Summary 👇

• Editorial
  Losses, European Music Day and a few words about Muziekpublique
• Talk with Davide Mastropaolo about Napoli World, Agualoca Records and much more
• A little something from my side: Mustafa Said‘s new album Maqam Pilgrims
• Two Venues for the Hide & Seek Festival 2025 Highlighted by Peter Van Rompaey
• Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects
• Open calls: Babel Music XP, Napoli World
• Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you? hope you are very well. I can’t complain. I’m doing well, although, as I imagine you are too, I’m closely following the situation in the Middle East. And I’m thinking, among others, of the people from Iran I know who are in exile. A couple of years ago I spoke here with Behzad Pournaghi, the manager of Rastak, about their exit from the country and their move to Turkey so they could continue making music, especially due to the presence of women in the group and all the complications and persecution that this was bringing them.There are dozens of women musicians we feature on Mundofonías quite frequently, because they are prolific and outstanding artists, but of course, all of them whose music reaches us are outside their country. We always point this out on the show. I hope that in the near future we will be able to feature Iranian women musicians creating and recording music from within their own country.

Mentioning these critical situations that are so present in the global conversation shouldn’t make us forget about other peoples who don’t receive as much attention, like Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, Haiti, Ethiopia, the Congo — and surely there are others I’m not even aware of. The other day, I was reflecting with a musician I collaborate with on what place people like us could have in all of this. I remembered a quote — I don’t recall who said it or where — that suggested if people know the music (or art in general) of other peoples, it becomes harder to go to war against them. Someone who wasn’t me (but I share the insight) replied that Putin wouldn’t have been stopped by hearing a beautiful Ukrainian folk song.

About the losses

Everyone dies, sooner or later—we know that. This past week I learned about the passing of two musicians I don’t want to leave unmentioned. Both lived long lives and left behind a legacy of recordings that is a true treasure. I got the cover of two old albums from Discogs.

Petroloukas Halkias, a Greek clarinetist, passed away at the age of 90 a few days ago. I first heard him about five years ago, thanks to the album The Soul of Epirus, with laouto player Vasilis Kostas. The full album is here. Two years ago they released Volume II, which you can hear here. On some tracks, Kostas Tzimas sings. I feel like I melt listening to this. I honestly feel drained of all strength.

The other is Aharon Amram. He passed away on June 2 at the age of 91. I found out on Friday. I had posted this recording of the piyut Kirya Yefefiya on Facebook, wondering where Aharon Amram might be, and someone told me he had passed away a couple of weeks ago. He was a Yemeni Jew who was brought to Israel at the age of 11 during Operation Magic Carpet. His role and his legacy related to the Yemenite Jewish music is huge.

About the European Day of Music

I am working on this newsletter on day 21st of June, the European Day of Music. And an idea came to my mind. I feel such sadness for people who are unaware of so much music. Although right now, anyone with a bit of curiosity has everything at their fingertips. I’m sure there are people who feel sorry for people like me who are totally ignorant when it comes to cinema. Or literature. Or series at the digital platforms. And even I have such a limited knowledge of music. I know little about Western classical music. I know nothing about British pop music from the 1970s. For some people, that might be a cornerstone of life. For me, this cornerstone in mine keeps opening new or deeper perspectives on the world, time and time again. I have this playlist on YouTube, it’s called Música Maravillosa. Not everything that’s wonderful is there, but everything that is there is wonderful. I’ll keep adding more.

About Muziekpublique

In the photo I’m with Peter Van Rompaey in Brussels. I travelled there once again this year, this time to attend the European Forum on Music, organised by the European Music Council. I attended the Lab on the 11th of June, as a board member of the European Folk Network. The 12th of June was open to anyone who wanted to register.

With Peter, I had a very long and fascinating interview, which you can find here. He is the driving force behind Muziekpublique and a key figure in our field, both personally and in terms of the organisation he leads. It’s always a great pleasure for me to spend time with him. If you’re not familiar with their work, make sure to visit their website.

And you can also subscribe to their newsletter at the bottom of their website. Muziekpublique has been hosting hundreds of concerts at the Théâtre Molière, which is currently under renovation. In the meantime, they continue organising events in other venues, such as the Hide & Seek Festival, which celebrates its 10th edition this year from August 17 to 23. Its motto is “Concerts of traditional music in unusual places in Brussels.” I asked Peter to tell me two of the venues he finds most special among those hosting the festival this year. You’ll see them further down. I am happy for Peter also because they have two artists selected for WOMEX 2025: Toasaves and another one that is not announced yet.

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:
DAVIDE MASTROPAOLO, FROM NAPOLI WORLD AND AGUALOCA RECORDS

The portrait of Davide is by Riccardo Piccirillo

I don’t remember when I first met Davide. I think it was in Spain. He has lived in Spain and speaks Spanish quite well. But I couldn’t say for sure — I’ve seen him in so many places! At first, I associated him with his label, Agualoca Records, which has released albums by Flo, Vesevo, Ilaria Graziano & Francesco Forni, Fanfara Station, Maria Mazzotta and, most recently, Ra di Spina. And more recently, his flagship project — at least from the perspective of our community (as he’s also active in the field of music for audiovisual media) — is Napoli World. The recently opened call for showcase proposals, which welcomes international artists, was the trigger for this interview. But, as you’ll see below, we talked about many other things as well.

Davide’s journey is truly fascinating. He brings experience from several angles and shared some insights that are nothing short of remarkable. I’m sure you’ll find the interview just as inspiring as I did.

☀️ While I am editing this interview I am listening to Orchestra Joubès, the band of Davide. In this enchanting album, he played the upright piano and other instruments and co-composed the pieces (except one by Pascal Comelade) with his partners Ernesto Nobili and Antonio Fraioli.
Listen to it, here🎶

About Napoli World Napoli World will take place from 27th to 29th of November. The call for applications for showcases is open until 15th of July. It is organiced by Italian World Beat, lead by Fabio Scopino e Davide Mastropaolo. The artistic director is Enzo Avitabile.

It is part of the platform UpBeat (The European Showcase Platform of World Music).

On the website you can download the rules and conditions and fulfil the form with the proposal of a showcase. “Musical projects belonging to the World Music, Ethnic and Folk Music, World Jazz, World Electro and Global Beats genres will be considered eligible.” Candidates who have not received any communication by 31th August 2025, will be considered “not selected”, a communication will be sent only to selected candidates.

Sixteen showcases will be scheduled.

The showcasing artists will receive a fee, per musician:

• regional project: 150 €;
• national projects: 200 €;
• international projects: 300 €;

all amounts + VAT where applicable; national and international will have one in hotel + local transport where required).

If you are going to apply, check the official website.

And here is the interview.

ABOUT NAPOLI WORLD

AT: The initial reason for the interview is Napoli World, but I’d also like to know a bit more about you. About Napoli World. In 2022, but you did another similar event in another place. This year will be the fourth edition in Naples.

DM: The fourth in Naples, which is the fifth of that MusicConnect project, because in 2021 we organized it in Pistoia. It was like a first attempt to see if something could be set up, because after Covid there were some funds that could be applied for to organize events. And we tried, because we already had in mind the idea of, in the future, organizing a showcase festival in Italy, because there was nothing. Many years ago there was Medimex, but it was a very large structure with stands… Old style, let’s say, which I loved. I was at Medimex in 2012, in Bari. But the size I liked was another, it was more informal, with fewer delegates. Well, maybe someday… I don’t know if we’re going to have so many people. But the idea has always been to remain informal, on the one hand, but very professional with the artistic proposal and the quality of the guests.

“The idea has always been to remain informal, on the one hand, but very professional with the artistic proposal and the quality of the guests.”

But we’ve always liked that kind of special showcase, different from the big one, which is a bit anonymous. Because mainly in Womex, you basically go to meet the people you already know. And everything goes fast and there are lots and lots of people. I, the first time I went, felt completely lost.

Well, for the type of idea I have and that I share with Fabio Scopino, who is my travel companion in that type of proposal, which is an artistic proposal, we wanted to make it small. For years together, we’ve had that experience of being delegates at different kinds of fairs, the big ones, the medium ones, the tiny ones… And as Italy, we always arrive last, so we had the advantage of trying to take what we liked from each fair to make our own. And we started in Pistoia.

This is Fabio Scopino’s LinkedIn profile.

DM: And the following year the opportunity came up to do it in Naples, which is clearly a city that has returned to being at the center of culture. It got lost for a while, but now people like to come. There’s a new wave of cultural tourism too. So we decided to keep MusicConnect, but we gave it the name Napoli World, because it’s dedicated to the city of Naples, which is a brand that is easily recognized.

HOW NAPOLI WORLD WAS BORN

The project was born in Cape Verde in 2018, when we got together with some Canadians who invited us to Canada to make a first idea of that MusicConnect project, which was international, but very free. Each one brought an idea of making a group of professionals in their country and exchanging projects, but, above all, organizing 2 or 3 days of fair. And we did it in Paris one year, in 2019. It was organized by José da Silva with his daughter Elodie, who at that time still worked in the music sector. And in the end Fabio stood up and said: “Well, the following year we’re going to do it in Italy.” He took that risk. And then Covid arrived and nothing was done.

So, when we came out of Covid, with a one-year delay, we did that first edition, very small, in Pistoia, which is a city in Tuscany, very close to Florence, but is a size more, let’s say, of cultural province. And from that moment, the idea was to do it in different cities. Because Italy is very diverse, also in terms of its musicians. And the delegates like to see different parts of Italy.

And it turns out that I lived in Naples for a good part of my life and never had a euro of subsidy to do anything. And magically, in 2022, a new city administration arrived that accepted new projects. And I proposed that project and they liked it, because they saw it as an opportunity to open the city to an international context and, above all, the professional part. Because the festival has a public part, open to a general audience, and at the same time it is a work opportunity, of connections and of networking. That concept pleased the city council a lot and they gave us the possibility to do a first edition in 2022.

And already the second in Naples was very successful because we had a historic theatre, one of the most important ones, the Teatro Bellini. And we started with the artistic direction of Enzo Avitabile, whom we already knew as an artist, and he was the only known artist whose manager went to the fairs. Because Italy is a bit strange, there has always been a somewhat divided presence in this type of events, not so structured. And he appreciated the work and we proposed to him to be our artistic director and that clearly gave us a more important profile at national and local level. So, since that 2023, we have the artistic direction of Avitabile. And the formula changed a bit, because in 2022 the idea was to focus above all on artists from Naples. In 2023 there were nationals with some international guests, because the collaboration with the fairs with which we are in network is also an opportunity to connect. These are similar fairs, with which we share an attitude.

“Above all, in the city of Naples, now the festival is known. It’s known that, at the end of November, there is a festival where I’m not going to find big names, but I’m going to discover projects from all over the world, which are going to be of quality.”

And in 2024, it was a disaster, because the City Council didn’t finance us. So we decided that we had to do it anyway. It was a personal investment. And we were supported by UpBeat, which is the platform of showcase festivals. With the UpBeat system basically we covered the expenses, but it was a very barricade-style edition because it was, really, without any local public financial support. And people liked it a lot. New musicians also came, new delegates… And, above all, in the city of Naples, now the festival is known. It’s known that, at the end of November, there is a festival where I’m not going to find big names, but I’m going to discover projects from all over the world, which are going to be of quality.

Despite the complicated situation that Davide has explained, the program of 2024 was very interesting. You can check it here.

Well, the normal audience is going to discover a new project. The local musician comes to listen to other musicians and they meet each other. The international delegates meet here. Napoli World turns out then to be a place where things happen at all levels: artistic, cultural, for the city, for the delegates, for the artists.

HOW THIS EDITION OF NAPOLI WORLD WILL BE

DM: And this year for the first time we have made an open call to the whole world and we will do a promotion with an official campaign when we have the selection of the artists. For the first time in 4 years we will have a program 3 or 4 months in advance. This for me is a dream, because never in my life did I have that opportunity to have the program so many months before… (Italy…😊)

This year we will have 16 showcases: 8 international and 8 national. We will have a special event on Thursday, in collaboration with the City Council of Marseille. And we will organize some activities, but also leaving free time, so that the delegates don’t have an impossible schedule from 8 in the morning until 10 at night. There will be time to go out into the city. For me, professionally, it is much more interesting because informal relationships are created outside the fair.

At the fair we will have 3 hours of speed meetings on Saturday morning and some panels that also serve us to gather everyone together in the morning.

The venues are more or less all close. I think that is the problem of big events of that kind, having to decide because you have to move around. I prefer a smaller venue for the day, with day case, and a bigger venue at night, but so that people don’t have to run and sacrifice one they want to see, because you really can’t see everything.

WHAT NAPOLI WORLD BRINGS TO THE ARTISTS

DM: Clearly, our intention is to be the center of an international network, but the effort is toward promoting the presence of Italian artists. For a long time now Puglia has supported artists and they have an important presence. But there are many independent professionals who don’t know, don’t find their place. They don’t understand anything. I was also one of them. So I said to myself: “Well, I want to do something that nobody did for me.” So, to help the artists to meet people who can be relevant for their career.

For example, now a Neapolitan group that played last year – they are called PS5 – is a jazz, world, a bit funk quintet, fucking great musicians who are very successful here in Naples, they’re going to Sunfest because Alfredo Caxaj liked them and they also have a date in Toronto. And in the previous years, groups like Ars Nova Napoli and, above all, Suonno D’Ajere, entered the international world music circuit through this.

Besides, we have established a payment for the artists. I am very sensitive on this subject, but clearly, last year we couldn’t. Many of the delegates even paid for their own trip because we had no money for anything. But we did cover the on-site expenses.

This year we have established a fixed fee. For the internationals we have more support because they have to travel here. And the idea is that it doesn’t have to be an expense for the musician, but an opportunity, at least you cover expenses, but you play your card, it’s an opportunity. That is very hard to explain to the groups, especially in Italy, because we are very talented, but we are a bit lost. And, above all, because there is no continuity. In our case, the city council supports you one year and the next year, who knows. But the festival improved. It’s not that they don’t support you because no one came. No: about 2000 people came in two days, the theater was full. We have fantastic images. And in response to this, the logical thing would be for them to keep financing it. But last year it wasn’t like that.

So it’s like a game of chance…

This is the story of Napoli World and MusicConnect Italy. This year we also have a small support from the Ministry of Culture for the first time, in addition to the city council.

AT: So, this year, as new elements, there’s that open call for international artists. And I wanted to ask you something. You mentioned that you report back to the city council. If the groups from Naples are performing abroad after their participation in Napoli World, do you have any formal way to gather that information about the result? Or is it informal? Until now, you have been very much in contact with the artists who have performed, quite directly. But do you have or are you thinking of establishing some way to collect that information in a more formal way?

Indeed, artists say “how am I going to go if I’m not getting paid.” And then they say, for example: “in the showcases, the waiter gets paid, the sound technician gets paid, and the musicians, who are the main figures, don’t get paid.” I, obviously, from my point of view, perfectly understand what a showcase entails. But the artists, as you say, complain that they’re not being paid. So, if we had a way from your side to show that if you do a good showcase, look, the results are worth it. This was the outcome from last year. And this over the last 2 years. These groups did this concert, this collaboration, etc.

