for crumbs — to, for example, the art of Iranian women in Europe or that of persecuted peoples, whose artistic heritage is a wealth for humanity as a whole and, if it has any future, it will be in Europe. It is truly frustrating that we have to put these things in black and white, and I feel like a drop in the ocean regarding the impact I can have from here.

Returning again to the panel in Manresa, Kutay Kugay also took part — a festival producer, label manager, and music promoter of Laz ethnicity (from the Black Sea region of Turkey and Georgia), who has lived in the United States for much of his life and is now based in Istanbul. He explained how he managed to create the San Francisco World Music Festival, featuring artists from the Middle East (for instance, Aynur made her U.S. debut at his festival), with private funding. The model in the U.S. for this kind of project is entirely different from the European one (they also pay much lower taxes). I’m not sure if it’s better or worse, but in any case, for this kind of music, both systems are subject to political, ideological, and economic — and sometimes electoral — interests. It was a pleasure to have Kutay and to benefit from his experience and vision in the panel.

I ended up talking about this in the section about Fira Mediterrània de Manresa. It’s somewhat comforting that initiatives like this exist. It’s always a pleasure to attend the Fira. This year I saw only a few concerts because the conference was very intense, but I did get to watch the full concert by Krama, from Valencia, featuring the Greek musician Spyros Kaniaris and one of my favorite singers, Rafel Arnal. They are the ones in the picture with me. You can see a short clip of the concert here.

There will be a report of the conference of the EFN soon. You can sign up to receive the emailing news from the EFN for free, here.

So Alive Music Conference

I attended this event for the first time. We had a showcase by Ali Doğan Gönültas, as part of a program that mostly features indie, electronic, and similar music. It’s always very interesting to see the reaction of professionals from other areas of the music industry, because I see Ali simply as a musician — not specifically as a world or traditional music artist. For two reasons: because I see that people are fascinated by his performance, regardless of their personal musical background, and because I know what he is capable of, and what he will achieve in the coming years.

Picture by Ivana Barova

The program of activities is very focused on the industry, with practical workshops, like the one we attended about TikTok for artists. Also, it included several rounds of speed meetings, talks and, of course, showcases. Ali closed the opening day with his trio.

I hope I will have chances to delve more into this event in future editions.

WOMEX

The WOMEX Award Ceremony turned out to be a very sad moment. Syrian Cassette Archives declined the Professional Excellence Award. Here is the full statement they gave on the morning of Sunday, October 26.

WOMEX had the wisdom to give them this space, even though it directly questioned their programming decisions, and did so for a reason that left no one indifferent, in a context of deep pain. Ben Mandelson came on stage after the speech by Mark Gergis and Yamen Mekdad to explain the reasons that led WOMEX to choose Syrian Cassette Archives for this award. Afterwards, WOMEX responded in its press release closing the 31st edition.

I would like to share part of the text written by Nick Hobbs in this public Facebook post, which I believe reflects what many of us think:

“They’re a mixed 5 piece. I’ve seen Liraz a couple of times before and wasn’t sold. Too showy, too much surface, too many clichés, and I find the 4 square rhythm section musically ugly – a travesty of Persian rhythms. But today it was the political context that was under scrutiny. As far as I know, the bleeding contradiction of gushing (and wholly warranted) support for the oppressed women of Iran versus the utter deprivation and wanton slaughter of Palestinian women (and children) went uncommented on by Liraz during the concert which seems to me to be a great pity. I wish I’d had had the presence of mind and gall to shout out ‘Yes! But what about the women of Palestine?’ after she’d spoken about oppressed women in Iran.
[…]
Later, the recipients of the Womex excellence award – The Syrian Cassette Archives – refused their award with an eloquent, coherent speech (in good grace, permitted by Womex) at the award ceremony. Saying that Liraz should simply not have been programmed and that Womex should admit that it was a mistake – something which Womex declined to. Not programmed because she’d participated in an event supporting the IDF in 2024 and for other things that she’d said in public. I wonder if the same call not to have programmed her would have happened had she not had any connection with the IDF and had she not said anything pro the actions of the Israeli government in Palestine.”

Read it complete, here.

In their statement, Syrian Cassette Archives explained that their decision to decline the award “is not about singling out individual artists because of nationality or background; it’s about recognizing the imbalance and the ethical implications of showcasing Israeli state-linked artists in the midst of a genocide.” I completely believe their words. But it is also true that, in many other contexts, artists are rejected simply for being from Israel.
–
To end on a smoother note, the concert I enjoyed the most at WOMEX this year was Gordan, with Svetlana Spajić (vocals), Andi Stecher (drums & percussion), and Guido Möbius (bass, feedback, electronics). Here you have a little video. Some people might think I only like acoustic music or that I’m a purist. Well, that’s not the case. What I like is good music. Unfortunately, I missed Handover, who I also find very interesting. The Sounds from Spain stand hosted its cocktail right at the time of their daycase, and the rest of WOMEX was hectic for me, as it usually is.

BRIEF WORDS ABOUT FIMU

A couple of months ago, I discovered FIMU through Instagram. I read “Open call for artists. World, Classical, Jazz & World Music.” It caught my attention mainly because they explicitly mentioned “world music” in the announcement. It was a paid ad, if I remember correctly. I didn’t know about FIMU before, but it has been held since 1987. In the October edition of the newsletter, I shared the participation conditions for artists:

FIMU do not pay artists but partially refund transports fees. The amount of financial participation will be communicate at the end of selections. No advance can be considered. They have a calculator for the aproximate refund. I tried with the example of a 5 members band from Spain and the result was “between 600 and 720 €”.
FIMU takes care of the accommodation and catering of the invited artists.
FIMU can offer several concerts during the weekend (duration between 30 and 75 minutes maximum)
FIMU provides backline. Light and sound system are managed by professional technicians of the festival.

The call is “for amateur musicians or those in the process of becoming professional musicians.” And this is the official website.

Julian Catusse, the current director of FIMU, attended WOMEX, and I took the opportunity to ask him a few questions. I’m sharing his answers here. I took the portrait from his LinkedIn profile. Neither Julien nor I are native English speakers. I’ve tried to keep it as close as possible to what he explained and how he expresses himself, and I think it’s perfectly understandable.

Araceli Tzigane: Then please explain two things. What has been the change that made that now I know about FIMO and I never knew about this event, when I coming to WOMEX every year since 2011 and I am involved in many other things. So, first, what has been the change for the communication? And why do you think the artist should apply to FIMU or why is it worth it for them to apply?

Julian Catusse: It’s because I’m a new director for 2 years of the festival and I found a very interesting festival for professional of the music, for every kind of professions, for media, for promoters, for tour managers… for everyone. Because we have a unique lineup in all France for sure. Because the main part is a lineup built on a call for application and we received last year, for example, 1,400 applications from 87 countries. So it’s very huge. And then I asked 60 music professionals from France to select 130 bands. So last year it represented 40 countries, with 130 bands from the international emerging scene. It is selected by lovers of each kind of music. We have a selected jury for jazz music, another one for world music, another one for classical. So each time we have a very accurate selection of people who are famous for their type of music.

So when I took the direction two years ago, I thought I was too bad that the professionals in Europe didn’t know about FIMU, that for two years now I communicate a lot, to businesses and to artists to come to play
Why should the artists apply? To play in front of a large audience, because at FIMU we welcome from 30 to 40,000 people a day on three days. We have 16 stages, from 200 to 9,000 people. So, each artist, each project is in a good place to extreme their art. If you need more intimacy, we have a stage for that. If you need more space, we have it too.

The artists are applying to FIMU because they want to build a fan base in France, to be known in France. So that’s why they apply. And now I add the “pro” thing. It’s just at beginning of it. I won’t say if you come to play to FIMO you will have some shows booked, because I can’t promise it. What I can promise is to play in front of a large audience and we do the job to welcome more and more professionals each year. And what I say is the professionals who came to the festival work. So last year there were many programmers who came and booked shows. There was a promoter who booked an artist in their rooster. So the pro who came worked. Each year we get more and more professional because each time it’s a very unique lineup with emerging scenes from all around the world: 40 countries, 130 bands, all kind of music. And in fact, the artists love to play and, even if the conditions are tough, we know about it, we don’t are blind, most of the artists who played, apply again to come back, because it’s a unique experience, to share a festival feeling. Because we work to mix the artists. We have a big artist area where artists can meet from all around the world and play together. And it’s not really common in a normal tour, where you come, you play, you go. A lot of artists stay one, two, three, four… days in Belffort to live the festival and to share music with other artists.

AT: And for these artists you cover them the accommodation and the meals?