DM: That can be done not only for the Italians, but also for the internationals, the UpBeat platform also monitors this. Because here international artists have been shown to international professionals. So, we discovered that it makes more sense for it to be an international showcase, because here relationships are formed on the Neapolitan stage, but many opportunities have emerged beyond that.
So, we’re going to prepare a list of the artists who have participated from 2021 to today, and what festivals and experiences they’ve had.

AT: I’ve already made three proposals for NapoliWorld. And I have experience in other showcases that did result in concerts for me afterwards.

But a professional recently pointed out to me that sometimes you don’t know that the concert you’re being hired for came from that showcase, because it’s 2 years later, or 3 years later. I understand that it’s really difficult to keep track of these things. But I think that if there isn’t even the intention to collect this information, then you really are lost. You have no data to hold on to. That’s why I find it very important to have data in order to make arguments to the musicians and also to institutions, of course. You now have to fight every year with the city council of Naples. To obtain this support you will need strong arguments, right? And in the end, numbers are what are understood most easily.
I sometimes miss in these kinds of events that formal intention to collect that information about the results. From what we’ve talked about, I understand that you are indeed going to make that specific effort to track the results.

DM: Without a doubt, without a doubt.

AT: And regarding the panels, how do you select them? Are there any particular topics you are interested in?

DM: Each year it depends on the type of delegates. Last year we had an important delegation from Asia because people came from Korea, Taiwan and India. So, we focused on how to present oneself to the Asian market in those different countries. It’s a way for people to get to know it, including myself. I didn’t know, for example, that there are those 5 festivals in Taiwan, for example. So, on an informative level, a presentation is made of what the delegates do.

The first year, in Pistoia, we did a panel on performers’ rights. We had a small support from the society that manages them in Italy and we did a panel about those rights.

But what I see, especially in the last fairs where I’ve been, is that maybe the topics are too generic. For example, the digital in music dissemination. That cannot be a topic. What’s it about? Because this kind of music doesn’t follow the reasoning of playlists on Spotify. Of course, it also has to be on Spotify, but those are topics that are too scattered.

So, our idea is to do panels that have a concrete focus and, above all, that the delegates are introduced. Last year Joan Rial came, the new director of MMVV, who replaced Marc Lloret *, whom we miss a lot, he was a friend and a wonderful person, and he told me, “Thanks, because it’s the first time I’m here as director, nobody knows me, and I’m meeting the people I’ll be dealing with in the coming months, so you’re introducing me not only to the public and the participants, but to the delegates.” I find this very useful both for the musician who is listening and for the professional.

As for the speed meetings… They are very controversial as a concept. I think it’s important that there is a moment of direct interaction. They are open to everyone and we do them very informally. Since I know the type of festivals that are coming and I know the musician, I tell them to talk to certain people with whom their work might fit. Because you can be a very good musician but maybe a certain person is not going to be interested in what you do, because they have a different editorial line. So I try to do it, in a slightly informal way, in the moment, because no one ever did it for me when I was there, and I would go talk to festivals that would never have looked at me for anything, because they did completely different things.

And so, it is also a moment that, if well managed, is not so exhausting for the delegate who has to sit there. And it has been important for many musicians. I’m sure Joan might like a project by some very good musicians from here who do like electronic indie, and I saw that it fit in MMVV, so I told them to talk to him, because I think that’s the place where they could present themselves. I’m sure that, if not this year, it could be next year. But I’m sure they will remember that conversation.

“You have to think in the long term. With a global perspective, because you can work with a long timeline, but with the whole world. That’s a characteristic of this type of music that I think other styles don’t have.”

And you have to think in the long term. With a global perspective, because you can work with a long timeline, but with the whole world. That’s a characteristic of this type of music that I think other styles don’t have. A festival might pop up in Kazakhstan… anywhere in the world, the world is big.

AT: Yes, I agree. It’s niche music, but the niche is all over the world. It’s not music that’s a bit niche, but it’s a niche for everyone.

WHAT IS DAVIDE’S BACKGROUND IN THE MUSIC WORLD

AT: Besides Napoli World, you’ve already talked several times about how you’ve taken these steps before, going to speed meetings and so on. I want you to tell me about your label Agualoca and also, why do you do all this? What’s your origin? Are you from a family of musicians, did you study music, or how was it?

DM: Well, that’s the question my therapist also asks me. (Laughter)
Since I was little, 15 years old, 16 years old, 20 years old, I had the dream of being a musician. I played piano and keyboards in pubs. I studied classical music, but always in private institutions, I studied jazz for a few years, composition and orchestra conducting with composers. At the same time, I was doing my degree in modern literature, in philology. I lived in Madrid doing a degree, because I was studying Spanish philology of the Middle Ages. So, I had those two lives. And at one point I realized that what I liked the most was music for images, because I really liked the idea of making music that related to the emotions of the video, of cinema. And I started working professionally very young. I did soundtracks for films.

I went to the Venice Festival, the Berlin Festival… I started, also with luck, we were like a group of artists from here and with a director. We did the music for like a new wave of the new Neapolitan cinema. I’m talking about the years 1996, 1997, up to about 2000.

And from then on I started doing it professionally. I’ve lived from music, always making soundtracks for documentaries, independent films, mainly, also a bit experimental… We did like electronic music mixed with played instruments. At that time it was something new. We carried computers to the stage, which were big. It wasn’t like now. Powerful laptops didn’t exist.

We also did the Romaeuropa Festival, we played at the Venice Biennale… I had a good resume, but I was alone and I never found someone to help me. Because I worked as a musician, I didn’t handle other aspects of the professional side, I didn’t have tools to strengthen my career. So I realized later that I missed a lot of opportunities because I didn’t know how to manage them. And there came a time when I started working less, but I knew musicians, here in Naples. I had the opportunity to have my own studio. So I said to myself, “Well, let’s see: we’re musicians from here. We have ideas, nobody helps us. How can we help ourselves?”

THE BIRTH OF THE LABEL AGUALOCA

DM: So I thought about starting a record label. Why? Because when I was a professional musician, I also worked part-time at FNAC, selling records. That gave me experience of the “market.” And I saw with my own eyes how people bought, what they bought, what they didn’t buy, what the perception of music was like. But at the same time I told myself there was a niche and I decided to talk to these people at FNAC, because out of every 10 records, one is of this kind of music not necessarily “commercial.” Perfect. I want to be there.
“I saw with my own eyes how people bought, what they bought, what they didn’t buy, what the perception of music was like. But at the same time I told myself there was a niche.”
So I opened that label and started producing unpublished projects. The name was born in Madrid; that year I was on Erasmus and lived in Lavapiés, which was an extraordinary neighborhood, and in the afternoons we went out to listen to music; on Sundays, friends came to the house of the Italian who cooked 🙂 and one day I prepared a fish “all’acqua pazza,” which is a way of cooking it in Neapolitan style. An Argentine friend asked me what that recipe was called and I gave him the literal translation into Spanish: “al agua loca”…

Often, at night, we went to concerts and listened to fabulous “world” selections at Suristán, a venue that I’m sure you know and have been to… I was so impressed by that style that I told myself: one day I will open a record label and I will call it Agualoca Records, and it will produce music like this. Thirteen years later, my prophecy came true…

Within that, there was a project of mine, Orchestra Joubès with Antonio Fraioli, the violinist of Spaccanapoli, a historic group from Naples produced by Real World, and now violinist of Vesevo, whose album I just released and that was also in our catalog. And with Ernesto Nobili, who is the artistic producer of Maria Mazzotta and Flo. I started with Flo. And I also published Ilaria Graziano and Francesco Forni. There was a moment when I was so excited and so happy that I took on a lot of productions. And then there came a moment when I realized I didn’t have time to play. Everyone was asking me to release their records, I put myself in the most uncomfortable position in the world. But in the end I started or helped in the career of many people. I liked that because it was like the support I hadn’t had when I was a musician and looking for someone like me. I did more or less the same path in cinema, because I am above all an audiovisual producer. I am a producer of documentaries, of an independent film… Because, with my experience in post-production, music, sound… That also grew.

“There came a moment when I realized I didn’t have time to play. Everyone was asking me to release their records, I put myself in the most uncomfortable position in the world. But in the end I started or helped in the career of many people.”

And it was in those years, when I was with the label, that I started attending markets, like Medimex. I went with my idea of an editorial line production, with some artists… And I met Fabio. He had all his experience with Eugenio Bennato, he had had his club in Naples for years… He was older than me, more experienced. So, I really liked him. The relationship was very easy. And he told me: “I’ve listened to Flo, I really like her. I want to be her manager.”

So I put them in contact. I sent Fabio everything I had of Flo and he told me: “Look, I’ve seen everything you have: Flo doesn’t need a manager because you are the manager.” (Laughter)

I had no idea. I just did the things the project needed, but I never positioned myself as a “manager.” So he taught me what it meant to be a manager. So, Fabio wanted to do it but together. I realized he was the person who knew things I didn’t and, also, we are very complementary. That’s how the relationship with him started. There was a moment when Flo went with another manager. Well, she changed her direction.

THE SEED OF THE IDEA TO CREATE A NETWORK

DM: And Fabio and I for a year went to markets, thinking about what to do, but we didn’t have an artist. But what we always noticed was that there were no Italian stands. Italians who aren’t from Puglia are scattered… So we started that idea of creating a network. We took charge of bringing everyone together. At the beginning, we set a minimum fee that each one paid. And we had the possibility to say, “WOMEX: we’re Italians, we are 40, give us a discount.” And then thanks to our work, many Italians who hadn’t spoken to each other until then started talking. We had the Italian stand up to Tampere, in Finland, 2019. And that year I was also invited as a panelist at WOMEX.

That year SIAE came, the Italian authors’ society, to see what was happening. There was a new agency that was investing in the internationalization of Italian projects around the world. And from then on, they took control and started managing it themselves. So Fabio and I weren’t going to be competitors of SIAE, so we went back to being delegates, now within a group managed by SIAE.

But something was still missing. At that moment, the stands were bought by SIAE and the Italians already had a discount and had structures. So that was solved. At the beginning, even the Italians weren’t in the same place. Puglia was in one place, a festival in another… So, if there’s one piece of work I can say was our idea and that gave results, it’s that one. Now, an Italian who goes to a fair, WOMEX, Babel Music XP… whatever it is, has a structure that you didn’t have before unless you were from Puglia.

So now that that’s solved, there’s no showcase in Italy. Medimex became a more mainstream festival, with incredible concerts. I saw Iggy Pop in Bari, the Chemical Brothers… but it had nothing to do with the original spirit, which was MEDIterranean Music EXpo. But they do f***ing great concerts.

“But the dream has always been to do a showcase ourselves and the possibility of doing it in Naples, for me, was a total surprise”

But the dream has always been to do a showcase ourselves and the possibility of doing it in Naples, for me, was a total surprise, because I had never had support in my city in my life.

Davide has a relevant career in the audiovisual world. One of his recent works is the film Querido Fidel, of which he was executive and associated producer. It is available for instance in Filmin.

Apart from this, now I’m also working on 2 documentaries that are about to be finished. But now, in this part of the year, we are going to work mainly on Napoli World, because we have time, we have the chance to spread it as much as we can.

What I like most about all of this is that now the festival is known in the city. People know, people come to discover concerts. And that is very important to me, it’s like a cultural vehicle for a city where there is a lot of tourism, a lot of interest. It’s a clearly very sectoral cultural proposal. In Naples there are very mainstream proposals, and a lot of classical music, there’s a very important baroque music tradition… But something like this didn’t exist in Naples. I’m very happy and proud of this.

The latest release by Agualoca Records is Vocazioni, by Ra di Spina. Here it is the playlist of the album:

THE MEANING OF A RECORD LABEL TODAY

AT: And you’re still releasing records with the label.

DM: Yes. Now, after many years that I had abandoned it a bit, now, we have released the album by Ra di Spina, a project that premiered at Napoli World, whose manager is Andrea Saladino, a guy who collaborates with us, who goes to the fairs. It’s one of the projects that fits into that larger structure, which is the showcase, the international presence. And clearly now, the record label part.

“I like the idea that it can be a label that continues releasing interesting musical projects.”

Well, the numbers are very low, but there was a time when I also had distribution in all the countries of Europe, until 2015 or 2016. Through distribution, not through concerts, I’ve sold like 15,000 CDs, in 6 years, which, for me, are incredible numbers, because we’re talking about completely new projects in the time of the beginning of the definitive end of physical formats. Of course, with promotional support. But we didn’t have major label tools. But I like the idea that the label continues to live, because everything started from there. And I like the idea that it can be a label that continues releasing interesting musical projects, not only Italian ones.

Of course, it’s no longer my main activity, but now I have a bit of experience, and I know that things can be done without incredible budgets. But now, printing the discs and spreading them is a promotion. The numbers are not interesting at an economic level, but they are interesting at a promotional level.

I’m from the generation of independent labels that had their editorial line and their projects. I stick with that. That I think still makes sense. It’s harder, in my experience, to explain it to the new generations, those under 35, it’s very hard, because they have another attitude, completely. They imagine a world that… They expect things that maybe don’t exist.

AT: In relation to recorded music or what?

DM: Yes. They expect presence, numbers… Why don’t we play more? The usual things. Results in minimal time.

THE VISION FROM THE ARTIST’S SIDE

AT: I think that’s always been the case, it really depends a bit on the person. But I do think something is missing for artists. Opportunities to learn. I get proposals from bands looking for agents and managers every day, and I always try to be very didactic. They have no idea how to approach someone like me. But how could they have learned? There are no ways. It’s very hard for artists. You said it too, that you used to go to fairs and didn’t know how to do things. It’s true.

So I try to be compassionate and didactic with them. But they don’t understand everything it involves… When someone comes to me and says: “I want you to be my agent, we have a concert in France. I want you to find me concerts in Spain and so on.” They can’t imagine everything it takes to be able to do those things. I mean, “Why should I dedicate time to you and not to any other project when there are 20,000 groups like yours, that are also good? Why should it be you?” And it’s hard for them. They’re very caught up in themselves. You’re an artist too. So I imagine you understand how they’re caught up in themselves and how hard it is to step out and perceive the whole picture of the enormous competition that exists globally right now. They have to learn over time.

DM: Well, life gave me the luck of going through a role that wasn’t mine. Stepping outside of myself, from the idea where you say “Well, I work hard. The music is good. People like it. Why don’t I reach what I want?” That’s a very personal level.

“You want to go on that adventure that is like traveling on a plank across the ocean. The difference is whether you’re there with oars or without oars.”

I’m also lucky that my parents are psychologists. My father told me at the beginning: “You want to be a musician. Perfect. But remember that you have to manage yourself, there will be moments of very deep depression, moments of great exaltation. And you have to manage all this. And that’s not easy, I think. If you can manage this, maybe you can have that career.” But it’s what I always tell the musicians I work with: “If it goes very well, okay, calm. If it goes very badly, let’s not shoot ourselves because things can change suddenly.” I’ve seen that so many times, right? I think this is the hardest point of all. Because there is a moment of imponderability, when you don’t know if you will make it or not. So you want to go on that adventure that is like traveling on a plank across the ocean. The difference is whether you’re there with oars or without oars. But having oars doesn’t mean you’ll get there.

“The list of composers registered in the UK authors’ society is 5,000. Do you still want to do this? First thing: the world is not waiting for you..”

After my degree I moved to England, where I studied music for films at an English university, with a very important professor from the BBC, Stephen Deutsch, with a lot of experience. On the first day he told us: “Well, you are 10 composers. Well, the list of composers registered in the UK authors’ society is 5,000. Do you still want to do this? First thing: the world is not waiting for you.” Everyone has their own way of managing this.

AT: That quote is amazing, Davide: “The world is not waiting for you.”

DM: That’s true, because no one was waiting for me.

AT: Yes, yes, exactly, you have to find your place. But it’s difficult… I think artists, also, in their whole environment, people tell them: “Oh, how wonderful! How beautiful! How well you sing!” Everyone around them tells them that, so it’s hard to see the big picture of who you’re competing with, which is the whole world. Also, with this kind of music, it’s literally with the whole world. So it takes an effort to step out of your environment that applauds you and think that you are a drop in the ocean of art in the world.

DM: But that can happen when you have the need to step out of that, because you say “Ok, I have this now. Now I want to go further.” So I think everyone who builds an artistic career wants to go further. And at that moment they come up against reality.

What I do with films is worse. We do one of the sessions watching a cut. We show it, to whom? Choosing the producer friend, the cinephile friend, some people from the sector, a few, to get feedback. Because when you’re inside something, it may be that you don’t realize it. And so often there are like 6 people and 4 tell you the same thing, that they’re not convinced… That, for me, means it’s like that: it needs to be changed. And they are people who are completely different. I’m used to this from working in film. I took part a lot in those post-production sessions. The film is shown to the producer. “What will the producer say? Oh, the producer doesn’t understand anything.” Doesn’t understand anything, but is producing your film, so they have the right to tell you what they think. Do you know how many times I’ve seen directors fighting?

“You can’t risk what might be the only moment you have to launch a project, because the project is not ready yet. There are projects that need to grow.”

I think it’s kind of the same. I can’t sell you, I can’t propose you if I’m not 100% sure of what I’m proposing, because you can see it in my face. And it makes me look bad if the concert doesn’t go well. There will have to be rehearsals and tests. You can’t risk what might be the only moment you have to launch a project, because the project is not ready yet. There are projects that need to grow.

AT: You’ve explained a lot of things I wanted to ask you so I’ll just ask if you have anything else you want to share or any final thoughts.

WHY KEEP BETTING ON NAPOLI WORLD

DM: Well, about Napoli World, it gives me strength in the field of entrepreneurship because I think it’s a contribution, small, but one I can give, with my experience also as a musician.

AT: Yes. I think so too, honestly. Look, you were at the MUM** fair last year. I think it’s going to do a lot of good. It’s in Extremadura. My mother is from Extremadura and it’s a region that’s a bit forgotten by God… And I think that’s going to change. It’s going to make Extremadura emerge as a new relevant creation center for music in the medium term. It’s still on the way, I think, because there still aren’t so many good artistic proposals. But I think it’s necessary to give artists some spaces, even to projects that are still mediocre. But if people don’t see that there are places where they can show their art, they won’t do it. Artistic projects won’t be created and everything will stay the same.

DM: I didn’t go this year because on those same days I was in Cape Verde at AME, but I’ve been several times, both in Mérida and when it was held in Villafranca de los Barros. It’s a dimension I like because it’s the kind of place where you can make human and interesting relationships.

AT: So you’re absolutely right about what you’re saying. Also, to make other regions of Italy visible aside from Puglia.

DM: Yes, we collaborate. Now also the region of Emilia Romagna is investing money in music. So, Emilia Romagna Region, Puglia and we are the Italians who are present at the fairs. But they are institutional. It’s another story. We, as an independent company, cultural association… never, we were never in competition with them and it has taken years to explain that it’s us, Davide and Fabio. What can we do in comparison with the region of Puglia? We support. Up to this year we asked them to put us in their Puglia stand, because I don’t have one and I don’t want to go to the bar with the delegate. The following year I said to myself: “Well, this year I want a stand where there are x Italians, mixed, plural.” But I really have to say that the region of Puglia in Italy is one of the few regions that has always made a great investment in culture. In the 90s it had a regional president from the left, from a party that was born after the end of the Italian Communist Party. It was the only experience of regional government in the south in the 90s, because in the 70s there were already some mayors, but in the regions, never… And they continue doing it. The form of government changed, but they kept that idea. In cinema, in music, in culture. That has been a very important experience in the Italian cultural landscape.

* In the interview Davide mentions Marc Lloret, the former director of Mercat de Musica Viva de Vic. Marc died of lung cancer last February at his 51 years old. You can read more in the newspapers, for instance, here.
** I talked about the MUM fair earlier on several occasions. For instance, here. It is a showcase-conference-festival in Extremadura region, in Spain, that I have attended several ocasions. The website is this.

Thank you, Davide!!!

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM MY SIDE:

Mustafa Said’s new album, Maqam Pilgrims

In 2019, the gala and ceremony of the Aga Khan Music Awards took place in Lisbon in 2019. Mustafa Said won. This is now history. He performed alone with his oud and his thrilling voice. For me it was a combination of freshness and surprise at every moment, grounded in his deep knowledge of classical Arabic music. By then, Said had already released four albums and had founded the Asil Ensemble. I never forgot that performance. The competition was fierce, and the artistic level was outstanding. Even so, Said’s victory filled me with joy.

It is now an honor for Mapamundi Música, six years later, to collaborate with the Aga Khan Music Program to share Mustafa Said’s new work with you. The album is produced in CD too. If you need more information, just let me know.

🎶Listen to the extraordinary Maqam Pilgrims, here.

TWO VENUES FOR THE HIDE AND SEEK FESTIVAL 2025 HIGHLIGHTED BY PETER VAN ROMPAEY

The Hide and Seek Festival brings together two things that, to me, don’t usually go together. First, it takes place in spaces that are generally closed to the public — and even more so when it comes to concerts. And then it goes a step further with the kind of programme it offers, which follows the spirit of MuziekPublique’s work. You can check out the programme here.

I asked Peter Van Rompaey to highlight two of the unusual venues for the festival on its 10th edition. He selected two venues: the Council of State and the Palace of the Academies.

About them, Peter explained this (I am sharing his words):

🔸 Council of State

(picture By User:Ben2 – Travail personnel (selfmade), CC BY-SA 3.0) ➡️
We are in two places: the ancient ballroom and the ancient court room.

▫️ The ancient ballroom
Some places are usually reserved for suits and official summonses, the ballroom of the Council of State is one of them. But this year, you are invited to an extraordinary concert in this rarely seen Brussels gem. Imagine a discreet neoclassical palace, hidden in the heart of the European quarter, built between 1858 and 1860 by none other than Alphonse Balat, the royal architect behind the reconstruction of the Royal Palace and the famous Royal Greenhouses of Laeken.

At the heart of this magnificent mansion lies a magnificent ballroom where people once waltzed all night long and where, until recently, high-level gatherings met under a dazzling XXL crystal chandelier. Framed by two large tapestries telling stories and legends from Flanders and Wallonia, the hall even hides a charming musicians’ balcony, a nod to the chamber music evenings of another era.

The Marquis of Assche once called this place home. So did Prince Albert and Princess Elisabeth, and King Lepold III was born there. American ambassadors followed. And now, for one night only, you are invited to enter this world of power and history. Come and experience a concert that is anything but ordinary.

▫️The ancient court room
Picture by Peter Van Rompaey.

🔸The palace of the Academies ⬇️

Once a royal palace, now a temple of knowledge, the Palais des Académies is one of Brussels’ best-kept treasures. Originally built for the Prince of Orange, this neoclassical masterpiece has been home to Belgium’s top scientific and artistic academies since 1876, including the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts and the Royal Academy of Medicine.

Behind its majestic columns, you’ll find grand staircases, opulent salons, historic artworks and period furniture, the kind of setting that whispers history and elegance. For one night only, this place of wisdom becomes a stage for music, mystery and magic.

Picture by Peter Van Rompaey

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in June of 2025 is: Adrian Raso & Fanfare Ciocărlia’ The Devil Rides Again (Asphalt Tango)

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the month are Marc Crofts Klezmer Ensemble’s Urban myths (Frémeaux & Associés), Assafir’s Traversées (Rakomelo) and Kaabi Kouyaté’s Tribute to Kandia (Buda Musique).

OPEN CALLS

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:

🔸 Babel Music XP

Call for applications open until July 19, 2025. I’ve attended the past three editions. In this year’s edition, as I had mentioned in previous ones, I took part in a roundtable moderated by FAMDT, which gave me the chance to reflect on very important and deep topics, and to share that moment with the other speakers — something I truly enjoyed.

This year, all panels had simultaneous interpretation, which I deeply appreciated and saw as a strong gesture towards a more international audience.

I think I’ll be submitting several artistic proposals. For now, I’m sharing a few key points and invite you to visit the official website in case you’re interested in sending proposals or attending as a delegate.

▫️What is it about?
According to their website:
“A career accelerator and a showcase on an international scale, Babel Music XP stands out as an incredible amplifier of global musical diversity.
With 1,800 professionals, over 50 countries from 4 continents, and 10,000 spectators, the 3rd edition of Babel Music XP in March 2025 generated real excitement, drawing numerous international delegations.”

▫️What do they cover?
· Minimum wages for every artist / musician / 1 technician on stage (direct contract with Babel Music XP or performance contract with the production, minimum union wage). – I have search how much is it and I found that it is 175 € gross per person (from this source). I don’t know how much it is net.
· Accommodation in a twin room on the night of the performance for artists + 1 technician
Airport transfers / Rail transfers to the hotel and venue – only available from Wednesday 18th March and Sunday 22nd March.
· An evening meal on the night of the performance for artist and the technician and 1 representative of management. Light refreshments backstage for all groups.
· Accreditation passes for the artists and technicians + 1 representative of the group.
· Basic, shared light, sound equipment & backline (they have a backline list but I haven’t found it on the website – so check with them in case of special needs).
· Professional technical assistance (sound, lighting, stage management).
· Information on selected groups and artists on Babel Music XP communications.

🔸 Napoli World

THIS SECTION REPEATS SOME OF THE EARLIER CONTENT, PRIOR TO DAVIDE’S INTERVIEW.

Napoli World will take place from 27th to 29th of November. The call for applications for showcases is open until 15th of July.On the website you can download the rules and conditions and fulfil the form with the proposal of a showcase. “Musical projects belonging to the World Music, Ethnic and Folk Music, World Jazz, World Electro and Global Beats genres will be considered eligible.”

Candidates who have not received any communication by 31th August 2025, will be considered “not selected”, a communication will be sent only to selected candidates. Sixteen showcases will be scheduled.

The showcasing artists will receive a fee, per musician:

• regional project: 150 €; national projects:
• 200 €; international projects:
• 300 €;

all amounts + VAT where applicable; national and international will have one in hotel + local transport where required).
If you are going to apply, check the official website.

🔸 MOST Sessions

▫️What is it?
It is a “training programme between 11–12 September 2025 at SHIP Festival, Šibenik, Croatia” dor emerging artists.

▫️Who is it for?
Eligible countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Criteria: emerging artists who are connected to the world music industry and are ready for international work. A good level of English is required. Applicants haven’t participated in the MOST – Bridge for Balkan Music project before.

▫️How to apply? Check the details and the application form, on the website. Deadline: 15th July

MEET ME AT

• 16th July. With Thanos Stavridis & Drom in Palma de Mallorca.
• 1st-2nd August. With Vigüela at the Urkult Festival.
• 13th-16th August. With Vigüela in South Corea, TBA

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.

Summary 👇 

🔸Editorial
And follow-up on the panel at Babel Music XP

🔸Talk with Chris Eckman about Glitterbeat

🔸A little something from my side

🔸Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

🔸Open calls: Afro Pepites, Visa for Music Forum Activities

🔸Meet me at ✈️ 

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you?

Xabi Aburruzaga leaving the Paseo de la Castellana, one of Madrid’s main avenues, on the way to the airport back to Bilbao. Next Saturday they will fly to Osaka with his quartet!!! He has been selected by Acción Cultural Española for the Spain’s stand.

Follow-up on the panel at Babel Music XP

In previous editions, I mentioned the panel at Babel Music XP in which I participated, titled “The New Narratives for Traditional Music in the Face of Current Political Challenges.” It’s now available on the website — check the section “Music and Societal Challenges.”

Thanks for reading — and for being there. Our protagonist of this edition is Chris Eckman, from Glitterbeat, a true reference whose words have given me great motivation and encouragement. I am sure his words will also touch you.

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

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR: 
CHRIS ECKMAN, FROM GLITTERBEAT RECORDS

About Chris as a musician

So, Chris Eckman is an musician, songwriter, and producer from the USA, best known as the co-founder and frontman of the alternative rock band The Walkabouts, formed in Seattle in 1984. Eckman has also explored diverse sonic territories through projects like Dirtmusic, Chris & Carla, and The Strange. Now based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, he continues to shape contemporary world music while maintaining an active solo career, with recent releases like The Land We Knew the Best (you can listen to it, here).

▶️ For more information about Chris Eckman as a musician, check his website –

About Glitterbeat

This will be the main topic on the interview so, if you don’t know Glitterbeat yet, let’s check their website, which explains that:“Glitterbeat specializes in vibrant global sounds. The label was created to release records that simultaneously embrace evolving global textures and localized traditions and roots. Our artists are both culturally committed and resolutely contemporary.

~ While you read the interview, you can enjoy listening
to the playlist Glitterbeat Records: New Releases, here 🎶~

Albala is the first album by Samba Touré release by Glitterbeat, which Chris mentioned in the interview. Click to listen:

After that, to try to define what the label is becomes more difficult, because we’ve done really a vast amount of music. Nearly 180 releases from all corners of the globe. And I think it’s pretty simple though still… we are not looking for certain kinds of music. I mean, we’re not really basically interested in the stuff that indie or rock or hip-hop labels would release. We’re looking for stuff that has an element of tradition too. I think this dialogue with tradition and contemporary sounds and contemporary ideas is really important to what we do. It’s not the only thing we do but I would say that that’s the center of what we do. So mostly we’re looking internationally at projects that are centered in that idea, this sort of conversation between tradition and contemporary ideas.

AT: And you work with niche music and not only niche but even more niche because you made a Tak:til, a sub-label, in 2017, specifically for instrumental music, that is even more difficult, isn’t it? Why did you consider it needed a specific sub-label?