JC: Yeah. Accommodation, meals, and technical needs, with light engineer, sound engineer, backline music instrument we can provide too. And a part of the cost of the transport: you can have an estimation on our website. We can’t pay for booking artists.

AT: And for the professionals who attend, do you invite them somehow or do you cover them the accommodation or something?

JC: For the professionals we give them free accreditation, so it’s not expensive to come to the festival. We take care of transport from the airport and from the train station to the city center. So it’s easy to come to the festival. We have the Basel Mulhouse Freiburg airport so it’s easy to come or by TGD by train. They have access to artistic area to make business and to pro area to make business between pro. For now, we don’t afford the accommodation. But for special projects, special events, we can talk. We welcome already so many pros, so it will be difficult to say we pay for pros’ accommodation, but we don’t pay the artists. So we have to balance, and I think the professionals don’t need accommodation because they will do business for sure. The fact is not to give the desire to pro to come. It’s just to show FIMU exists. And once they know about the project of the FIMU, they already want to come. So we try to help with the transport from the airport, which is already not easy. We help but for the rest we can share our contacts and our fees for accommodation, which is cheaper for sure. So we can share it but we can’t pay for.

AT: And is it easy to find accommodation in Belfort at that time?

JC: Yeah. We have a lot of hotels and if you compare it to other big festivals, it’s fair enough.

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM MY THINGS

The first single of Bask, the new album by Xabi Aburruzaga, Beroa amesgai, is now launched! Beroa amesgai, in Euskera, means “Dreameable heat”. The lyrics, by Xabier Paya, include this strophe:

If in the north there were
nests from the south
there the birds
would live in winter.
Ai, oi, ai
in winter, the birds…
But fortune
has no compass.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in October of 2025 is: Cheikh Lô’s Maame (World Circuit)

🔸Mundofonías: the favourites of October have been Radio Tarifa’s La noche (Buda Musique), Anna Sato × Toshiyuki Sasaki’s Life goes on (Primitive Voice) and Guillaume Latil & Matheus Donato’s Hémisphères (Matrisse Productions / L’Autre Distribution)

🔸 LIMúR, Iberian Roots Music Chart for the third quarter of 2025 has been published by Juan Antonio Vázquez. This is the top 5:
1. Radio Tarifa · La noche · Buda Musique
2. Lina & Marco Mezquida · O fado · Galileo Music Communication
3. Matthieu Saglio & Camille Saglio · Al alba · ACT Music
4. Rodrigo Leão · O rapaz da montanha · Galileo Music Communication
5. Germán Díaz & Benxamín Otero · Outras trece cancións bonitas · Producciones efímeras

Check the complete chart, here.

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call of relevance to the community.

The following call is new in the newsletter:

🔸 Sicily Music Conference 2026: Call for Artists

The call for proposals for the showcases is open here, until 31 January 2026. Artists to be announced in February 2026. This is the official page for the call. I will bring some infos here:

It will take place in Palermo – Catania, from 13 to 16 of May 2026.
It provides access to professionals, to the workshops and all the events of the conference, for the artists and their representatives.
Practical needs covered:
- Transportation: transfer from airport or ferry terminal to/from the hotel/venue(s)
- Accommodation: twin rooms for show night(s)
- Catering on the show day(s) …Sicilian food and hospitality
- Support to reach out to export offices or similar organizations with official invitations to apply for funding
- Support to connect with additional venues in Italy – I highlight this because some other events like this —showcases— require artists to maintain exclusivity in the surrounding region for some time before and after. This Sicilian conference, however, aims to support artists in getting more gigs. I don’t know yet if they have any restrictions regarding performances in the area around Palermo, but it’s really nice that they’re thinking about facilitating contacts to help organize other concerts around the showcase trip.

The following calls were already in the previous edition:

🔸 Open call: Jornadas Profesionales de la Música en Extremadura (MUM) (Professional Days of Music in Extremadura)

The call for proposals for the showcases is open here, until 17th of November of 2025 at 14h (CET). The 11th edition will take place on 15th-17th of April of 2026 in Mérida (Badajoz province).

On some occasions, artists from outside Spain and Portugal have been programmed, mainly through collaborations with other similar events. However, the call is open to proposals from all countries. They cover €200 per musician, plus one technician, to cover costs. To receive payment, it is necessary to provide the required documentation for Social Security registration or its equivalent. They also provide accommodation and dinner on the night of the concert, as well as accreditation, accommodation, and meals for one manager throughout the event.

It doesn’t sound very straightforward for artists coming from outside Spain, and the website is not available in English, but I still wanted to share the announcement. To participate as a delegate is a very pleasant experience. The program is very complete but not overwhelming, and there are always very interesting proposals. This year, several flamenco performances stood out for their outstanding quality. Depending on the year, there has been more or less international presence in terms of delegates, and there are always some from Spain who may be of interest. You can check all the official information here.

🔸 Open call: Festival International de Musique – FIMU de Belfort

This Belfort is in France, very close to Basel. What called my attention is that they mention specifically “world music” as one of the styles included in the program.

I have no experience at all with this event. Somehow it appeared on my Instagram. It presents the call, here, as for amateur musicians or those in the process of becoming professional musicians.

The call is open, like for MUM, until 17th of November. But in this case, all the information about the call is in several languages, here. The edition of 2026 will take place from 21st to 24th of May and the results of the call will be published in March. Therefore, there won’t be time to react and book more concerts of your band around that date if you are selected.

These are the conditions:

FIMU do not pay artists but partially refund transports fees. The amount of financial participation will be communicate at the end of selections. No advance can be considered. They have a calculator for the aproximate refund. I tried with the example of a 5 members band from Spain and the result was “between 600 and 720 €”.
FIMU takes care of the accommodation and catering of the invited artists.
FIMU can offer several concerts during the weekend (duration between 30 and 75 minutes maximum)
FIMU provides backline. Light and sound system are managed by professional technicians of the festival

I see they have a form for professionals to apply but I don’t find if there is any program with panels, workshops or speed meetings for the artists.

MEET ME AT

1st November. Malzhaus, Plauen, Germany. Folkherbst. Concert by Vigüela
5th – 8th November. Tour of Ali Doğan Gönültaş in Zagreb, Ljubljana and Sarajevo. In collaboration with MOST Music Agency.
14th November. Zurich. Folk Club Züri. Concert by Vigüela

September 25. Talk with José Luis Espejo & Rubén Coll (Ultranesia),10th anniversary of TWMC, new calls and + #87

Summary

🔸Editorial
▫️After the World Music Festival Bratislava and about what is invisible

🔸Talk with José Luis Espejo and Ruben Coll, from Ultranesia

🔸Transglobal World Music Chart, two news:
▫️10th anniversary
▫️Best of the 2024 – 2025 season

🔸Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

🔸Open calls and professional events: Professional Days of Music in Extremadura, FIMU Belfort

🔸Meet me at ✈️ Ali Dogan Gönültaş’s tour, Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, SoAlive Music Conference, WOMEX, Mundial Montreal

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you?

I am well. The picture of this edition was made in Tavira (Algarve, Portugal) by Thanos Stavridis after his concert with Drom at the Mediterranean Diet Fair. He specifically told me he would do it and send it to me for my next newsletter. And here it is. Thank you, Thanos.

But my most recent international trip was to the World Music Festival Bratislava, held from September 19 to 21. I’d like to highlight two things.

First thing. Jana Ambrózová gave a talk titled “Tradition, Fusion, Hybridity: Contemporary Romani Musical Landscapes in Slovakia.” I enjoyed it from beginning to end. She illustrated her words with video examples, some recorded in the intimate settings of musicians’ families, others publicly available on YouTube as showcases for their services.

Jana pointed out that the current complexity in how musicians adapt to what their clients want makes life harder for academics conducting research. She didn’t say this regretfully, but rather as a reflection of a reality that demands rigorous thought. She explained that in the past you could study the evolution of music in a single village. Now you have to go musician by musician, because each has their own way of responding to the need to secure work and provide for their family. We are talking about professional musicians, with no other profession. Some come from traditional musical families, but she also gave examples of people who deliberately entered this world without any family background. I recorded Jana’s talk in audio — if you’re interested, let me know and I’ll share it with you.

Today’s interview is closely connected to all this. The two protagonists are also academics as part of their professional lives, at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (their work as curators is independent from the University). Rubén Coll is a part-time instructor at the Communication and Media Studies Department. José Luis Espejo teaches Sound Studies for the musical industry in a Master’s program at the University, and since this September he is also a substitute teacher of Informative Radio at the Communication and Media Studies Department. Further down, you’ll see how Rubén explains the concept of LIMO in relation to the name they gave to a concert series we discuss in the interview. I believe they too face and embrace the same complexity that Jana spoke about.