CE: Yeah. I don’t know… It’s another brilliant business decision, I guess (laughter). You know… it’s funny, but now instrumental music, is kind of having a mainstream moment. Bands like khruangbin are mostly instrumental and they’re playing in arenas, in basketball stadiums and places like that. We’ve done quite well with YĪN YĪN. Which is basically an instrumental band from Holland. They have really strong streaming numbers. But what you say is generally true. I think this was just pure love of certain kinds of music. We saw opportunities there. We were sent some records that we really liked but they didn’t really fit into what we felt was the main flow of Glitterbeat. And it gave us an opportunity to expand. For example, we have a band from Slovenia, they’re good friends of ours, called Širom. I came across them upon recommendation of Silvij, who works at Glitterbeat. I went to see them play in a small club here in Ljubljana and I really felt like “wow, that could play anywhere in the world”. You just don’t see that kind of music. You don’t hear that kind of music anywhere. There’s no one who sounds like them. This alone is something really fascinating in this time when everything is so interconnected. So, we had this idea, well, we could we work with them. And then we realized that for Glitterbeat it would be a stretch so, in a way, we started Tak:til for Širom. But we realized that nobody internationally knew them yet. So we waited till we saw something that we could release that would make more noise and then Širom would follow. And that’s how it started.

AT: So you have mentioned the business side of this, because of course this is a business, and you have to earn enough money to keep on going on. I think few people buy CDs; few people buy vinyls also nowadays. So which are the incomes for a company of this? Is it not selling physical CDs? And we are talking about the revenues from Spotify, for this niche music, that are so reduced. How can a company like you make your living and which are the other sources of income for a record label nowadays?

CE: For us we have very few sources of income because of the way our contracts work: we’ve never taken publishing for the artists. We don’t touch it. We don’t even take a percentage of it. So that already limits us to some degree. I would say another revenue is streaming. And sync rights, mostly when our music is used in a film, this can bring in some extra income in a year. But generally we make our income from physical sales and streaming. And you have to be very very careful. You have to run a very very cost-conscious business to do that. Yeah, it’s not it’s not easy.

We’ve been lucky that we’ve had some fairly big successes, like Altın Gün. This helps a lot. We’re getting to the point now where our average release is starting to get stronger again. It’s a combination of things: just curating better sharper than we did in the past, also just knowing how the business works more, knowing where there are places you can save money and… yeah, how to run a really tight business.

I’m sure you can imagine it’s not easy at all. But I think you know the death of the CD is also sometimes overstated. The CD is way down from where it was of course, massively down, insanely down. But we have some artists that have very solid CD sales. And I’m not even talking about the bigger artists: some of the niche artists, the folk stuff we’ve been doing, like British and Irish folk stuff, Landless and Brìghde Chaimbeul, they have sold solidly with CDs.  Ana Lua Caiano sold very well with CDs, relative to what some artists sell. So, it’s interesting. It’s still a reasonable format to commit to. But, again, you have to be careful. When we started, our average CD run was 2 to 3,000. Now our average CD run is around a thousand. So it’s way down from where it was, but it still brings income.

AT: Is there or are any releases that you will consider particularly significant in the label’s history?

CE: Yes. I think that there are always some game changers. They’re not always the most popular. Sometimes there are other stories, other narratives that are equally important to the label. I mean all the releases are stuff we believe in or we wouldn’t have done it. But I think we have to look at Tamikrest in the beginning. I think if we hadn’t had Tamikrest, we probably would not have lasted more than a year or two. Tamikrest had already released two records, as I said, on Glitterhouse. So we got them on Glitterbeat with already a functioning touring band that we were not building up from zero. I produced the first two records and, the third, the first with Glitterbeeat, Chatma, was a big success. We sold nearly 25,000 physical copies of that. Without that, it would have been tough to keep building… Also, they gave us visibility. Forget about the money and the sales. This is important but not the only thing. It was very well reviewed — even in more mainstream rock, pop, and indie magazines, websites, and so on. It broke outside of what we might call the “world music bubble.” Yeah, that was very important.
 

And there is a lot of small things that kept us going, smaller things after that, that kept us going over the years. I remember one that’s kind of a weird story I’ve told it before. People are always like “really, I’m not sure I understand what you mean…”. But for example, the first record we ever did with Ian Brennan, it was a field recording record, and this got reviewed in the British rock magazine Uncut. And for me… I remember coming to the office and I said “This is success”. I mean that record’s going to sell very little, but we broke into this very rock, rock and roll, classic rock, mainstream mentality. We broke inside that with a field recording record. And it made me feel that Glitterbeat was making more of a difference than with some of our more successful artists. You know Altın Gün was going to be successful without Glitterbeat. Tamikrest would have been successful ultimately at some point without Glitterbeat. But fighting for these small releases like a field recording from Cambodia started to become something where it felt like we were actually helping to change the conversation a bit. 

AT: For someone who is not familiar with these kinds of music sometimes I think they see them very far and very strange and they are challenging to the listener when they are not used. What would you say to some people who may have some curiosity to encourage them to start exploring these kinds of music? And would you suggest one or two albums for them to begin with?

CE: It’s interesting. There are, let’s say, gateway kinds of sounds, that that work better than others to our, generally, westernized ears. I think that’s one reason why Touareg music has worked so well. This is not to take anything away from it. I’ve thought about it a lot because you just wonder like why that, but it already has this element of rock music. And it’s not some element of rock music that’s forced on it. So, contemporary Touareg music was made by musicians who were listening to rock music. This is not something that some western producer said “now you need to take an electric guitar and you need to… maybe a little bit more Dire Straits, maybe a little bit more Santana…” They were listening to that music. So they changed the paradigm. The market did not change the paradigm. And I think, because of that, it’s an interesting music as an introductory music. It’s not to say that it’s only an introductory or it’s watered down or light: it’s some of the most amazing music made in the last 40 or 50 years to my mind. But nevertheless it lines up with our, let’s say, general sensibilities, westernized sensibilities, because there is a continuity. I think that this is one example.

AT: So, Touareg music could be one example. 

CE: Yes. I’m not saying only push Touareg music. Another thing, Araceli, is something I saw you actually post once and I almost wrote something. And I understood what you were saying in this post. You were talking about like how do we get this music out to people. You know, like it’s so frustrating sometimes. We believe in it so much and it makes so much sense to us and we know how beautiful it is, and we know how the spirit of it is so powerful… And I think that part of it is by liberating ourselves from preconceptions about how the music can get out there. So in other words, one thing that Glitterbeat did right in the beginning, and it was not because we were so smart: it’s because of where we came from. I mean I had spent years in indie rock bands and making Americana music and so on. I knew this other media and that’s the media I knew better than world music media. I didn’t know world music media at all, actually. I had no idea even what it was. I was introduced to this once we started releasing records. And I just felt, and others like me, like Chris Kirkley from Sahel Sounds… There are a lot of people that are out there that have had the same idea: just that we should treat this music not as specialist music. We should be blind to the fact that it’s specialist music. We should put blinders on, like literally ignore that it should be classified as specialist music. We have to know that this music is on the same level as any other. It has the power to move people — if you can just get them in the room. So we need to, I think, become more naïve about how hard it is — like, deliberately force ourselves to be naïve — because we’re not naïve. We know how hard the market is but possibly we have to remind ourselves sometimes that naivety is really important. Just to say go to places where you don’t think it’s going to work. And I’m talking about venues, festivals, media. And I think one thing we can say with Glitterbeat is that we’ve shown this can happen — we show it, we do it regularly.

We went to Wire magazine, strongly, right when we started. We did see Noura Mint Seymali as some kind of experimental musician. As much as she’s grounded in deep tradition and so on, the fact that she chose to work with an American drummer — she could have worked with anyone — stood out. The American drummer learned all the different percussion patterns and incorporated them into a drum kit and electric bass. These were things that weren’t very common, even in Mauritanian music. And again, not something forced on her by some Western producer or market — she was already doing this in Mauritania. She understands what her role is, and she knows she’s different from other Mauritanian singers. And there’s no reason why experimental Mauritanian music shouldn’t be playing at experimental festivals in Holland, Spain, the UK, and so on.

So it’s partly about, you know, just being stubborn about what we expect. And you’re going to fail most of the time — don’t get me wrong — failure is built into the attitude. It’s like, yes, we’ll fail most of the time, but then there are those days when you go to the office and think, “Actually, we succeeded”. It might have been on a very minor level, but something happened — something beyond our expectations.

Thank you, Chris!!!

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM MY SIDE

I mentioned earlier that Thanos Stavridis & Drom will be coming to perform in Spain (and I hope this will be the first of many other gigs together). It will be in July, and I’ll share more details soon.

My connection with Thanos began a little over a year ago, when he contacted me as a mentor, with the upcoming release of his band Drom’s album in mind. The album is now finished, and it’s absolutely fascinating. The music is captivating, and they are all true masters of their instruments and their craft. No doubt, they have every reason to be as happy as they look in the photo!

🎶Listen to the extraordinary fygame, here.

The Ukrainian Hudaki Village Band, for their part, are finalizing their new album. The tracks are not mastered yet, but I have heard it. At the beginning of this letter, I said that we are “exposed to forces against which we have the same capacity to respond as a leaf falling from the tree before the wind that sways it at its whim.” When I think of Hudaki, that idea vanishes: they are creating some of the most fascinating music I have ever heard, in spite of all those forces against them. They make me feel pride in the human being. 

These are pictures from the recording sessions of the new album by Hudaki Village Band:

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in May of 2025 is: Songhoy Blues’ Héritage (Transgressive / Remote)

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the month are Thanos Stavridis & Drom’s Fygame (self-released), Mara Aranda’s Sefarad en el corazón de Bulgaria (self-released) and Tsapiky! Modern music from southwest Madagascar [V.A.] (Sublime Frequencies)

OPEN CALLS 

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 THE NEWSLETTER:

🔸 Visa For Music Forum Activities
Visa For Music 2025 will take place in November 19 – 22 in Rabat, Morocco. The application’s deadline for the Forum Activities is on May 25, 2025 and they have three formats:

• Conferences / Panel Discussions (90 min): In-depth talks around key issues, practices, and innovations in the music sector.
• Masterclasses (1h à 2h / 1h to 2h): Educational sessions to pass on specific skills.
• Workshops (2h à 3h / 2h to 3h): Hands-on, interactive sessions (max 20 participants). 

It is a not paid collaboration. Visa For Music will cover accommodation for selected speakers for two nights in Rabat, airport-hotel transfers during the festival dates and lunch and dinner catering on the day of the activity.

The application form and the terms and conditiosn are available here.

ALREADY IN THE NEWSLETTER IN APRIL:

🔸Afro Pepites Show
The online registration is open until Saturday 31 May 2025. It is open to artists from Africa, the Caribbean, South America or any other artists inspired by Africa. Organized by Le Rêve Africain, this online talent-spotting platform aims to discover and promote emerging African and diaspora artists across various genres, including hip-hop, reggae, afrobeat, spoken word, and urban music. The initiative offers selected artists opportunities for increased visibility, networking, and potential collaborations.

Application fees:
· Free for artists and labels based in Africa or South America.
· For those based in Europe, Asia, or North America:
· Independent artists: €15 registration fee.
· Labels: €23 for the first project, €18 per additional project.
· SACEM Plus members receive a 25% discount with a promotional code.
· There is also a patronage option: supporters can sponsor artists who cannot afford the fee.

Key dates:
· Application deadline: 31 May 2025
· Selection announcement: 15 June 2025
· End of public voting: 10 July 2025
· Final results (Pepites): 20 July 2025

Full info and registration links are available here.

MEET ME AT

• 19th May. Festival Pasaulis Skamba, in Vilnius, for the concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş.
• 23-24 May, Albacete. Conference on Traditional Guitar Playing: Towards a Safeguard Plan. This is a very local event, in the sense that it will be entirely in Spanish and highly specialized. I wanted to mention it because Juan Antonio Torres from Vigüela will be taking part in a panel called ‘Traditional Guitar and Stage Context.’
• 30th May, Murcia! Ali Doğan Gönültaş returns to Spain for one more concert in a referential festival: Murcia Tres Culturas.
• 31th May, Consuegra. Vigüela will perform in the local theatre of this village with the iconic windmills →
• 7-9 June, Poznań, for Ethnoport Festival. Concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş.
• 11-13 June, Brussels, for the European Forum on Music by the European Music Council.

Later in July I will travel again inside Spain for a concert by Thanos Stavridis & Drom.

Summary 👇 

· Editorial
After Budapest Ritmo, some good news from Zone Franche and a reflection on my participation on the panel at Babel Music XP

· Talk with Sofia Labropoulou about Unbounded Sounds

· The European Folk Network announces dates and location of its 6th annual conference

· Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

· Open calls: Afro Pepites, Premio Andrea Parodi

· Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

I hope you will enjoy these contents. Thank you for your attention.

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: 
SOFIA LABROPOULOU, ABOUT THE SERIES OF CONCERTS AND WORKSHOPS “UNBOUNDED SOUNDS”

I first met Sofia Labropoulou in Belgrade, on the occasion of the festival Todo Mundo, in September 2021. I was already familiar with her work through the album Sisyphus. And we’ve stayed in touch ever since. A few months ago, she announced her new project: Unbounded Sounds. This is the main focus of our interview this time.

~ While you read the interview, you can enjoy listening the album Sisyphus, here 🎶~

As explained on the press release, “Unbounded Sounds is a music series created by the kanun virtuoso, improviser and composer Sofia Labropoulou. Debuting in 2025 at the Sargfabrik Kulturhaus, this series invites audiences to experience a unique blend of folk traditions, contemporary innovation, and Vienna’s rich music diversity.
The inaugural edition features a series of five unique concerts, each showcasing a two-part format. In the first part, Sofia Labropoulou collaborates with an internationally acclaimed artist in a duet, exploring musical influences from folk, jazz, experimental, and improvised music traditions. In the second part, a local Viennese artist joins to form a trio, creating space for dialogue and unexpected musical connections.“

The program of concerts is:▫️15.03.25 Sokratis Sinopoulos (Lyra/Istanbul Kemençe), Sofia Labropoulou (Kanun) & Sarvin Hazin (Kamanche)
▫️13.05.25 Efrén López (Oud), Sofia Labropoulou (Kanun) & Sakina Teyna (Voice)
▫️09.10.25 Michel Godard (Serpent), Sofia Labropoulou (Kanun) & Tahereh Nourani (Flute, E-Bass, Objects)
▫️06.11.25 Chris Jennings (Double-Bass), Sofia Labropoulou (Kanun) & Verena Zeiner (Piano)
▫️04.12.25 Shabnam Parvaresh (Bass-Clarinet), Sofia Labropoulou (Kanun) & Matthias Loibner (Hurdy-Gurdy)

On the website you can find many more details. And in this link you have the press kit. Sofia shares some additional reflections with us in this interview.

Araceli Tzigane: How did the idea initially come about?Sofia Labropoulou: The idea for Unbounded Sounds grew out of a long-standing desire to create a space where musicians from different traditions, genres, and backgrounds could meet—not to define, compare, or fuse—but simply to listen to each other and to share sound, freely and openly. 

This portrait of Sofia is by Vegeldaniel.

SL: The collaboration with Efrén also extends beyond Unbounded Sounds.
On May 17, together with Efrén López, Derya Türkan, and Avgerini Gatsi, we’ll perform as a quartet at the Jewish Weekends Festival in St. Pölten (Ehemalige Synagoge). The concert will explore the same theme as our workshop in Vienna—the influence of Ottoman music on Sephardic traditions—creating a meaningful connection between the two events.

By building these links with other initiatives, we move in solidarity, fostering artistic dialogue and shared purpose across different spaces and communities.

THE EUROPEAN FOLK NETWORK ANNOUNCES DATES AND LOCATION OF ITS 6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 2025 EFN conference will take place in Manresa, Catalonia, Spain on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 October, during the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa. This event hosted the annual conference of the EFN already in 2022.

According to the website of the EFN: “​There will be a host of superb speakers, sessions and discussions of interest to everyone in the traditional arts and a feast of music and dancing during the Fira Mediterrania de Manresa – it’s a unique opportunity to network in the beautiful ancient city amongst professionals from across Europe.”

Mapamundi Música is a founding member of EFN, and I myself am a member of the board, so it’s an initiative I’m personally committed to.
If you’re not yet receiving EFN’s news and updates, I encourage you to subscribe at: https://www.europeanfolknetwork.com/sign-up-to-the-monthly-newsletter. This link is for signing up to receive the newsletter by email, and it’s free of charge.

If you’re interested in learning more about membership, check out this other link: https://www.europeanfolknetwork.com/membership

Practical details about the conference 

The conference is open to both members and non-members.  

Conference registration fees cover:

· All conference sessions over two full days
· Barcelona airport pick-ups and return transfers
· Discount rates at the four star Hotel Don Candido in Terrassa
· Daily transport from the hotel to Manresa
· Access to Fira Mediterrania showcase events
· Delegate lunch in the splendid Kursaal Theatre
· Welcome reception hosted by wine producers D.O.Pla de Bages

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in April of 2025 is: Trio Da Kali’s Bagola (One World)

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the month are Ozan Baysal’s Tel ve ten, Tatros Együttes’ Pillanat and Fanoos Ensemble’s Echoes of Afghanistan.

🔸LIMúR: it is the Iberian Roots Music Chart, led by Juan Antonio Vázquez. The LIMúR for the first quarter of 2025 has been published. The #1 spot goes to Mara Aranda’s Sefarad en el corazón de Bulgaria, a self-produced work by the Valencian artist.

Click the image to discover the 15 charted works: 

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

OPEN CALLS 

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 CALL IN THE NEWSLETTER:

🔸Afro Pepites Show
The online registration is open until Saturday 31 May 2025. It is open to artists from Africa, the Caribbean, South America or any other artists inspired by Africa. Organized by Le Rêve Africain, this online talent-spotting platform aims to discover and promote emerging African and diaspora artists across various genres, including hip-hop, reggae, afrobeat, spoken word, and urban music. The initiative offers selected artists opportunities for increased visibility, networking, and potential collaborations.

Application fees:
· Free for artists and labels based in Africa or South America.
· For those based in Europe, Asia, or North America:
· Independent artists: €15 registration fee.
· Labels: €23 for the first project, €18 per additional project.
· SACEM Plus members receive a 25% discount with a promotional code.
· There is also a patronage option: supporters can sponsor artists who cannot afford the fee.

Key dates:
· Application deadline: 31 May 2025
· Selection announcement: 15 June 2025
· End of public voting: 10 July 2025
· Final results (Pepites): 20 July 2025

Full info and registration links are available here.

THIS CALL WAS IN THE NEWSLETTER IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION:

🔸Premio Andrea Parodi

MEET ME AT

• 10th of May, Madrid, Spain. Yes, Madrid is the place where I am settled but I wanted to say that Vigüela will perform in the main festivity of the city: San Isidro. The San Isidro Festival in Madrid is the city’s most iconic celebration, held every year around May 15th in honor of its patron saint, San Isidro Labrador. The festivities combine religious traditions with vibrant cultural and popular events. Locals and visitors gather at parks, streets, and historic squares to enjoy concerts, open-air dances, street performances, parades, and traditional activities such as chotis dancing and wearing the typical “chulapo” attire. The Pradera de San Isidro becomes the heart of the celebration, with food stalls, music, and a festive atmosphere. Vigüela will perform on 10th of May at the Pradera. Yeah!!! Check them in the video below.
• 19th May. Festival Pasaulis Skamba, in Vilnius, for the concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş.
• 30th May, South-East of Spain! TBA. Ali Doğan Gönültaş returns to Spain for one more concert in a referential festival.

Summary 👇 

• Editorial
  Babel Music XP, internationalization and visas 
• Talk with Anton Apostol from Antonovka Records
• Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects
• Open calls: Visa for Music (application deadline extended), Premio Andrea Parodi, Mercat de Música Viva de Vic (deadline this monday) and Music Week Poland
• Meet me at ✈️  MUM, Budapest Ritmo

➡️ This is the link for subscription

I hope you will enjoy these contents. Thank you for your attention.

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:
ANTON APOSTOL, FROM ANTONOVKA RECORDS

   While you read, you can listen to the album of Damir Guagov and Asker Sapiev, here  🎧 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ANTON! 

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

OPEN CALLS 

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 CALLS IN THE NEWSLETTER:

🔸Music Week Poland 2025 – 1st edition! 

This is the first edition of this event so I have no experience about it.

It will take place in Warsaw from June 26th to 29th. The application deadline is on March 31st, 2025. All artists will be notified of the selection results by April 15th, 2025.

Artists from any country are welcome to apply. All the details about how to participate as an international artists are available on their website.

Some interesting infos:

· “As the concerts and parties will take place in late evenings and nights, the mornings will be reserved for our conference, structured around such themes as business, technology, social impact, and legal affairs. For this part of our event, we invite you to the Polish History Museum located in the picturesque surroundings of Warsaw’s Citadel.”

· “We envision it as a gateway for Polish and Eastern European artists to enter the dynamic and ever-expanding European music markets.”

· “Selected artists will gain access to exclusive industry opportunities, including:
– Invitations to networking events
– Inclusion in the official delegate database, connecting you with key industry professionals
– Access to the conference program, featuring panels, workshops, and mentoring sessions
The application is free of charge.”

APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED

🔸Visa for Music 

It will take place in Rabat from 19th to 22nd of November. The deadline for submitting applications has been extended until April 10th, at 11:00 PM GMT+1. The application process is through the official form.

· Who is it for: Artists of global folk and fusion; contemporary and urban music; electronic music (DJ and VJ). All members of the musical group must be over 18 years old. The group must have been active for at least one year, with multiple stage experiences (concerts from the past year and planned performances for the current year must be provided in the application). Able to deliver a 40-minute live performance of original music.

· What do they offer: No artist fees, travel costs (plane tickets, train, etc.), or other expenses (e.g., Moroccan visa fees) are covered. They cover: a stage and necessary equipment, airport transfers and accommodation will be provided for up to 6 members of the group (for one to three nights, depending on the country of residence, in twin rooms), a per diem of 500 MAD per person will be provided on the day of the showcase (up to a maximum of 3,000 MAD per group), promotion of the showcase through Visa for Music’s extensive network (social media, newsletters, online marketing, etc.) and artist passes (for group members and their manager) granting free access to all Visa for Music activities.

THESE CALLS WERE IN THE NEWSLETTER IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION:

MEET ME AT

• 2-4 of April, Mérida, Spain. MUM
• 10-13 of April, Budapest, Hungary. Budapest Ritmo, as a delegate and for the showcase by Ali Doğan Gönültaş.
• More dates, in the next edition…

SUMMARY

🔸Editorial. MUM, Extremadura and VONK

🔸Talk with Kavita Shah from Folkalist Records

🔸Babel Music XP 2025, with Olivier Rey

🔸UnBounded Sounds, series of concerts and workshops, by Sofia Labropoulou 

🔸Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

🔸Open calls: Mundial Montreal, Fira-B!, Visa for Music, Trovam, SoAlive Music Conference, WOMEX, Premio Andrea Parodi, Mercat de Música Viva de Vic

🔸Meet me at ✈️  VONK in Ghent, Babel Music XP in Marseille, MUM, Budapest Ritmo

Hello, how are you?

I am well! I hope you’re doing very well. This picture is a selfie at the house of radio, in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, where there is the central headquarter of Spanish National Radio. I went there just to accompany Juan Antonio Vázquez for his interview with Kiko Helguera on the occasion of the first anniversary of the LIMúR. You can listen to that radio show here (in Spanish).Personally, I’m excited about so many things coming up soon.

Among them is MUM the Professional Music Days in Extremadura, which I’ve mentioned on a previous occasion. This year, I’ve been part of the artistic selection committee, and it has been a fascinating experience. The fair will take place from April 2 to 4 in Mérida, Badajoz, a city with spectacular historical heritage from the Roman Empire.

This event is the music industry gathering for the Extremadura region, one that has historically been less economically developed than other parts of Spain, although I believe it is a land of great contrasts. The nature is diverse and wild, there are cities like Cáceres, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and many other gems like Plasencia or Guadalupe, as well as countless authentic and lively villages. It is also known for its Iberian pig farming, producing the famous jamón ibérico. Additionally, it is the region my mother is from.

In terms of music, this fair will celebrate its ninth edition this year. The number of applications received has been enormous—around 250 proposals, with nearly 100 from the region itself.

The official communication and on-site activities are in Spanish, but I wanted to highlight that the call for industry professionals is open until March 14 at 14:00 CET, available here. Check the conditions and what they cover, here.

MUM is organized by the Asociación de Gestoras y Gestores Culturales de Extremadura (AGCEX), in collaboration with the Centro de las Artes Escénicas y la Música (CEMART), under the Consejería de Cultura, Turismo, Jóvenes y Deportes de la Junta de Extremadura. It is financed by the Diputación de Badajoz, Diputación Provincial de Cáceres, and the Ayuntamiento de Mérida, with the collaboration of Extremadura AVANTE.

But before MUM, I will have the opportunity to participate in a similar event, though in a very different setting: VONK, in the beautiful city of Ghent, which I think is my favorite city in the world so far. The program includes performances by Mandolinman, Xabier Díaz Trio, Playground Hearts, Hartwin Trio, Lies & Jeroen, Farfar, and Cardboard Cabin. And of Sunday, the Open Stage will host 12 short performances of local artists.

I have often mentioned that my mother is from Extremadura. I found this photo where she appears with her parents and 8 of her 10 siblings. The other two were born later.

I hope you will enjoy these contents. Thank you for your attention.

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:
KAVITA SHAH, FROM FOLKALIST RECORDS

   While you read, you can listen to the album Cape Verdean Blues, here  🎧 

You might also be interested in listening to some of the album that Kavita mentions: Juana Luna’s Canciones en Blanco y Negro. It is the second release from Folkalist. Here is the full album playlist:

AT: Are there any criteria you will apply when choosing which projects to release? I see on the website that you refer to the “global South.” Also, hybridity. Any other aspects? 

KS: Folkalist’s artists are singers, storytellers and culture-makers who put folkloric traditions in conversation with contemporary ones. Our number one criteria for signing new artists is musical excellence. Then, yes, we are dedicated to releasing music from the global South, which is not a geographic distinction as much as a political one: we are here to center music and amplify voices who have historically been left out of the marketplace. While primarily focused on vocal music, we are open to releasing instrumental music that fits this criteria as well. And as a female record label owner, I am committed to Folkalist’s artist roster being majority female / non-binary at any given moment.

Hybridity is also an important feature to us because the so-called ‘world music’ industry, while historically increasing the awareness of previously unknown musical traditions within a marketplace dominated by the Global North, has at times also served to solidify binary concepts of ‘us’ vs. ‘them’, ‘primitive’ vs. ‘modern’, and ‘authentic’ vs. ‘innovative,’ leading to the paradoxical effect of pigeon-holing the very music it was globalizing. But history shows us that traditions are not static, and they do not live in isolation; they have always been in flux, shaped by constant contact with other societies and ideas. This dynamism is all the more true in our current age of hyperconnectivity. Folkalist strives to elevate music that thrives in the fertile space between genres, music that is plural rather than monolithic, music that transcends boundaries and binaries, and speaks to the reality of today’s global citizens who do not possess one whole culture, but fragments of many.

AT: For artists who meet those criteria, how should they contact you and what should they send for consideration? For example, do you need a final master or would a demo be sufficient? 

KS: We at Folkalist would love to hear your music! We accept both demos and final products, and artists can submit their music on our website here.

Note that, in order to keep a cohesive sound on the label, especially given that our artists come from all corners of the globe with different levels of access to equipment and technology, we generally like to get involved during the album production stage (during the recording or mixing process).

AT: Do you think the concept of an album still makes sense in these times when digital predominates and singles can be easily released? 

KS: This is another aspect of our market that is in flux. At Folkalist, we are open to releasing music in various formats: singles, EPs, and full-length albums. But I think the concept of an album still holds weight in establishing an artist’s body of work and in building a sustainable career, especially for touring artists. (Of course, I am biased as I come from the jazz world and from a generation when albums were still very important in terms of telling a story from start to finish!)

Artists today can certainly put out and promote singles–especially when accompanied by music videos, which can be great promotional tools–or shorter-length EPs–which can be useful especially when artists want to try new artistic directions. I am just not convinced that EPs are truly cheaper or less time-consuming to produce than full-length albums, or that they ultimately supplant the growth opportunities, both creatively and financially, that arise from creating a broader artistic statement.

AT: You released Juana Luna’s album “Canciones en Blanco y Negro” in September. This was your second release. Tell us about it. 

KS: We are very excited to have released Argentine singer-songwriter Juana Luna’s Canciones en Blanco y Negro (Songs in Black and White) last Fall, a beautiful album blending Argentine folkchamamés and boleros with string quartet arrangements commissioned by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and touches of electronic production–exactly the kind of hybrid, traditional-modern aesthetic that Folkalist is focused on! About the music, a tribute to her grandmothers and great-grandmothers, Juana says, “In a way, this album is a ritual of acceptance for all the women whose stories don’t get told, whose suffering got swept under the rug. This is an embrace, a way of looking through the generations to say thank you to those who came before me.”

Canciones is #5 on this month’s World Music Charts Europe, and the single “La Paloma” was included on NPR’s “Top 10 Songs of 2024” by Felix Contreras. You can listen/explore more here!

AT: Which other plans do you have for the near future? Do you have a planned regularity for releases, or will you be releasing as interesting proposals come up? 

KS: We are a small label aiming for quality over quantity; we invest a good deal of time, energy, and funding into each release to make it a success while also striving to adapt our strategies to the constantly changing nature of the music industry. In Spring 2025, we will be releasing our third album, Ecuadorian singer-songwriter Grecia Albán’s Nubes Selva (Cloud Jungle), which takes the listener on a journey in Spanish and Kichwa across the diverse Ecuadorian landscape, combining rhythms and rituals of her ancestral homeland with electronic soundscapes to create a singular, futuristic folk sound.