The other thing I want to mention about the Bratislava festival is something I discussed with Jarmila, the director, last Monday morning before returning to Spain. She explained how it was the process of selecting the Spanish artist and finding the funding to make the performance possible. From her story, I imagine it was like putting together a very difficult puzzle, even having to paint and cut some of the pieces herself. Jarmila was featured here back in December 2019, when her festival had already celebrated 5 editions. The interview is here. In 2025, it reached its 10th edition. Jarmila told me that this behind-the-scenes work is invisible. The work of talking to many potential partners to finally create the conditions that make such an event possible goes unseen. And it’s heroic. Making that effort more visible is precisely one of the aims of this newsletter.

In the past few weeks, I’ve organized flights, hotels, trains, ticketing, advertisements… for Ali Doğan’s tour, which starts on the 1st in Cologne and ends with everyone involved returning home on the 16th. All of that is behind the scenes so that they ultimately make it onto the stage. In the meantime, I’ll be on part of the tour, then heading to the Fira Mediterrània in Manresa, and afterwards to Sofia for the SoAlive Music Conference. At times it’s a bit dizzying, but experience is a reassuring calm.

There is a lot of invisible work in the Transglobal World Music Chart too. This October marks its 10th anniversary—almost at the same time as my limited company. After working as an independent professional since 2006, in 2015 I decided to set up the company in order to be able to take part in more activities. I knew it would increase administrative costs and bureaucratic commitments, but it was a necessary step. On September 29th it will be 10 years since the notary entered my registration in his book.

I hope you find the reading interesting. If you enjoyed any part of this newsletter, feel free to share it with someone who might like it too. Thank you in advance.

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:
JOSÉ LUIS ESPEJO & RUBEN COLL, FROM ULTRANESIA (MADRID)

I first came across ULTRANESIA’s work in 2022, during the sixth edition of the Archipelago festival, which they curated at the Reina Sofía Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid, my city. You can check out the program here. I remember with particular pleasure the concert by the Egyptian collective Mazaher, held in the museum’s inner courtyard.

In 2023, I was able to attend part of the program again. Check the activities, here. That year they brought Tenores di Bitti, and chose a striking setting for their performance: a stairwell, with the singers placed at the bottom and the audience spread out along the steps over several floors. It wasn’t about whimsy or originality for its own sake. Knowing their approach, I’m sure they only made such a decision to create a very specific kind of experience or to take full advantage of that space’s acoustics.

Archipelago hasn’t taken place since June 2023. But in 2024, ULTRANESIA came back with LIMO, a cycle hosted at CentroCentro, the cultural center and City Hall headquarters in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, inside the stunning Palacio de Comunicaciones. It ran from May 2024 to June 2025, with one concert a month (except July, August, and September). Honestly, that program blew me away. It felt uncompromising, restless, and daring—quite surprising in a city where spaces for such proposals are scarce or even nonexistent, and risk-taking is usually absent. You can see the program here.

I truly hope ULTRANESIA will bring back one of these projects or launch something new, with the unique vision that is so much their own. It’s a huge pleasure for me to share their words here. The interview will have more than one installment, since our conversation was long and packed with fascinating content. For now, I encourage you to follow them on Instagram.

Thank you, José Luis and Rubén!

Picture: Archipelago 2023, Reina Sofía Museum, Madrid.

“We sometimes joke about what curating really means… mostly endless research, of course, but sometimes it also involves carrying a religious statue of the Virgin of Urkupiña— thanks to a loan by the kind priest from the San Lorenzo church in the neighbourhood of Lavapiés —into the Reina Sofía Museum’s courtyard. This was because Grupo Folclórico de Sabinosa is only allowed to perform the Virgen de los Reyes dance as an offering. That way, we managed to listen to that amazing rhythmic structure outside the island of El Hierro.”
Picture from a video by Javi Álvarez and Irene de Andrés.

Araceli Tzigane: The first time I heard about you was with Archipelago, which you did from 2017 until 2023, at the Museo Reina Sofía. And then, LIMO. Before all this, what had you done, what was ULTRANESIA? Or was it born for Archipelago?

Rubén Coll: Archipelago started, indeed, in 2017, but it was a proposal that José Luis launched completely on his own. And I, already in 2018, joined the programming, let’s say, as a guest curator. After that 2018 edition, I ended up staying in the project.

José Luis Espejo: Yes. In 2017, the Museo Reina Sofía called me to do the annual music programming. With that first edition I realized what it meant to do something like that and to be responsible, with everything that working in a public cultural institution that is giving you money implies. I didn’t want to do that alone. So, even though I did all the programming, I did the festival with Rubén. As the years went on, I ended up doing all the programming in collaboration with others. Also, because of a question like: “Well, and why am I the one who’s here?”

RC: But we didn’t formalize ULTRANESIA until 2023, precisely with the last edition of Archipelago. At that moment, we didn’t know what was going to happen with Archipiélago, because we were in a kind of institutional limbo.

AT: So, ULTRANESIA was born after Archipelago already existed. And what form does it take? Is it a company, an association, or a brand that brings together your activity?

RC: ULTRANESIA is a way for people who followed Archipelago to continue following us after Archipelago disappears. We created ULTRANESIA to continue developing projects. We had been working together since 2018, indeed, even earlier, with other projects not related to music programming, but related to audio. But it was at that moment, when we had already thought that we were going to have to bring Archipelago to a close or, at least, one line of work we wanted to end and not repeat ourselves. Partly because we also wanted to explore other lines of interest or lines of research.

AT: Is it like a brand? A concept?

JLE: We can call it a collective.

RC: It’s a unit.

JLE: In 2021, Ana Longoni and Mabel Tapia secured a three-year contract and a budget for the living arts programme at Museo Reina Sofía. But then we realized that Manuel Borja-Villel’s directorship was very likely not going to continue. And we knew that the topics we were working on were not easy… We didn’t know who would be coming in, but it was likely they wouldn’t be interested. New leadership and teams might come in, so in 2021, we planned to close the cycle. This implied a series of things: we decided to produce two videos telling the story of Archipelago (2022 & 2023), culminating in a publication that the Museo Reina Sofía was unwilling to publish, and we are still working on it. However, I believe the text’s theoretical and musicological complexity will prevent us from completing it in our free time.

RC: We need time, and we don’t have free time.

JLE: Absolutely. Everybody is telling us: “Why don’t you study for a civil service exam?” (as a way of achieving a kind of stability). And we said: “Look, when I’m not working, I’m either sleeping, zombie-like watching films or I’m here in our spare time after the concert.”

Picture: LIMO, CentroCentro Madrid, ULTRANESIA presenting Elshan Ghasimi. Photo by Pablo Sanz

–

JLE: Regarding ULTRANESIA, it’s a name we gave ourselves as a collective. It’s ULTRANESIA, because “nesia” is an archipelago in Greek, but it’s “ultra” because “ultra” in Latin means “beyond” in geographic terms. Like plus ultra. And since we were working on the trade winds, ocean currents, and musical mutations, we liked that, even though the meaning was “incorrect,” to keep two words about geography. ULTRANESIA would be something like “the archipelago beyond the archipelago.” So far, we’ve made progress with Archipelago; now comes the rest. It’s what comes afterwards.

Why do we keep the “nesia”? Although the narrative we initiated between 2020 and 2023 concluded with the publication of El Hierro Will Once Again Be the Centre of the World, our lines of research opened up, both within musical aesthetics and to the geological, climatological, and ideological questions involved in the mutations that make music change. So to speak, our interests were far from being concluded as a field of study. That’s why we kept that link. All of a sudden, it doesn’t make sense to start talking about German electronic dance music now. We’re going to continue with the same topics, more or less. And we’ve done so in articles for academic journals, in audio essays — the latest Musical Mutations: Radical Materialism and Deep Time —, and also with a radio show, Músicas Corrientes, on the community web radio Radio Relativa, and with LIMO, our latest project, which is a concert series of “current musics” (current in the sense of present time but also as a movement of water).

RC: Getting back to the concert series, LIMO. LIMO is the term we use in Spanish for silt, which is the mineral sediment that travels suspended in river water. It is thinner than sand but thicker than clay. It was very useful for conceptualizing the concert series we programmed between 2024 and 2025. Like silt, music travels driven by geological, meteorological, and migratory flows. When people move, willingly or not, they carry the music with them to another place. Then, it germinates new concepts, which resemble the previous ones but include new mutations.