We are actively reviewing proposals and signing artists, and we will be making announcements about new signings over the next few months. Stay tuned!

AT: If you want to share any other insight, please, proceed. 

KS: Thank you for your interest in Folkalist Records! You can follow us on Instagram at @folkalistrecords and check out our website, www.folkalistrecords.com for more information on our artists, music clips, and digital liner notes that beautifully tell the stories behind the songs!

THANK YOU, KAVITA, AND MUCH SUCCESS FOR FOLKALIST RECORDS! 

ABOUT BABEL MUSIC XP, 3RD EDITION
BY OLIVIER REY

While you read you may like to listen to this playlist with pieces by the artists on the official selection of Babel Music XP 2025:

· A few words about the 3rd edition of Babel Music XP 2025

This is an edition that takes on a special significance in the current global context. Babel Music XP aims to connect people in the industry, foster cultural exchange, and promote musical diversity through the live performance economy.

It is a resolutely humanist and internationalist initiative, running counter to the current trends of isolationism and the rise of populism that can be seen in the United States, Argentina, and several countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Babel Music XP is therefore an engaged edition, designed to foster solidarity, bring people together, and stimulate the concert economy.

We know that artists in the global music scene, whom we promote, build their careers primarily through live performances rather than streaming or album sales. It is through live music that these artists make a living and establish their careers. There is a real challenge in defending cultural and musical diversity, especially as multinational corporations increasingly centralize power and drive cultural homogenization.

Babel Music XP stands as a counterpoint to this narrow vision of the world. Our goal is to be more open. This edition is one of struggle and solidarity, with a broader international scope than the previous two editions, not only in terms of the delegations attending the trade fair and professional meetings but also in the official selection.

We have 30 selected groups representing 21 different countries. The styles featured are extremely diverse, ranging from deeply rooted traditional music to futuristic and highly contemporary sounds. Between these two extremes, a wealth of projects emerges, reflecting the vibrant musical scenes around the world. Babel Music XP serves as a snapshot of today’s global musical creation.

· Professional Meetings

We have focused on several key areas. One part of our discussions will be dedicated to the Mediterranean region for various reasons. Firstly, France will host a Mediterranean season in 2026 *. Secondly, Babel Music XP is a genuine Mediterranean hub for world music. We serve as a platform for exchange between the North and the South, a role we proudly embrace.

The Mediterranean is a crossroads of three continents, multiple religions, and various languages. It reflects global dynamics today. Babel Music XP has a vital role to play in this space.

Additionally, we are highlighting international music industry players from Argentina, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Morocco, Canada, and across Europe. Our approach is truly global.

The professional meetings will also address transformations in the live music industry, including shifts in economic models, evolving formats, and changing audience habits. Babel Music XP should be a space where we collectively reflect on these changes.

We are looking forward to this edition with great anticipation. We want to demonstrate that it is possible to work differently in the music industry—through meaningful, effective exchanges while preserving the human dimension that we hold dear.

Welcome to Marseille, from March 20 to 22, where we will continue to build bridges and connections in an increasingly turbulent world. Babel Music XP is a project of general interest, and we will succeed together through collective action.

· About the Musical Lineup

I also wanted to focus on the official selection. Instead of listing all 30 groups, I want to emphasize their diversity. We are welcoming artists from Senegal, Sweden, Brazil, Ukraine, South Africa, Ireland, Iran, Estonia, and Bosnia, among others.

The selection offers a broad panorama, ranging from traditional music to contemporary genres. It highlights not only emerging global trends but also the expression of diasporas worldwide.

Some traditional music styles are being reinvented by new generations of artists. This is particularly interesting because these modern interpretations prove that traditions are not static. Many populist movements attempt to reclaim traditions by freezing them into folkloric representations. However, certain artists are offering a new narrative, reinterpreting shared cultural heritage in a fresh, contemporary way.

In the selection, we have artists like Caamaño & Ameixeiras (Spain), Dal:um (South Korea), Mari Kalkun (Estonia), Rokh Quartet (Iran-Switzerland), and a traditional Irish music duo, Séamus et Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta.

We also showcase projects exploring innovative approaches, such as BitoI (Sweden-Denmark), which experiments with voice in a highly modern way. Other acts blend traditional and electronic music, like Azmz – Bnat Louz & Raskas, merging ancestral Moroccan sounds with electronic music.

Some projects build cultural bridges, like Ablaye Cissoko & Cyril Brotto, who combine the kora and accordion between France and Senegal. Another example is Jawa, a Belgian-based project exploring Syrian music and Maqâm, featuring a whirling dervish.

This lineup is incredibly diverse and globally connected. It fully represents the spirit of Babel Music XP, which finds a natural home in Marseille.

Marseille is not a neutral city. It is the oldest city in France, deeply Mediterranean, port-based, and working-class. Its history is closely intertwined with the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and Latin America.

This is what Babel Music XP is all about. It is our Tower of Babel, where all languages and music will be heard and resonate together.

* The Mediterranean Season is a program by the Institut Français that each year focuses on a specific country, with a year-long program across France showcasing cross-disciplinary artistic creations. In 2026, it will focus on the Mediterranean and the collaborations between France and other Mediterranean countries.

UNBOUNDED SOUNDS, NEW CONCERTS AND WORKSHOPS SERIES CONCEIVED AND ORGANICED BY SOFIA LABROPOULOU

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in February of 2025 is: Al Andaluz Project’s,  The Songs of Iman Kandoussi: Traditional Arabic Andalusian

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the month are  Kaito Winse’s Reele bumbou; Soolmaan’s Kashgul and Simon Thacker & Justyna Jablonska’s Songs of the Roma

OPEN CALLS 

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 CALLS IN THE NEWSLETTER:

🔸Mundial Montreal

The 15th edition of this event will take place from November 18 to 21, 2025. The application for showcase is open until 2nd of March until midnight (note they are in in Canada). Check the details on their website. Below I will summarice for of the main facts.

· Who is it for: Mundial Montréal is looking for market-ready artists who wish to develop their careers at a national and international level.

· How to apply: The cost is $45 CA per application. On the form on their website. The application requests many data and makes questions as if there is gender parity in the band, how many members of your band identify as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, if you belong to any of the following Indigenous Peoples in Northern Turtle Island, how many members of your band identify as Indigenous, if any of the following racial and ethnic groups that apply to members of your band (many options).

· What do they cover: Each band member will receive an Artist wristband that provides access to all panels, Mentor Café and showcases. Mundial Montréal will provide the artists with the crew and basic backline required for their performance.

· Which are the costs: In case of been selected, the artist or the representative must buy a PRO badge.  And note that Mundial Montréal does not provide support for travel, accommodation or per diems. The artist is responsible for obtaining the necessary visa(s) to play in Canada and electronic travel authorization (eTA) to enter Canada.

🔸Fira -B! 

This fair has a part of performative arts, to take place from 2 to 5 of October, and a part of music, happening on 6 to 8 of November, both in Palma de Mallorca.

The application for showcase is open until 28th of February, through the form on their website or through Gigmit.

Their website is very informative and clear. I will summarice some of the main facts but check the website for more details in case you consider to apply:

· Who is it for: Musical projects that are releasing or have released a new album or EP between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025. They must have performed five live concerts since January 1, 2023. Proposals must necessarily present a description and a CV in one of the three working languages of Fira B! (Catalan, Spanish and English), photographs, video recordings (at least one live) and an explanatory dossier at least in English.

· What do they cover: Artists featured in the official program will receive an artistic fee that will be calculated based on the number of participants in the production (artistic team and up to two members of the technical team), at a rate of €150 per person. For those artists who need to travel to Mallorca and who do not have financial support from any institution, travel expenses will be reimbursed (up to a maximum of €60 per person for travel between islands, €150 per person for travel from mainland Spain, €350 per person for travel from Europe) and one night’s accommodation, or, in the case of international artists, a maximum of two if logistics make it essential.

🔸Visa for Music 

It will take place in Rabat from 19th to 22nd of November. The deadline for submitting applications is March 23, 2025, at 11:00 PM GMT+1. The application process is through the official form.

· Who is it for: Artists of global folk and fusion; contemporary and urban music; electronic music (DJ and VJ). All members of the musical group must be over 18 years old. The group must have been active for at least one year, with multiple stage experiences (concerts from the past year and planned performances for the current year must be provided in the application). Able to deliver a 40-minute live performance of original music.

· What do they offer: No artist fees, travel costs (plane tickets, train, etc.), or other expenses (e.g., Moroccan visa fees) are covered. They cover: a stage and necessary equipment, airport transfers and accommodation will be provided for up to 6 members of the group (for one to three nights, depending on the country of residence, in twin rooms), a per diem of 500 MAD per person will be provided on the day of the showcase (up to a maximum of 3,000 MAD per group), promotion of the showcase through Visa for Music’s extensive network (social media, newsletters, online marketing, etc.) and artist passes (for group members and their manager) granting free access to all Visa for Music activities.

🔸Trovam, the Valencian fair of music

It will take place in Castellón de la Plana, Spain, from 13th to 15th of November. Application deadline, until 24th of March at 23:59h (CET). Check the conditions on their website. You will need a translator because this page is not translated into English. I will make a summary of the most relevant issues:

· Who is it for: Groups from any geographical origin can participate, although priority will be given to artistic formations from the Valencian Community. Groups must have at least one released album or EP and have audio and video material available. Artistic proposals from various musical styles within the field of contemporary music (pop, rock, folk, electronic, urban, jazz, fusion, etc.) are welcome.

· What do they offer: the Fira Trovam, as a space for exchange with the attendance of professionals (650 in the last edition), will agree on a financial contribution with the participating companies and groups. Artists and/or their management offices must be registered and up to date with their obligations to Social Security and the Tax Authorities. Hospitality: Fira Trovam will consider as part of a company or group, for accommodation and meal purposes, the number of artists/technicians listed in the application form and – at most – one person in the role of representative or manager. Depending on availability, accommodation will be arranged in Castelló or nearby towns. Rooms will always be shared. The cost of single rooms will be covered by the artist, provided they are available.

APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED AND NEW APPLICATION PROCESS

🔸SoAlive Music Conference

In the previos edition of the newsletter I announced the deadline of 15th of February for the applications, as it was announced. I have just check their website and I see it has been extended until 15th of March.

How to apply? In the previous edition I announced it was by Gigmit. Now they have also opened the application process on their website. I checked with Ruth Koleva if the applications made by Gigmit were still working for this year’s edition and she confirmed. Both process (Gigmit and their website) are OK.

The content about So Alive under the picture are the same as in the previous edition.

For artists of any genre, from the Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Kosovo, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Romania, North Macedonia, Turkey, Croatia).

It will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, 14-17 October 2025. The call for artists is open until 15th of March. What do they offer: “As part of SoAlive 2025, you will perform in front of an audience that includes over 800 delegates from the music industry.” They won’t pay any fee. They cover fixed travel reimbursement (specific details provided upon selection), catering during the event, Pro + accreditations for all band members and accommodation for the duration of the festival.

THESE CALLS WERE IN THE NEWSLETTER IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION:

MEET ME AT

• 28 of February to 2nd of March, Ghent, Belgium. VONK. This is a showcase organiced by Muziekmozaïek Folk & Jazz. This is how they present the event: “The festival brings together both established names and exciting new discoveries on the stages of De Centrale. From atmospheric listening moments to danceable rhythms, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Additionally, VONKfestival is the place where musicians, organizers, and music lovers come together, offering space for spontaneous jams and engaging conversations.”
• 20-22 of March, Marseille, France. Babel Music XP.
• 2-4 of April, Mérida, Spain. MUM
• 10-13 of April, Budapest, Hungary. Budapest Ritmo, as a delegate and for the concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş.

Summary 👇 

🔸Editorial

🔸Learning traditional music: Folk_ME with Miklós Both

🔸LIMúR, the Iberian roots music chart, turns one year old. Juan Antonio Vázquez shares some insights

🔸A new edition of Ntwala Oh Yeah!, with A’mosi Just a Label

🔸Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

🔸Open calls: WOMEX, Premio Andrea Parodi, World Music Showcase in Sofia, Mercat de Música Viva de Vic, Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, So Alive Music Conference, Circulart

🔸Meet me at ✈️  Line up of Flanders Folk Music Awards and Belgian Worldwide Music Night, announced

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you? I hope well! I am very well, after some time without flights, but the activity will be hectic again very soon.

I already shared this picture with Miklós Both in a previoys edition. We made it in Kaustinen on the occasion of the annual conference of the European Folk Network. In this edition of the newsletter, here below, Miklós shares some insights about a project that I find really exciting: Folk_ME.

It is conected to an issue that is in my mind very often: the learning of the traditional music. I dedicated the edition of August 2024 to this topic. There, Marie Devlieger, coordinator of the academy and Peter Van Rompaey, artistic director of Muziekpublique told us about their educational offer. I shared some insights about the experience of Antonio Mirón in rural areas of Almería province (Andalucía) and I mentioned the Escuela de Música Creativa from Madrid. Three different initiatives oriented to teaching traditional musics.

I am writting this editorial on Sunday night. This morning I learnt about the international conference “Le Musiche Tradizionali in Conservatorio” (Traditional Music in Conservatory), that will take place on 24 and 25 of January at the MARCA Museum, Catanzaro. You can check the details, here.

From 27th of February to 2nd of March, the AEC – European Association of Conservatoires will have their Pop and Jazz Platform anual meeting, with the topic of “Mother Tongue: European Identities in Heritage, Pedagogy, and Repertoire”. And they announce that

“Together, we’ll explore the impact of native languages and the dominance of English on:

🎶Musical identities
📚Repertoire choices
🎼Music teaching and learning
🌍The state of musical traditions and Indigenous forms” 

It is meaningful for me that they pay attention to specifically these topics.

I wonder if these conferences will include people who are still bearers of traditional music. It would be essential, but I’m not quite sure if that will be the case.

Yesterday I attended the concert by Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou in the Limo concerts series. There, I was told about a musician from Sardinia who had been learning to play the zambomba with the videos I made with Juan Antonio Torres from Vigüela six years ago for the Youtube channel of the Association of Dissemination of the Styles. The play list of 13 videos is here. Juan Antonio has been teaching traditional music for many years, developing his own methodology.

Where am I trying to go with all this? I don’t think it will lead anywhere beyond reflecting on all the different ways this topic can be approached. I’m glad to see activities related to the teaching of traditional music, and I believe we need to keep exploring ways to approach it. This is one of the topics I address further down.

But as you’ll see shortly, the news is on fire. We have a handful of open calls and very interesting content, which I hope you enjoy.