So we thought of the red silt of the Nile River, which travels from Uganda, through Tanzania and Kenya, to the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile’s course through Ancient Egypt covered the banks with red silt. In Egypt, it seems that wheat plantations grew almost on their own. In the mid-20th century, Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser embarked on a project to electrify his country by building the Aswan Dam. However, an idea that seemed to bring “modernity” proved unfortunate. Concrete and electricity halted the sedimentation of silt, paving the way for irrigation and electricity planning, but also eliminating the water’s fertilizing properties.

That is why LIMO is both a way of talking about music in constant motion, and as part of a flow, and also a way of questioning the relationship between the modern and the traditional. Carme López, Adrián de Alfonso, Tarta Relena, Asmâa Hamzaoui, Pankisi Ensemble, Garazi Navas or Lukas de Clerck, to name a few of the participating artists at LIMO, are good examples.

AT: Earlier, you mentioned an idea that caught my attention, and that characterizes Spain: someone told you, José Luis, “Why don’t you study for a civil service exam?”

JLE: In a conversation about job precariousness in the cultural world, someone asked us why we didn’t become civil servants.

RC: As Thelonius Monk put it: “Nice work if you can get it” (laughs)

JLE: In our situation, there are two recurring questions asked by your friends and colleagues. One, “Why don’t you become a civil servant?” And the other, “Why don’t you leave Spain?” Answering the first question, I’m working and I don’t have time to study for a Public Service exam.

RC: Even if we always consider our projects a public service (laughs). Regarding the question about leaving the country. If you have a life here — family, friends, network — it’s not easy to uproot yourself.

JLE: And then, indeed, you feel a certain loneliness in our context, but you also feel a lot of gratitude from the public. People who are enthusiastic about the music we program here in Madrid.

RC: Music by artists that is often neglected by mainstream media, particularly in a city where affordable venues are scarce.

JLE: That’s why we talk about public responsibility. Some of our public may not have time or money to travel abroad to attend a kindred festival to Le Guess Who? And you’ll rarely find artistic direction or curators speaking about it. We are glad to work “for” an audience that truly values the opportunity to enjoy a quality concert by an artist performing for the first time in Madrid, plus, at an affordable price. Public institutions should have that responsibility, since the mainstream music industry only seeks to benefit a chosen few, without challenging the public’s expectations.

RC: Araceli, have you ever been asked about moving abroad?

AT: I don’t think anyone has asked me about the Public Services exams, but I have thought about leaving to another country on my own. I’m in contact with many people abroad, and I compare myself to them, assuming I have the same capacity. However, in my context, it’s incredibly challenging to achieve something like this. If I sell a concert with one of the artists I work with, it’s because I’ve had years of contact with the person that organizes the concert, earning their trust. And if that person is no longer there, I have to gain the trust of the next one who comes. And many times, these people are civil servants. One retires, and the new one who comes in, who knows if they’re interested in this or not. And it’s not just that they might not be interested; it’s that they have their own social circle. And in these things, there’s a lot of inbreeding. So, I think, for example, that if I were in the Netherlands, for instance, it would probably be much easier for me to do anything than here.

JLE: We will never know.

RC: Indeed, we are truly privileged. We have always done our curatorial work in cultural institutions with people who support us. Archipelago existed because of the support of committed cultural managers like Mela Davila, Ana Longoni and Mabel Tapia and hard workers like Elvira Quesada, Mariona Peraire and Daniel Fortanet. Still, also, truth be told, because it was sponsored by a famous brand of beer. And the concerts are part of its partnership strategy. In the case of LIMO, which takes place at CentroCentro—another public cultural institution run by Madrid City Council—it’s happening thanks to the efforts of another restless cultural worker: Ángel Gutiérrez.

JLE: But again, when we are speaking of the context we work in, we are speaking of contemporary art institutions, whose main priorities are the preservation, research, and exhibition of art, accompanied by programmes of seminars and living arts, which, luckily, include music and sound art. But what about contemporary music institutions? They seem very traditional and closed to proposals. Why don’t we even consider sending a proposal to the major classical music auditoriums? Because at that level, we’re no longer talking about social circles or even about artistic inbreeding — we’re talking about pure elitism. And not even the kind masked as favoritism; it’s openly elitist.

A prominent historian of contemporary music once shared this anecdote: he was asked to curate a program on a famous contemporary composer, and the organizer’s first question was: “And which family do you come from?” That says it all.

What’s worse is that once that man, with his aristocratic mindset — stopped programming contemporary music, we also stopped having regular monthly contemporary concerts at some public cultural institutions.

When you work in large cultural institutions, many of them related to monarchy and state politics, it feels like we’re still trapped in a Lazarillo de Tormes* mindset — having to flatter the “lords” just to be allowed to do our work. Or like in Velázquez’s paintings of court jesters: you’re lucky if you’re near the king, but you’re not really there as an artist — you’re there as a curiosity. A dwarf, a cripple, a “strange one.”

RC: Someone tolerated, not fully recognized. And that’s ok with us. We don’t need to get a VIP invitation for a private dinner after the opening. We want to be fairly paid and continue working, with both artists and the public in mind. But why does someone have to ask you to leave the country?

JLE: Because there’s a social structure where a chosen few, mostly wealthy people, who practically decide who can earn a living with music. And again, we must consider ourselves lucky. We have had the chance to work on music for a while now. Plus, are contemporary art institutions truly committed to championing a sonic contemporary identity? I wonder…

AT: I think with flamenco it’s already enough… (ironic)

JLE: Exactly. You go to Utrecht, at Le Guess Who?, and Estrella Morente is there performing with the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra. However, can you imagine the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra performing here with a local flamenco artist?

RC: We never delved into programming flamenco because there are great experts, and we certainly aren’t among them, even if we love it. There’s a solid and interesting circuit, but we prefer to explore other, lesser-known musical traditions.

* Lazarillo de Tormes is a 16th-century Spanish novel considered one of the earliest examples of the picaresque genre. It tells the story of a poor boy, Lázaro, who survives by serving various masters — often flattering or tricking them — in order to get by in a rigidly hierarchical and unjust society.

Picture: Interviewing Kaspar Vanags in Riga, Latvia, as part of the mid-casting project in 2017, RRS. Photo by Sara Buraya

–

AT: I don’t want to settle… Look, Ali Doğan is going to be at Amare in April, which is like a super institutional venue; he’s been at the Philharmonie in Hamburg, at Fundação Gulbenkian in the big hall of a thousand seats in Lisbon. And here, in equivalent institutions…RC: Well, here, be thankful some institutions let you enter into the café (laughs). I’m being sarcastic, but it’s evident that some venues are reluctant to other music genres.

AT: I don’t want to exclude myself, even though I feel that way. But I don’t settle. I have proof that this can be done and is being done in other European countries.

JLE: In 2019, we received funding from the Madrid City Council, which was intended for music festivals. We aimed to achieve a bigger projection for Archipelago, in the vein of other kindred small European festivals. The institution that hosted Archipelago, the Museo Reina Sofía, could have demonstrated that this is possible by hosting events more regularly, where music serves as more than just entertainment. But it wasn’t on their agendas.

RC: COVID in 2020 didn’t help either.
It may be that we are on entirely different lines of thinking. Perhaps we spend too much time analysing the meaning of popular, and indeed, we miss the commercial visibility. However, there are plenty of examples of very sophisticated popular music.

JLE: For sure. Film music by famous composers has a great reception. But, for whom are those concerts programmed? Do the organizers put the same care they have on Grigori Sokolov performing Schubert? There are these John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone programs…

RC: To be honest, it’s a pity that these orchestras always play the same famous Morricone “greatest hits”. When there are hundreds of equally appealing compositions that remain unknown to the general public. Plus, don’t forget that he was part of the Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza with composers like Franco Evangelisti, Domenico Guaccero, Roland Kayn or Egisto Macchi.

JLE: Exactly. They are programming these “young orchestras” to perform the works of a great composer like Morricone. However, that timbral richness is missing… It seems neither the conductors nor the performers understand Morricone, and that richness disappears completely. But okay, it’s well-orchestrated (laughs).

RC: I remember more than 20 years ago listening to this John Zorn album, The Big Gundown (1986), where he radically rearranged Morricone’s compositions. After that, his soundtracks sounded to me in a completely different way. And it was music that you could find anywhere, even in gas stations, on cheap cassettes. Maybe it’s asking too much, but why don’t they approach Morricone as the gifted and experimental contemporary composer he was? Why do they programme him along with a cheesy composer like John Williams? For whom are they programming these shows with no care, no heart and no quality?

JLE: Those people live apart, detached from the world. For example, they may play some Christopher Nolan soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer. That’s great. But why not by Ludwig Göransson, the composer of the soundtrack of another Nolan film, Tenet? A living soundtrack composer who is much more interesting. And what about other stuff? They could programme a series of Romanian spectral music if they wanted… I mean, sometimes, it’s as if they were skipping the last 100 years of music history. Are we truly accepting that there’s only room for academic music, some famous soundtrack composers and from time to time some flamenco, jazz and pop? And that’s all? They could program music that no other venue in this city has the technical and acoustic capabilities to host. To me, it seems unfair.

RC: Making friends… (laughs)

JLE: It doesn’t matter. We’re underdogs… (laughs)

AT: I feel exactly the same, huh (laughs)

Picture: Radio Relativa, Madrid. Friday Funday with Alex Cosmos and Beatriz G Aranda. Photo: Radio Relativa

MORE TO COME SOON!

TRANSGLOBAL WORLD MUSIC CHART:
▫️10 YEARS OLD

For this news I will share the official press release:

“It was 10 years ago, in 2015, when we launched the Transglobal World Music Chart. This global initiative immediately became a reference in the world music scene, for fans and musicians, and other professionals.

After much reflection and many conversations between the founders and other colleagues, we concluded that an initiative like this was not only possible but necessary to connect, in the most immediate way, artists, creators, professionals, disseminators, and the audience.

One of the main goals of the Transglobal World Music Chart has been to pursue the greatest possible plurality, representativeness, and global inclusiveness. To achieve this, we invited renowned panelists from the five continents and seeking to reflect the music that is bubbling up in every corner of the planet, beyond the predictable circuits. All of this has been done while facilitating and democratizing the submission of musical works, managing everything digitally and entirely free of charge.

After just two years of its journey, in 2017, the TWMC began collaborating in determining the WOMEX Top Label Award. From 2019 onwards, it would become the selection of the 20 Top Labels of the Year, in combination with the veteran World Music Charts Europe.

The Transglobal World Music Chart was born from the idea and commitment of Juan Antonio Vázquez and Araceli Tzigane (Mundofonías), and Ángel Romero (World Music Central). It is a source of pride to see, 10 years after its creation, the strength, and power of an idea born out of absolute independence, nurtured with care, dedication, knowledge, and conviction.

For more information, interviews, or anything else you may need, please contact info@transglobalwmc.com.

Please find below the Best Albums and Labels of the 2024–2025 season.

The Transglobal World Music Chart’s administrators: Juan Antonio Vázquez, Ángel Romero, Araceli Tzigane.
www.transglobalwmc.com “

▫️BEST OF THE 2024 – 2025 SEASON

I will share the best of each cathegory. You have also the list of the Best 100 albums, here.

· Best album: Buzz’ Ayaz · Buzz’ Ayaz · Glitterbeat
· Best label: Glitterbeat Records
· Best of North Africa & Middle East: Buzz’ Ayaz · Buzz’ Ayaz · Glitterbeat
· Best of Sub-Saharan Africa: Trio Da Kali · Bagola · One World
· Best of Asia (Central & East) & Pacific: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party · Chain of Light · Real World
· Best of Europe: Justin Adams & Mauro Durante · Sweet Release · Ponderosa Music
· Best transregional album: Al Andaluz Project · The songs of Iman Kandoussi: Traditional Arabic Andalusian · Galileo Music Communication
· Best of South America: Nidia Góngora · Pacífico maravilla · Positivo
· Best of North & Central America & Caribbean: Jake Blount & Mali Obomsawin · Symbiont · Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
· Best compilation: V.A. · Super disco pirata: De Tepito para el mundo 1965-1980 · Analog Africa

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in September of 2025 is: Hawa & Kassé Mady Diabaté’s Toumaro (One World)

🔸Mundofonías: the favourites of September have been Minyo Crusaders’ Tour of Japan, Alaa Zouiten’s Aficionado: Flamenco moro and Gennadi Tumat’s Ay Kherel’s Aldyn dashka / Golden cup

Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap.

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call of relevance to the community.

🔸 Open call: Jornadas Profesionales de la Música en Extremadura (MUM) (Professional Days of Music in Extremadura)

The call for proposals for the showcases is open here, until 17th of November of 2025 at 14h (CET). The 11th edition will take place on 15th-17th of April of 2026 in Mérida (Badajoz province).

🔸 Open call: Festival International de Musique – FIMU de Belfort

This Belfort is in France, very close to Basel. What called my attention is that they mention specifically “world music” as one of the styles included in the program.

I have no experience at all with this event. Somehow it appeared on my Instagram. It presents the call, here, as for amateur musicians or those in the process of becoming professional musicians.

These are the conditions:

FIMU do not pay artists but partially refund transports fees. The amount of financial participation will be communicate at the end of selections. No advance can be considered. They have a calculator for the aproximate refund. I tried with the example of a 5 members band from Spain and the result was “between 600 and 720 €”.
FIMU takes care of the accommodation and catering of the invited artists.
FIMU can offer several concerts during the weekend (duration between 30 and 75 minutes maximum)
FIMU provides backline. Light and sound system are managed by professional technicians of the festival-

I see they have a form for professionals to apply but I don’t find if there is any program with panels, workshops or speed meetings for the artists.

🔸 Reminder: European Folk Network Annual Conference

It will take place during the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, that is hosting the event for the second time (the first one was in 2022). The full program is available on the website. I will happily moderate the conference panel on Diversity and Inclusion on Friday 10 October, with these panelists:

MEET ME AT

1st – 6th October. I will join Ali Doğan Gönültaş in the tour of October
9th – 11th October. Fira Mediterrània de Manresa + Annual Conference of the European Folk Network
13th – 15th October. Sofia, Bulgaria. For SoAlive Music Conference. It includes the performance by Ali on the opening evening on 14th October.
20th – 26th October. WOMEX. Tampere, Finland.

In November I have some international dates with Ali and with Vigüela, I will attend Mundial Montreal and perhaps some more things that I will talk about in the next edition.

Plans for the Autumn

I will be busy this Autumn. These is Araceli’s calendar for September and October:

5th-6th September. With Thanos Stavridis & Drom in Tavira, Portugal.
19th-21th September. World Music Festival Bratislava, as a delegate.
23th September. Almería. Celebration of the European Folk Day by Clasijazz, with a concert by Vigüela.
1st – 6th October. I will join Ali Doğan Gönültaş in this tour →
9th – 11th October. Fira Mediterrània de Manresa + Annual Conference of the European Folk Network
13th – 15th October. Sofia, Bulgaria. For SoAlive Music Conference. It includes the performance by Ali on the opening evening on 14th October.
20th – 26th October. WOMEX. Tampere, Finland.

August 25. Talk with Gigi di Luca about Festival Ethnos, EFN annual conference, new calls and + #86

Summary 👇

🔸Editorial
After Urkult and Jeonju Sori Festival and the meaning of art

🔸Talk with Gigi di Luca, from Festival Ethnos

🔸Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

🔸A little something from my side: Xabi Aburruzaga’s new album coming soon!

🔸Open calls and professional events: Annual Conference of the European Folk Network announced the program; Noura Mint Seymali Will Receive the WOMEX 25 Artist Award; Visa for Music 2025 – Professional Accreditations & ExpoStand Booths Now Open

🔸Meet me at ✈️ World Music Festival Bratislava and more

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you? I hope well!

I am well and exhausted and full of recent memories and great expectation for the new season. Since the last newsletter I travelled with Vigüela to Urkult in Sweden and to Sori Festival in Jeonju in South Korea. In the picture, I am with Juan Antonio Torres and with the other two men who I talked about in the previous newsletter: Antonio Mirón and Eduardo Gómez-Olmedo. It was the last night there and the relaxed one, as we had already made a workshop and a concert the days before. Two days earlier, we had the chance to attend the thrilling opening show.

This year, the opening show was a production by the National Changgeuk Company ‘심청 of Pansori theater “Shim Cheong”, written and directed by Yona Kim. Pansori is a traditional Korean form of musical storytelling in which a singer narrates long epic tales with drum accompaniment and powerful vocal expression. In this production, however, it was conceived as if it were an opera, with more complex staging, countless artists on stage, and dozens of musicians. It was marvelous—beautiful, dark, heartbreaking. When it ended, my legs were trembling. I imagined the immense amount of work, the countless hours of people’s lives, and so much concentrated talent coming together to create that magic. It seemed to me an example that encapsulated the best of humanity.A couple of weeks before we were in Urkult, Sweden. A festival in the middle of the forest that gathers thousands of festival-goes and hundreds of artists. Totally different challenges and still so meaningful. That is what art is. Its usefulness is abstract. Its impact, unquestionable and unforgettable.