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 

Folk_ME

Araceli Tzigane: How has it been the traditional music teached in the tradition? In Spain the way of learning before the massive exodus from the village to the cities was very different from the way after that. Indeed I think there was a cut in the transmision, and the learning of traditional music was substituted by learning other things (let’s say that the people started to learn a kind of recreated folk music from the concepts of academic music). At the same time (years 50s-60s of XX century) in Spain there was an explicit movement from the Regime, of folklorization of traditional music and dance, where many things were rejected and other things were standardized. At that time, they were created the folkloric groups that are still alive, mainly in villages and in little towns. So we have these folkloric groups on one side and the urban-recreated-folk on the other side, and so far these are the main ways to learn something that some people call tradition. 

Miklós Both: In Hungary, the transmission of traditional music historically took place within rural communities through oral tradition. This meant that children and young people naturally absorbed the repertoire of songs, dances, instrumental techniques, and performance styles by observing and participating in community events such as festivals, weddings, religious ceremonies, and work-related gatherings. This process was deeply embedded in the everyday life of these communities, where music and dance were inseparable from social functions and communal identity.

Learning occurred primarily through observation and imitation. Young people would listen to older generations, watch their performances, and gradually internalize the repertoire and techniques. Certain skills, particularly in instrumental music, were often developed autonomously, with talented individuals experimenting and refining their abilities based on the examples they had seen and heard. However, intentional teaching also played a role: experienced musicians, such as fiddlers or bagpipers, often felt a moral obligation to pass on their knowledge to the next generation. In some regions, there was even a belief that a musician could not die without transmitting their craft to a successor—a powerful illustration of the cultural and ethical weight placed on preserving heritage.

The shift from rural to urban living in the 20th century disrupted this organic process. As traditional communities fragmented, the natural settings for transmission—village gatherings and communal festivities—diminished, and with them, the immersive environment where traditions thrived. In response, the preservation and teaching of folk music became more formalized, particularly through the establishment of institutions and movements such as the dance house (“táncház”) revival of the 1970s. These initiatives aimed to recreate the communal and participatory nature of traditional music within an urban context while also incorporating structured teaching methods to ensure the transmission of knowledge.

Today, traditional music in Hungary is learned through a combination of institutionalized education (e.g., music schools, workshops) and community-driven initiatives like dance houses, which aim to preserve the spirit of traditional oral transmission. However, the cultural and social immersion that characterized the original rural context is challenging to replicate in modern urban settings. Despite this, the commitment to passing down traditional music remains strong, supported by a growing recognition of its cultural value and its role in shaping a shared national identity.

AT: Which are the future plans of the project Folk_ME?

MB: The Folk_ME program is preparing for a significant expansion with two major initiatives launching in April. These additions aim to enhance the platform’s offerings and further its mission of making traditional culture accessible to diverse audiences, including teachers, students, and enthusiasts.

The first initiative focuses on urban Gypsy music traditions, particularly Hungarian “városi cigányzene.” This module will digitize and present this rich musical heritage, highlighting its historical roots, characteristic instruments (such as violin, cimbalom, and clarinet), and distinctive performance techniques. Through interactive tools, users will explore orchestration and stylistic nuances, preserving and educating about this vibrant tradition.

The second initiative extends Folk_ME into traditional handicrafts, offering step-by-step tutorials and cultural context for various crafts like embroidery, pottery, and woodcarving. With accessible materials and detailed demonstrations, this segment will inspire both educators and hobbyists to engage with these crafts while learning about their historical significance.

Together, these developments will deepen engagement with cultural heritage, promote hands-on learning, and foster cross-cultural dialogue, ensuring that both musical and craft traditions remain vibrant and relevant for future generations.

AT: And which are your future plans? Because you made the Polyphony Project before, which is absolutely fantastic, and Folk_ME after. Do you have any other ideas like these for the future? 

MB: My future plans are closely tied to the further development and expansion of the Folk_ME and Polyphony Project platforms. Both initiatives have immense potential for growth, as demonstrated by the upcoming modules on urban Gypsy music traditions and traditional handicrafts. These new directions not only broaden the scope of the projects but also require significant time and expertise to fully realize.

Our primary focus is to continue enriching these platforms by expanding their methodology with specialized knowledge and high-quality content. This approach ensures that they remain innovative and comprehensive tools for preserving and teaching cultural heritage.

Given the scale of these developments, the projects themselves represent years of dedicated work, allowing us to delve deeper into diverse aspects of traditional culture while maintaining the highest professional standards.

Looking ahead, my goal is to refine and expand this methodology further, ensuring that these platforms serve as exemplary models for digital cultural education and inspire similar initiatives worldwide.

THE LIMúR, THE IBERIAN ROOTS MUSIC CHART, TURNS ONE YEAR OLD

Araceli Tzigane: Please, make a short introduction of LIMúR. What is it, who is part of it, what do you do, and why did you start it?

Juan Antonio Vázquez: LIMúR stands for Lista Ibérica de Músicas de Raíz (Spanish) / Raiz (Portuguese), or Iberian Roots Music Chart, a chart that highlights recently released albums of roots music either made in Iberian countries, by artists of Iberian origin anywhere in the world, or based on Iberian musical roots, no matter the origin or the place of residence of the artists. In fact, we’ve already included in our chart musicians from other origins (Sahrawi, Brazilian, Cape Verdean, Moroccan, Italian, Senegalese…) living in Iberian countries. Similarly, we could also have, for instance, a Portuguese artist creating Indian music or a Japanese artist residing in Germany making flamenco. In other words, we understand the concept of “Iberian” in the broadest and most inclusive sense possible. This inclusivity also extends to the approach to roots music, ranging from strictly traditional to the most diverse experiments.

We also want to highlight the variety of Iberian cultures, languages, and musical expressions, which demonstrate a much richer diversity than what might be expected if we only look at administrative borders. In that sense, we advocate for Iberian diversity, ensuring complete equality and non-discrimination. This is reflected in the fact that the name of the chart is displayed in every Iberian language that has a standardized linguistic form established by a recognized institution, such as the various language academies and their equivalents. Therefore, the full name of LIMúR appears in Spanish (Castilian), Portuguese, Galician, Catalan-Valencian, Basque, Asturian, Aragonese and Mirandese, as well as in English. We are still missing Aranese, for which we do not yet have a verified translation. Similarly, we aspire to have the website’s introductory texts in all these languages, and we welcome any possible collaboration in translating them into these languages.

We are aware that there are other Iberian languages and linguistic variants besides the ones mentioned, but we have chosen to focus on those with recognized codification to make the representation manageable. For practical reasons, communication regarding the chart is conducted exclusively in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

To launch this initiative, I invited a series of recognized journalists and disseminators of these musical genres, initially from Iberian countries. Over time, the invitation extended to participants from other countries. Currently, the panel includes members from Argentina, Puerto Rico, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Greece, and Serbia, among others, with plans to incorporate new panelists from different regions in the future. We are fortunate to have journalists working for major media outlets, such as newspapers like El País or El Mundo; national radio stations in Portugal, Spain, Poland or Serbia; university radio stations in Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, Brazil or Portugal; specialized web-based stations and more. But most importantly, they are specialists with extensive knowledge and broad perspectives.

The process involves identifying and exploring roots music albums published during the previous months. Each quarter, panelists vote for albums that meet the criteria, covering releases from the last quarter and the one before it. At the end of the year, an annual vote determines the top albums of the entire year.

The voting mechanism is straightforward: each panelist ranks their preferences, and the votes are tallied to create the final list based on the aggregated scores.

AT: Which are the objectives?

JAV: The primary objective of LIMúR is to act as a platform that amplifies the visibility of Iberian roots music, both within Iberian countries and internationally.

In the Iberian context, these styles are often underappreciated, except for a few better-known genres like flamenco or fado. Even within these better-known genres, there are many artists with very interesting yet underexposed proposals. Additionally, root music from different territories within Iberian countries often does not transcend local boundaries due to linguistic and cultural divides. LIMúR aims to foster mutual understanding and exchange across these diverse traditions.

Another goal is to highlight works of excellence, prioritizing quality and providing a comprehensive reference for anyone interested in Iberian roots music. This includes both specialized media and sparking interest in mainstream outlets, with the ultimate aim of reaching a wider audience.

AT: After one year, what are the insights you have about the development of the production of this kind of music?

JAV: All the objectives are currently in progress, with very promising outcomes. The response and impact have been overwhelmingly positive, but I hope it will gain even more recognition, especially after the publication of the first annual chart, corresponding to the year 2024.

The initiative has been warmly received by those in the roots music sector, particularly by the artists and groups who have been recognized through LIMúR. Many of them have become ambassadors for the project, proudly showcasing the recognition they’ve received, which in turn helps spread awareness about LIMúR’s work.

Ultimately, LIMúR has brought joy to talented artists and contributed to the growing recognition and dissemination of its mission. This shared enthusiasm continues to expand LIMúR’s influence and reputation.

THE THIRD EDITION OF NTWALA OH YEAH! WILL TAKE PLACE IN JUNE IN MALANJE

Araceli Tzigane: Which where the biggest challenges in the previous editions? 

A’mosi Just a Label: The biggest challenge in producing Ntwala Oh Yeah! is first the people, including myself! Then the institutions in Angola. Me, because i dared to think about holding a festival of international standard in Angola! Even though I was aware that the Angolan people understand that art is just entertainment, hype, etc. And yet, I insisted on proposing this festival model to the people.

As for the other people, because regardless of whether there are some of them involved in the project, which makes me happy and makes me believe that the child that was born in 2023, will crawl and walk, I feel that they are still far from being able to contribute more than they already should.

The institutions in Angola, because they are egocentric and incapable of opening their minds and changing the sociocultural system, I see them as dream killers, blind, and structures without the neurological capacity that allows them to generate consciousness and feel emotions.

I confess that it was very difficult to answer this question, for several reasons, I faced so many challenges and didn’t know where to start explaining myself.

Araceli Tzigane: Who participated in the previous edition?

AJL: These artists participated: Marina Queiroz Miranda (Brazil); Clington experiment (Angola/Portugal); Zadio (Angola/United Kingdom); Yoleni (Angola/France); VI-CI (Luanda/Angola), Rainy Mar (Luanda/Angola); Kark Sumba (Luanda/Angola); Uncle Jay (Luanda/Angola); Santimant Mwiny (Luanda/Angola); Jorge Pimentel (Benguela/Angola); Ismael Farinha (Luanda/Angola) and Roberto Leal (Angola/Brazil).
5 for exhibitions: Ely Inglês (Luanda/Angola); Gato Preto (Luanda/Angola); Eltina Gaspar (Luanda/Angola); Nefwani Júnior (Luanda/Angola); Parasol (Luanda/Angola).
2 selecta artists: Wilmara Maravilha (Luanda/Angola) and Mara Baoba (Luanda/Angola).

I really wish much success to A’mosi and the team for the 2025 edition and I hope they can fulfil their aims! 

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 

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 CALLS IN THE NEWSLETTER:

🔸WOMEX
This year WOMEX will take place in Tampere (like in 2019), Finland, 22 – 26 October 2025.

“Recognized as one of the most important gatherings in the global music scene, WOMEX is the most diverse music meeting worldwide. Its musical spectrum spans from the most traditional to the cutting-edge global local underground, embracing folk, roots, jazz, local and diaspora cultures, and urban and electronic sounds from across the globe.”

The deadline for sending the proposals is Friday, 28 February 2025. The application must be done in this website: https://www.womex-apply.com/

The submission fee (payable by Paypal) is:
· 20 January – 07 February: Early Bird Rate, 15 €
· 08 February – 28 February: Late Rate, 25 €

🔸Premio Andrea Parodi
The 18th edition of the competition has been launched, with the final rounds scheduled from October 9 to 11, 2025, in Cagliari. The call for applications is now open, with free registration available until May 9, 2025, through the official website www.fondazioneandreaparodi.it.

The winner and several finalists will receive significant prizes, including opportunities to perform at major Italian music festivals.

🔸World Music Showcase in Sofia
“The call for applications for the international showcase for emerging artists in world music is open from January 05th to February 16th, 2025. Each accepted application will be evaluated by a 5-member international jury. 12 participants will be selected to participate in the showcase program in Sofia. The official artist selection will be announced on March 17, 2025.

The showcase will be held on July 3rd, 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Participation includes also speed meetings with the delegates and networking sessions on July 4th, 2025.”

To be elegible, the artists have to fulfill some conditions. Check them in the official website.

🔸Mercat de Música Viva de Vic
The 37th edition will take place from 17 to 21 of September in Vic, Catalonia. The call for applications expires on 31st of March. Proposals can be submitted for all musical styles and genres, with the exception of classical music.
Check the conditions for the participations, here. Application, here.

THESE CALLS WERE IN THE NEWSLETTER IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION:

🔸Who is it for? 
“Music, performing or street art, folk culture and association-related proposals that are based on traditional roots as a driver of creativity and speak to us in the present.”
Note also that:
“The programme of Fira Mediterrània is divided into three main itineraries:

• Music, featuring the world music and traditional roots music scenes.
• Dance, with a dynamic perspective on traditional roots and folk culture.
• Memory, llegacy and oral storytelling, with performance and outdoor arts offerings, particularly theatre and circus, which draw on folk culture.”

🔸How to apply? 
The application is free and you can do it through the website. Deadline: Thursday 23 January 2025 at 12.00 a.m. CET.

🔸To learn more:
“Fira, as a performing arts fair attended by sector professionals (1,140 registered delegates), will agree a financial contribution with companies and groups.” Check all the conditions, on the official website.

MEET ME AT

• 27-29 of January, Brussels. Flanders Folk Music Awards (the performances will be by Snaarmaarwaar, BLIET, and Bamako Express) and Belgian Worldwide Music Night (with performances by Gaïsha, NENA, Soledad Kalza & Sina Kienou, and Peixe e Limão).
• 20-22 of March, Marseille. Babel Music XP.

This flyer is from the event of the Belgian World Music Night on Facebook.

Summary 👇 

• Editorial
• In depth with David Sierra, from Sierra Contratación Artística (Spain)
• Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects
  Transglobal World Music Chart & Hall of Fame, Mundofonías favorites of the month and the year, World Music Charts Europe best of 2024, LIMúR 4th quarter of 2024.
• A little bit of mine
• Open calls: SoAlive Music Conference, Circulart + Babel Music XP announced the artistic selection
• Meet me at ✈️ . Line up of Flanders Folk Music Awards and Belgian Worldwide Music Night, announced

➡️ This is the link for subscription

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Hello, how are you?

The end of the year is here. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but take a moment to reflect and analyze, thinking about what to change and what to continue just as it is.

In the photo for this edition, I’m accompanied by David Sierra, someone many of you who receive this newsletter already know. He’s my professional colleague, and we also share several circumstances that allow us to discuss topics that, while specific, also serve as a lens to examine the situation in other regions. They can help to check if these experiences resonate with our own and to deepen our understanding of the complexities of the sector we’re involved in: music that is in some way connected to the heritage of peoples.

Below, I’m sharing a recent conversation we had in Toledo, on a cold and sunny midday, in that beautiful and profound place—a key site in the history of Western culture. It’s a pleasure to feature David as the protagonist of this final edition of the year.