In the previous edition I announced an interview with Ultranesia. It will have to be in the next edition. I haven’t been able to edit it in time to make it into this August issue. So I’m announcing it again, hoping the hype will grow even more. I believe the ideas they share open up very important reflections.

Another example of the best of humanity is what we are going to talk about further below with Gigi di Luca: the Ethnos Festival, in Campania, the region around Naples. This year it celebrates its thirtieth edition, which begins on September 6.

If you enjoyed any part of this newsletter, feel free to share it with someone who might like it too. Thank you in advance.

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:
GIGI DI LUCA, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF FESTIVAL ETHNOS IN CAMPANIA (ITALY)

I had the chance to learn about the history of Ethnos and the vision of Gigi di Luca during his presentation at Napoli World in 2022. I talked about it briefly in this previous edition. He explained some situations in which the festival has responded to complicated events that have taken place in and around the Naples community.

~ Check the program of the 2025 edition, here. ~

He mentioned, for example, the two occasions when Miriam Makeba performed at the festival, as a statement specifically against racism. And that the second time, she ended the concert early because she felt unwell and shortly afterwards died in Castel Volturno, a town 30 minutes from Naples. Gigi recalled how, ten years later, at the tribute concert to Nelson Mandela and Miriam Makeba, a dove remained on stage throughout the concert, suggesting that the soul of the South African artist was accompanying them on that occasion.

Now, just a few days before the beginning of the 30th edition, Gigi shares some thrilling insights about Ethnos.

Thank you, Gigi, and happy 30th anniversary of Ethnos!!!

AT: The festival was born in 1995, which means it is already 30 years old. Congratulations. Please tell me why you started it and what aspects came together at that moment that made it possible to begin this initiative.

GDL: Ethnos was born right from the beginning with a precise vision, that of recovering the memory of Vesuvian popular culture and making it meet with the traditions and music of the world. In 1995 the folk revival in Italy was already surpassed and forgotten, and Africa was seen only in a negative light for migratory flows, as was the case with other immigrants arriving from Albania, Romania, North Africa. Thinking of a contemporary festival that would bring world music to historical places in the cities at the foot of Vesuvius to create cross-pollination, beauty, and raise awareness towards the knowledge of the other was for me necessary and today I can say it was successful after 30 years of achievements.

AT: I understand that your festival has a discourse towards the world, which you illustrate through the programming. How do you choose the artists for each edition?

GDL: The festival takes place in an itinerant form in marvelous cultural sites of different cities ranging from Naples to the entire Vesuvian coast. The selection of the artists therefore responds to the need to create a relationship between the music and the space. It is important to offer the audience an experience that passes through emotions and perceptions, like an act of deepening life and not as mere entertainment. I dedicate a lot of time to creating a program that meets all these requirements and that above all I like, that gives me emotions, that transfers to me a richness in listening, in sight and in the mind, as well as infusing positive vibrations into the soul.

This is the program of this year’s edition. Below, the conversation continues:

AT: Do you have other activities apart from the concerts?

GDL: Yes, the festival with a multidisciplinary program develops naturalistic itineraries, guided tours in the cultural heritage sites that host Ethnos, and in the historic centers of the partner cities. Furthermore, workshops, conferences, thematic panels, exhibitions. A separate section is dedicated to emerging music with a contest called Ethnos Gener/Azioni and one for schools, named Ethnos for Schools, which continues for several months and brings young people closer to the music of other cultures. I want to recall that the territory where Ethnos takes place, that of Naples and the Vesuvian area, is rich in history, archaeological parks, and natural beauties, a peculiarity and I would say a privilege of the festival, but it is also a duty to valorize them and make them known to the widest possible public.

AT: What difficulties do you face that are particular to the land where you are making the festival? I believe your region has a special scourge, which is the mafia. If you want to comment on this, it could be interesting. On other occasions when I have attended your public lectures, you have given some hints. How do you deal with it?

GDL: The difficulties are linked only to the uncertainty of public funding, to the technical timing with which the funds are assigned. Even though the commitment of the Campania Region has guaranteed with financial resources throughout these years an important continuity and stability. To the Region is added the Ministry of Culture, which supports Ethnos as a Historic Festival, and the partner municipalities. Criminality has never interfered or created any problem. It is not a business sector they look at and moreover, the situation has greatly improved thanks to the work of law enforcement.

AT: In a previous edition I explained the very moving anecdote you had with Miriam Makeba. It is here. Would you highlight any other moment? One in which you noticed how that discourse you want to send to the world was especially strengthened, perhaps?

GDL: Ethnos has a poetic and political vision. Music has the task of narrating, denouncing, opposing. And behind the artists there are stories, painful and beautiful at the same time, there is humanity. It is natural that we are aligned for peace and against war and at the side of artists who have made of their art a resistance in life. Along this line there are many episodes to remember, such as the embrace of the Neapolitan people to Mercedes Sosa with the audience arriving at the concert with Argentine flags. Grandchildren, great-grandchildren of generations of emigrants to Buenos Aires.
Or the inspections during the sound check of Cheikka Remitti, threatened by Islamic fundamentalists.
Or the enchantment of Sakamoto who in silent meditation observes the Spanish quarters of Naples.
There would be many to recall, but above all the courageous artistic choices of the festival that no longer looks at the big names, but that has created a relationship of trust with its audience, has created a community.

AT: Another important aspect of your festival are the locations. What is special about them and what are the criteria for choosing them? Does this festival have any permanent place in these locations?

GDL: I always tell my international colleagues how difficult but exciting it is to organize an itinerant festival that unfolds in 8 cities, in places so beautiful and important. Spaces from 200 to 1000 people that deserve respect above all: The Vesuvian Villas of the 1700s, The Bourbon Palace of Portici, The Archaeological excavations, the Museums, the Churches, the Trails of the Vesuvius National Park. Once I organized the concert of Kamilya Joubran at the historic cemetery of Fontanelle in Naples, a marvelous mystical experience. They are places that evoke, that live of imaginations, and in these places I, with the eye of a theatre director that I have, create the contrast with contemporaneity, make music be born from the spaces more than containing it in the spaces.

I was thinking how may it be to attend a concert in one of thouse Vesuvian Villas. Perhaps with this picture you can have an idea. Picture: Di Angelo – Villa Campolieto, CC0, Collegamento

AT: Ethnos prioritizes one single concert per night in historical places that are unconventional for festivals. What challenges and opportunities does this choice imply in logistical and creative terms?

GDL: It is complex and important to offer the audience a program that is mainly of deepening, of cultural knowledge. The audience that Ethnos has formed is cultivated, curious and the programming is free, not conditioned by business factors. The audience comes to the festival for the festival, for its proposal. They follow the stages in all the cities. For me it is a great satisfaction and pride the total trust that I have from them. But I also know that the choice of the artist who performs every night must necessarily be of a high level. The proposals I make are almost all in national exclusivity, the artists arrive in Naples for Ethnos and leave. There is a great work behind the programming and the realization of every single concert.

AT: Italy is a land with very diverse and I think very strong musical traditions. How important is it for you to include local expressions along with international proposals?

GDL: It is important to give space to young people and to projects that year after year are being formed. For this reason I wanted to create the contest Ethnos Gener/Azioni, which receives about 150 applications every year from artists who want to play at the Festival. To the winner, after a careful selection by a jury of experts, the opportunity is given to hold concerts in other festivals and for the following year also at Ethnos. The local, regional, and Southern Italian scene I instead place within a section called Le Terre del Rimorso, which however is not held every year, and which is an observatory on popular culture and on its present and future.

AT: If you could make one wish regarding the festival, whatever it may be, what would you ask for?

GDL: That of giving the festival much more life. We have reached the thirtieth anniversary and it is a historic milestone, an achievement in a territory where everything changes quickly from administrations to fashions to language to communication. The history of the festival and of what it has been able to build can be enclosed in 5 themes: Resistance, Diversity, Territory, Community, Generations. I would like to add for the future the theme Research, intended as a return to origins, research of one’s own identity and research of one’s own happiness through the encounter with the other.

AT: For any other idea you want to share with the readers, here is your space.

GDL: One can choose to make commercial or pop music; Ethnos has chosen world music, the music of other worlds where the stories of difficult territories make themselves heard.
One can choose, in the panorama of the so-called world music, to make entertainment, parties, parades. Ethnos has chosen deepening.
One can choose squares for concerts, Ethnos has chosen cultural heritage, historical sites, even sacrificing available seats.
One can change course, follow fashions, Ethnos after 30 years is faithful to itself and proudly claims its projectual and artistic line.
Ethnos is a magnificent journey into an inner world. A sensing more than listening. An observing more than seeing.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in August of 2025 is: Mustafa Said & Asil Ensemble’s Maqam pilgrims (Mapamundi Música). Once again I will say that I am not voting in TWMC since April 2024, when I released an album with Mapamundi Música as a label. The quality of Mustafa’s work, who had already the support of the Aga Khan Music Program (he was winner of the Aga Khan Music Awards 2019) well deserved.

🔸Mundofonías: in August we made holidays 🙂

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM MY SIDE:
Xabi Aburruzaga, about to release his new album

Xabi Aburruzaga has been pushing himself to the limit for months to produce his new album. It will be the seventh in his career. In May he had to pause this effort for a few days: he was participating in the Universal Expo in Osaka, selected by Acción Cultural Española. He and his musicians came back thrilled by the audience’s reception.

While the album is being finalized, Xabi has shared this beautiful video of a tribute concert to Kepa Junkera, where he performs with the Cobla Sant Jordi and the dance company Kukai Dantza.

Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call of relevance to the community.

🔸 The Annual Conference of the European Folk Network announced the program
The 2025 EFN conference will take place in Manresa, Catalonia, Spain on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 October, alongside the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, combining two days of debate, networking and artistic showcases. Check the details and register, here. The EFN Conference 2025 will take place

The programme focuses on topics like diversity and inclusion, minority languages and cultures, the Ethno movement, and the Balkan folk scene.

Breakout groups will explore EFN’s future priorities in areas like dance, festivals, education, and equality. The event also includes networking lunches, a reception hosted by local wine producers, and access to Fira Mediterrània’s wide range of music and dance showcases.

🔸 Noura Mint Seymali Will Receive the WOMEX 25 Artist Award
I wanted to congratulate the Mauritanian artist Noura Mint Seymali and also Glitterbeat Records, who have already supported her on two albums and will soon release another one with this label.

🔸 Visa for Music 2025 – Professional Accreditations & ExpoStand Booths Now Open
For more details, check this link.

MEET ME AT

This year I will attend for the 3rd time the World Music Festival Bratislava. In the link you have the program, which includes a dance workshop (flamenco) and a couple of interesting conferences: Tradition, fusion, hybridity: contemporary Romani musical landscapes in Slovakia, by Jana Ambrózová, and Innovations in connection with traditional music, by Mgr. art. Ján Šicko, ArtD. And two of the delegates attending this edition have been protagonists of this newsletter. Click their names to visit those editions: Said Chaouch and Christian Pliefke.

5th-6th September. With Thanos Stavridis & Drom in Tavira, Portugal.
19th-21th September. World Music Festival Bratislava, as a delegate.
23th September. Almería. Celebration of the European Folk Day by Clasijazz, with a concert by Vigüela.
1st – 6th October. I will join Ali Doğan Gönültaş in this tour →
9th – 11th October. Fira Mediterrània de Manresa + Annual Conference of the European Folk Network
13th – 15th October. Sofia, Bulgaria. For SoAlive Music Conference. It includes the performance by Ali on the opening evening on 14th October.
20th – 26th October. WOMEX. Tampere, Finland.

In November I have some international dates with Ali and with Vigüela, I will attend Mundial Montreal and perhaps some more things that I will talk about in the next edition.

July 25. About elitism, identity and belonging, new calls and + #85

Summary 👇

🔸Editorial
About elitism, about who you are and where you belong

🔸Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

🔸A little something from my side : Vigüela’s tribute to the 150 anniversary of Manuel de Falla, Falla: voices of a time

🔸Open calls and professional events: Sauti za Busara festival, open call for artists; Hide & Seek: free concert access for professionals; Summer rate for WOMEX and conferences announced

🔸Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

This edition of this newsletter is the number 85. The previous one completed 7 years 🥂

Hello, how are you?

I hope you’re well. I’m doing fine, though I’m in one of the busiest periods of work I’ve had in years. The picture is in Palma de Mallorca, with Thanos Stravridis and his colleagues of Drom, who performed there on 16th of July. It was our first concert together and it won’t be the last. We have a date in Tavira, Portugal, on 6th of September.

There’s no interview in this edition. I have a very interesting one to edit, with the team of Ultranesia, whose work is extraordinary. The raw transcript is 24 pages long and touches on —or even crosses into— painful territory regarding how things work in the cultural field in my country (and probably not just in my country). It will be part of the August edition —at least a portion of it, as it’s long but very insightful— and I may publish it in several parts. Here’s a sneak peek:

“Why don’t we even consider sending a proposal to the major classical music auditoriums? Because at that level, we’re no longer talking about social circles or even about artistic inbreeding — we’re talking about pure elitism. And not even the kind masked as favoritism; it’s openly elitist.

What’s worse is that when that man, despite his aristocratic mindset, stopped programming contemporary music, that meant also missing out regular contemporary concerts at some public cultural institutions.

When you work in large cultural institutions, many of which are related to monarchy and state politics, it feels like we’re still trapped in a mindset akin to the novel El Lazarillo de Tormes — having to flatter the “lords” just to be allowed to do our work. Or like in Velázquez’s paintings of court jesters: you’re lucky if you’re near the king, but you’re not really there as an artist — you’re there as a curiosity. A dwarf, a cripple, a “strange one.”

Tomorrow —well, in just a few hours, since I’ll be leaving home at 4:30 in the morning— I’m traveling to Sweden, to Urkult, with Vigüela. Below you’ll find a new project I’ve developed with them. It will be their second time performing there. They were there in 2016. Since then, many things have happened. Over the past nine years, different people have passed through the band. Two of the musicians who came with us to Urkult left the group that same year. Shortly before playing at Urkult, during another festival —the kind any band would dream of attending— a situation came up that surprised me. These two people didn’t want that path. They weren’t interested in traveling the world, sharing the music of their homeland and the joy of their art with audiences. They told us they preferred not to travel so much and to live a more, let’s say, normal life. Honestly, it was a learning experience for me —seeing that people with the talent to make art, which they had, didn’t view that path as the one they wanted to follow. Years later, I’ve been reinterpreting it. I think the demanding path of excellence and artistic depth wasn’t something they were willing to commit to. They were content with what they already knew how to do, and that’s where they’ve stayed. They’re still active in more locally-based groups. I think that’s fair. But me? Tomorrow —well, in a few hours— I travel to Urkult.

Joining us is Antonio Mirón, whom I’ve written about in this edition. I spoke about his work teaching music to children in tiny villages in the province of Almería. Antonio has a deep understanding of the traditions of his region —not just musically, but also in terms of what they mean, or perhaps meant, as a social fabric. Antonio will leave his garden for a few days to come with us to Näsåker. I’m truly grateful. How does he perceive all this? I don’t know —but I’ll ask him.

Also coming is Eduardo Gómez-Olmedo, from Candeleda, Ávila (in the picture, in yellow, playing the Spanish lute). After a few years away from our activities due to personal reasons, he is traveling with us again to perform. Eduardo has spent years playing informally with the elders of his village, which is known for its strong traditional arts. Several times a year, the elders still gather in the town square, around a bonfire, to sing and play music. Here you can see Eduardo playing with Vigüela before the concert in Okarina Festival in 2019.

I grew up in Alcorcón, a commuter town 12 km from Madrid. We’re so close to the capital that I believe the city never really developed its own cultural identity. My father is from Madrid. My mother left her village (Helechosa de los Montes, Badajoz, 562 current inhabitants) as soon as she could. She doesn’t even have the accent from her region. She brought nothing of folklore with her. She wanted to leave —like the young women who had already moved to the city and returned home on vacation, beautiful, well-dressed, and free from the fieldwork. What is my folklore?

My company is legally based in Castilla-La Mancha, and the reference city for both Helechosa and El Carpio de Tajo, the village of Vigüela, is Talavera de la Reina, in the province of Toledo. If there is any traditional art that truly feels like my own, it’s this one.

Traveling back to Urkult with Vigüela, nine years later and after everything that’s happened, inevitably leads me to reflect on the paths we take and how identity is built. Those who chose not to continue traveling didn’t choose wrong —they simply chose differently. And in that choice lies a deep gesture of identity. Sometimes we think being true to ourselves means sticking with what we do, but it can also mean letting go, redefining, or prioritizing something else.

Antonio leaves his vegetable garden to join us. Eduardo resumes something he had paused. What does that say about them? And what does it say about me —still here, getting up at 4:30 a.m. to once again cross Europe with a traditional music band?

Perhaps identity is not only a reflection of our roots, but also of our willingness to return to them again and again —or even to forge connections with some that brush past us. Every decision —to stay, to leave, to return— speaks not only of what we do, but of who we are at that moment.

If you enjoyed any part of this newsletter, feel free to share it with someone who might like it too. Thank you in advance.

* Lazarillo de Tormes is a 16th-century Spanish novel considered one of the earliest examples of the picaresque genre. It tells the story of a poor boy, Lázaro, who survives by serving various masters — often flattering or tricking them — in order to get by in a rigidly hierarchical and unjust society.

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

In 2019 Vigüela performed in Bled, for the Okarina Festival. The following year the Covid came. The festival didn’t take place again. We keep a great memory of this event and of Mr. Leo Ličof, its founder and artistic director.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in Julye of 2025 is: Värttinä’s Kyly (Rockadillo)

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the month are Kraffft’s Kraffft (Vlad); Hawa & Kassé Mady Diabaté’s Toumaro (One World Records) and Mustafa Said & Asil Ensemble’s Maqam pilgrims (Mapamundi Música).

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM MY SIDE:

Vigüela’s new program, tribute to Manuel de Falla on his 150th anniversary

On November 23, 2026, we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Manuel de Falla. His work highlighted traditional music and brought its inspiration into the realm of classical music.

To commemorate this milestone, the group Vigüela is creating a special program dedicated to his work. It is a ’round-trip’ project in which the band will adopt pieces by Falla and translate them into the language of traditional music: Falla: Voices of a Time.

Get the dossier with more background about Falla and the band, here.

OPEN CALLS AND PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call of relevance to the community.

NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER:

🔸 Sauti za Busara festival, open call for artists

Deadline on midnight (EAT) on 31st July 2025

“The Call for Artists is now open for the 23rd edition of Sauti za Busara festival, set to shake the walls of Stone Town, Zanzibar during 5 – 8 February 2026. Sauti za Busara showcases unique and diverse music, primarily from the African Continent, music that is connected to Africa and diaspora.”

Check the official website for more details, here. The application must be done

It called my attention in the list of “Preference is given to:” that they will give preference to “Music that is performed ‘100% live!’”

The festival offers a modest honorarium (performance fee), per-diems for meals and incidentals, accommodation in Zanzibar, and all local transport related to the performance. It also covers Tanzanian visa costs and provides festival passes with access to all shows throughout the event. Artists will receive invitations to networking events like Movers & Shakers, press conferences, and other official activities. Their profiles will be featured in the festival programmes, press releases, website, and social media platforms. Additionally, the travel sponsor’s logo will be displayed with a link on the festival website, in programmes, and across social media channels.

But note that “Artists from outside the region are usually required to find their own travel sponsors and the festival will support where possible.”

🔸Hide & Seek: free concert access for professionals

If you happen to be in Brussels from 17 to 23 August 2025 and you are a professional, Muziekpublique offers you one free ticket to the concert of your choice for Hide & Seek. I talked about the festival in the previous edition. All the details of this offer are here.

🔸WOMEX Summer rate and conferences announced

Until 29th of August you can get the Summer Rate for WOMEX: 360 € net (VAT appart). Also, they have announced the conference program. You can check it here. There is one that I don’t want to miss: Sync: How to Start? “This session offers a clear and practical introduction to sync licensing for artists, songwriters, and rights holders”. Moderated by Eugene Galushchenko (Ukraine/Spain/USA), onestop music; with Leo Niemi (Finland), Freelance / Sync Sauna; and Patricia Carrera (Mexico/Spain), Control Freaks Music.

For two years now, I’ve submitted a proposal to the panel program titled “Entry Barriers in the Professional Circuit”. It features two very experienced speakers from two different continents (both from each other and from mine). I hope to present it at another edition of WOMEX or in a different context. There are topics that I believe don’t occupy the space they should within our global community, and which are critical both ethically and artistically. This reminds me of the very interesting conversation in the program of panels at Ritmo this past April between Chris Eckman from Glitterbeat and Ian Brennan, called How Music Dies (or Lives): De-colonizing international music, whose theme was related.

Anyway, see you at WOMEX if you attend.

MEET ME AT

1st-2nd August. With Vigüela at the Urkult Festival.
13th-16th August. With Vigüela in South Corea, International Sori Festival. Our participation has the support of Acción Cultural Española.
5th-6th September. With Thanos Stavridis & Drom in Tavira, Portugal.
19th-21th September. World Music Festival Bratislava, as a delegate.

Author: admin

Summary 👇

Editorial 🔸Recent memories with Vigüela at the Sur Jahan Festival, West Bengal 🔸Farewell to Erasmo Treglia

Music Equality’s Geographical Underrepresentation research and related reflections

IndieBalkans

European Folk Network in Babel Music XP

Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

Open calls and professional events: WOMEX, Premio Andrea Parodi, Mercat de Música Viva de Vic, Babel Music XP: accreditation and stand bookings

Meet me at ✈️

🔸Recent memories with Vigüela at the Sur Jahan Festival, West Bengal

🔸Farewell to Erasmo Treglia

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

MUSIC EQUALITY’S GEOGRAPHICAL UNDERREPRESENTATION RESEARCH AND RELATED REFLECTIONS

INDIEBALKANS

EUROPEAN FOLK NETWORK IN BABEL MUSIC XP

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

MEET ME AT

TRANSGLOBAL WMC FESTIVAL AWARDS

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

MEET ME AT

TALK WITH BERNHARD FREI, DIRECTOR OF FOLK CLUB ZURICH

MY ARTISTS FOR 2026 & 18TH BIRTHDAY OF MAPAMUNDI MÚSICA

UPBEAT IMPACT ASSESSMENT

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

MEET ME AT

A farewell to Érik Marchand

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

A FOLLOW-UP ON UNBOUNDED SOUNDS, WITH SOFIA LABROPOULOU

A FOLLOW-UP ON THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN FOLK NETWORK

SABINA SMAILAGIC ABOUT “WORLD CORNER”, A LISTENING-SESSIONS PROJECT… AND MANY OTHER THINGS

FIRST CASE STUDY: WOMEX 2024 THE IMPACT OF SHOWCASE FESTIVALS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR PARTICIPANTS

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

🔸Fira Mediterrània de Manresa

🔸Babel Music XP: accreditation and stand bookings for Babel Music XP 2026 are open This is another of the events that I have attended since they revived from Babel Med. It will be in Marseille from 19th to 21st of March.

🔸 Sicily Music Conference 2026: Call for Artists

MEET ME AT

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

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

Fira Mediterrània de Manresa and the Annual Conference of the European Folk Network

WOMEX

BRIEF WORDS ABOUT FIMU

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM MY THINGS

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

🔸 Sicily Music Conference 2026: Call for Artists

🔸 Open call: Jornadas Profesionales de la Música en Extremadura (MUM) (Professional Days of Music in Extremadura)

🔸 Open call: Festival International de Musique – FIMU de Belfort

MEET ME AT

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR: JOSÉ LUIS ESPEJO & RUBEN COLL, FROM ULTRANESIA (MADRID)

TRANSGLOBAL WORLD MUSIC CHART: ▫️10 YEARS OLD

▫️BEST OF THE 2024 – 2025 SEASON

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

MEET ME AT

Summary 👇

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR: GIGI DI LUCA, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF FESTIVAL ETHNOS IN CAMPANIA (ITALY)

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM MY SIDE: Xabi Aburruzaga, about to release his new album

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

MEET ME AT

Summary 👇

This edition of this newsletter is the number 85. The previous one completed 7 years 🥂

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM MY SIDE:

OPEN CALLS AND PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

🔸 Sauti za Busara festival, open call for artists

Deadline on midnight (EAT) on 31st July 2025

🔸Hide & Seek: free concert access for professionals

🔸WOMEX Summer rate and conferences announced

MEET ME AT

Editorial
🔸Recent memories with Vigüela at the Sur Jahan Festival, West Bengal
🔸Farewell to Erasmo Treglia

🔸Babel Music XP: accreditation and stand bookings for Babel Music XP 2026 are open
This is another of the events that I have attended since they revived from Babel Med. It will be in Marseille from 19th to 21st of March.

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR:
JOSÉ LUIS ESPEJO & RUBEN COLL, FROM ULTRANESIA (MADRID)

TRANSGLOBAL WORLD MUSIC CHART:
▫️10 YEARS OLD

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR:
GIGI DI LUCA, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF FESTIVAL ETHNOS IN CAMPANIA (ITALY)

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM MY SIDE:
Xabi Aburruzaga, about to release his new album