It’s also time to take stock of the charts. I’ve had some wonderful surprises, such as We, Vigüela’s tenth album, making it onto Mondo Sonoro’s list of the best flamenco and roots music albums. It made me really happy because it’s a long-standing magazine and a generalist one, not specialized, so it was a very pleasant surprise.

And there are still a few days left until the end of the year. Let’s see what they bring. In any case, I wish you a 2025 full of fulfillment and joy.

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR:

DAVID SIERRA, FROM SIERRA CONTRATACIÓN ARTÍSTICA

This portrait of David Sierra in WOMEX is by Eric Van Nieuwland.

I don’t remember exactly when I first met David Sierra. I believe we’ve gotten to know each other gradually over the years. He is the heart of Sierra Contratación Artística, working, for instance, with Ana Alcaide for many years, as well as handling worldwide booking for the Italian band Kalàscima. You can check out all his artists on his website. Additionally, he manages bookings in Spain for several artists, with Maria Mazzotta being the most renowned among them.

David is originally from Castilla-La Mancha and currently lives in Toledo, the city where Mapamundi Música is legally and fiscally based. For both of us, our regional administration is Castilla-La Mancha. This is no small matter. In Spain, the complexity of territorial division makes this a very significant issue. Recently, during a conversation within the European Folk Network, I reflected on the differential access to resources for internationalization, both between European countries and within Spanish regions. In Castilla-La Mancha, we lack an entity dedicated to the internationalization of the arts in general or music in particular. This is not the case in Galicia, with Agadic, or in the Basque Country, with Musika Bulegoa, or in Catalonia, with Catalan Arts. Why this happens would require a separate discussion, and surely some of the dynamics leading to this escape me—though I can imagine a few. In any case, this is the reality we face.Castilla-La Mancha is one of Spain’s most rural regions, characterized by low population density and small municipalities. Its economy relies heavily on agriculture, particularly vineyards, olive groves, and cereals, with less industrial and technological development compared to urbanized regions. Despite this, the region boasts a rich cultural and historical heritage, including Toledo and Cuenca, and is known for its rural tourism and traditional industries like wine and cheese production. And, of course, it is the land of the universal Don Quixote from La Mancha.

It would be a bit cliché to compare David and me to Don Quixote. Mainly because none of us has a Sancho Panza to support us! 😅 But we do have muses. Just as Don Quixote had Dulcinea, we have our beloved artists.Without further ado, I share with you the very interesting conversation with David.

AT: Belmonte is a small but very historic place, isn’t it? It has a castle.

DS: Yes, historically, Belmonte is a significant landmark in Castilla-La Mancha. It was part of the Marquisate of Villena, stretching from Villena in Alicante to Alarcón in Cuenca, among other territories. This area was closely tied to the 15th century. We have several notable monuments from that period. There’s the palace of Infante Don Juan Manuel, a key historical figure in Belmonte, dating to the early 14th century. The castle, built in 1456, is iconic. It’s been featured in classic films, from El Cid with Charlton Heston and Sofia Loren to various commercials. Its construction is unique—unlike traditional castles with rectangular courtyards, it has an equilateral triangular layout. The base is the keep, which is also distinctive. The surrounding walls form a six-pointed star, with defensive towers at each point. It’s very original, like the circular Bellver Castle in Mallorca.

Belmonte was also the birthplace of Fray Luis de León, one of the greatest mystic poet or the Renaissance.

The main source of income in Belmonte today is tourism. It’s a village with around 1,800 or 1,900 residents and offers everything from a four-star hotel with a spa to a range of gastronomy and accommodation options. You should definitely visit Belmonte.

AT: Well, we’re in Toledo, which was also home to the School of Translators, a place that helped much of classical knowledge reach us today. This land is incredibly cultural, although you and I face many challenges. I’d like to discuss, at some point, how the market is skewed due to certain economic-political situations in some regions. But before that, I want to ask you something else. You’ve been working in the folk and related music scene for over 15 years. How have you seen its evolution? You mentioned earlier that when you started, there were many Celtic festivals, but they’re no longer around. What happened? Have festivals changed, or has the audience stopped attending?

DS: I’m not sure if it’s a matter of trends—certain musical styles or movements appear and disappear. I started with Celtic music, but many folk festivals have since disappeared, partly due to reduced financial support from politicians who redirect funds to other interests. But going back to what I said earlier, there were times when, for example, New Age music flourished, with many festivals dedicated to it. The same happened with mestizo music in Spain. For example, at Viñarock in Villarrobledo, one of the top Spanish Rock Festival, happening in Castilla-La Mancha, there was a parallel stage exclusively for mestizo music. You could find Chambao, Macaco, Huecco, Ojos de Brujo, and similar groups—more fusion-oriented music. That demand has vanished.

Celtic music is still around, and it has an audience, but it might not generate the ticket sales of a rock or indie music act. I don’t think there’s less interest because those who love this music will attend and buy tickets. But administrations and private promoters are part of the mainstream and focus on what generates better numbers. That’s why certain genres, smaller in audience size but loyal in following, don’t receive the same support.

For instance, the Ortigueira Celtic Music Festival still exists and is massive, attracting a large crowd not only for the music but for everything surrounding the festival. It also benefits from public funding. This ties into how certain regions prioritize and protect their heritage and traditions. Galicia, for example, is deeply connected to these kinds of music and is one of the regions that most actively supports them economically and politically.

AT: Yes, in Spain, we face an added complication when you try to understand how everything works here due to regions with their own languages, which often become political tools. On the one hand, this can result in population manipulation, but on the other, it means extra care is given to preserving their music.

DS: Totally.

AT: An example, though not entirely comparable because its language is more widespread, is Jaén. A few years ago, that province began presenting “Jaén en Julio” in Madrid. It’s a program featuring five very diverse festivals held in Jaén. It’s like Jaén has embraced music as one of its core values—music and olive oil.

DS: Let me add something here. In my opinion, Jaén isn’t the most touristy province in Andalusia. So, they must find ways to highlight what they do have. Olive oil, of course, brings in significant revenue. But they’ve also identified festivals like Etnosur as attractions that draw large crowds, boosting tourism in the province. Unlike Almería or Granada’s tropical coast, Jaén lacks beaches. And Cádiz and Huelva have their coastal areas too. So, Jaén focuses on what it can offer. I think that’s fantastic because the music industry generates opportunities for other sectors. Hospitality, catering, technical services—they all benefit. A music festival in Jaén, for instance, likely provides significant income for many local people during those days.

AT: A few years ago, I spoke with Pedro Melguizo, who ran Etnosur. They conducted a study and found that one-third of the annual revenue for many shops in Alcalá la Real, the festival’s location, came during Etnosur.

DS: That’s a fascinating statistic.

AT: There should be more studies on the origins and impacts of festivals. It would be really interesting. You and I see the reason for certain things. We’re both in Castilla-La Mancha—a region with such cultural richness, yet challenges remain. I’m an adopted member of this region, and my company is based here. It feels like we’re still missing a step toward international recognition of intangible cultural assets. This region exports millions of bottles of wine and cheese to China, for example, but its non-material cultural exports…

DS: That’s definitely an area for improvement. Speaking of music, this region doesn’t receive the same political and economic support as others. You and I know this all too well. In performing arts, there’s more unity, but not so much in music. Castilla-La Mancha is vast, with five provinces, each with its traditional music and groups representing their local styles. There’s an incredible variety of musicians and artists here, not just in traditional music but across genres. Yet the administration doesn’t prioritize it.

We should demand political responsibility and insist that our industry be treated like others. Castilla-La Mancha consistently wins the best stand award at Fitur, thanks to its geographic position and proximity to Madrid. It’s in the centre of the peninsula, making it a natural hub for international travel. While tourism is a focus, beyond monumental cities like Toledo and Cuenca, there’s more to showcase. Beyond crafts, which are somewhat “favored” by the regional administration, we need to highlight performing arts and music.

AT: You mentioned, “being treated like other industries,” and it got me thinking about an area where I wouldn’t want us to be treated the same. When I apply for internationalization grants, for example, I compete with large industries like Joma, the sports footwear and clothing manufacturer, under the same conditions. My company has been internationalized for several years, but I compete against those producing wine and consumer goods, not just cultural services. There doesn’t seem to be a cultural policy that provides differentiated support. We’re competing for resources in the same way as any other industry, even though we bring unique societal values. Sports shoes, as great as Joma’s might be, can be made anywhere. What we export is unique and unparalleled globally. Also, most of our companies are micro-enterprises or individual freelancers. I’d like to see us treated differently in this regard.

DS: Absolutely, we should be treated differently because the goals, starting points, and organizational structures are entirely different. Joma is a large company with many employees, logistics, and structures we simply don’t have. Most importantly, what we offer are small gems. A sports shoe can be made in various ways, but what you, for instance, offer—something very original and pure, like Vigüela—is deeply specific, authentic, and unique to a province, region, or even a particular community.

This is exactly what I mean when I say we need support. If we don’t protect it, it will disappear. This intangible heritage of jotas, seguidillas, rhythms, and so forth—this needs ongoing support.

AT: Yes, it’s truly a loss of cultural richness, and it will vanish. I don’t believe there will be continuity after Vigüela.

DS: Neither do I. There may be reinterpretations or new approaches, but not the preservation of tradition in the way Vigüela maintains it.

AT: Let’s move from the abstract and macroscopic to something more specific. You’ve been working independently for quite a while now, having left the company you worked for. You decide which artists to work with. How do you choose them?

DS: There have been various circumstances. Sometimes, it’s been very casual and magical—like being at a festival in Denmark with another group and hearing something in the background. I’d think, “That sounds like a tarantella. It reminds me of my time in Italy.” I’d walk over, discover a group doing traditional Salento music with modern rhythms, see their live performance, and immediately know, “I want this for my country.” I’m talking about Kalàscima, a band I’ve been working with since that day in July 2014.

First and foremost, it’s about seeing a live performance. If I see a group live and they surprise me, I want them immediately. That’s invaluable to me.

Then there are moments when a piece of music hooks you unexpectedly—a song or proposal grabs your attention, and you dive deeper, researching who manages them, what they’re doing, and so on. It’s about falling in love with the music.

As a second point, there must be a personal connection beyond the professional one. I can’t work with or represent a group unless there’s a compatibility of personalities and shared goals. Ultimately, we work with people, and those values matter.

AT: I agree. For me, it’s crucial to align on how we approach the work. I want to dedicate myself fully, but I need the artist to match that commitment. Sometimes, I’ve felt my dedication to them is strong, their dedication to themselves is strong, but their dedication to me is lacking.

DS: Exactly. That’s something we all face at some point. Like in personal relationships, we sometimes make mistakes professionally. You might think, “This project has potential; I can take it far.” But then the artist places limits that don’t align with your goals. For example, you plan an international strategy involving festivals, but the artist, for personal or ecological reasons, doesn’t want to fly. That can significantly constrain your plans.

AT: Yes, and sometimes they don’t realize the urgency of responding quickly to your needs. Our minds are constantly occupied with these matters. Sometimes inspiration strikes, and you have a great idea. You want feedback immediately but can’t wait a day. There’s an element of creativity and artistry on our side that I think isn’t always understood. We need that spark of inspiration and for the artist to join us in capturing it. Do you feel that way?

DS: Absolutely, especially regarding immediacy. There are deadlines, whether for submitting a grant proposal or being considered for a festival. You need materials—photos, recordings, and so on—but the artist might not have high-quality content ready. It’s frustrating to realize you can’t move forward because of that.

AT: Yes, or having to cobble something together, like recording a rehearsal just to have something.

DS: Exactly, makeshift solutions.

AT: What do you think are the most common mistakes artists make? You must get approached by artists daily, asking for your support. What recurring issues do you see, or how should they approach you differently?

DS: Linking this to what I mentioned earlier—materials. When someone wants to present an artistic proposal, they must realize you need solid materials upfront. High-quality audiovisual content is essential, not just a studio recording, which is relatively easy to arrange. But, for example, a multi-camera recording of a live performance, a well-prepared artistic dossier with press references, high-quality photos, a technical rider, and a hospitality rider—these basics are often missing.

This lack often stems from not understanding the industry. Artists know how to execute their projects and are likely the best at doing so because it’s their creation. But everything beyond the stage, outside the artist’s creative realm, often falls short.
So, the first major issue is the lack of quality materials. The second is a lack of understanding of the industry itself. We, as professionals, deal with administrations and festivals daily. We know how challenging it is to secure a spot in a festival lineup. But artists sometimes have an ego (in a positive sense) that leads them to believe their project is a perfect fit for a festival. They may not realize that 100 other projects are vying for the same spot.

So, I think there’s a lack of understanding of how a festival or a programming process works. There’s a team behind it that has to put together a cohesive lineup, sometimes with a specific theme. Your project might not fit this year or even next. This can lead to frustration, with artists thinking, “We’ve been trying to get into this festival for seven years, but I do flamenco, for example, and I’m still not there.” But it’s all very relative.

AT: Exactly. I’ve had moments where I don’t know how to handle it. I try to be didactic when approached by artists. Sometimes, they even call me directly. I pick up the phone, not knowing who it is, and it’s an artist asking for attention. It feels like they don’t put themselves in our shoes—they don’t realize that when they approach us, they’re asking us to dedicate our resources…

DS: …for free…

AT: …and our time, with no immediate return, only the potential of maybe recovering something down the line.

DS: Exactly. In our line of work, we often start earning zero. Many times, we’re the ones financing artists’ careers. We’re the ones investing in creating quality materials, drafting strong press kits, and contacting media outlets. We only start to recover some of that investment once we book a concert for the artist, whether at a theatre, festival, or elsewhere. Even then, it’s based on a pre-agreed commission percentage. You’d need to secure a significant number of bookings to recoup your investment. Often, artists—though not all—want to get everything while contributing very little financially.

AT: Or nothing at all. Many times, they want to contribute nothing. I think it’s crucial for artists to read and understand this because I often feel like they believe I have a magic wand. They think I can just wave it and say, “Ah, yes, I like you; I’ll place you here, here, and here.” That’s not how it works. They need to realize what they’re asking of us. If an artist comes to me with only five subscribers on their YouTube channel after two years, they can’t ask for anything. How dare you even contact me, especially if I don’t know you, and demand my attention?

DS: And I’m sure you’ve experienced cases where they see your artist roster and say, “Well, I’m in line with what you do.” And you think, “No, you’re not in line.” Musically, they might do something similar. But if your roster includes internationally established artists with professional trajectories, and then someone with five YouTube subscribers or 1,000 views in two years approaches you, that’s not the profile you’re looking for. Moreover, it could harm your work with the other, more professional artists you work with.

AT: It’s harmful in terms of opportunity cost. If I dedicate time to one artist, it’s time I’m taking away from others. Their request needs to be highly justified, and they must prove to me that they’re investing in themselves, in me, and in the journey we’ll do together. One of the main issues is that they ask me to do what they’re not willing to do for themselves.
Another question. What would you ask of the Three Kings as we approach Christmas, specifically in relation to your work?

DS: That self-employment fees are reduced, that the taxes we pay translate into better living standards, services, and healthcare—beyond just my work. Professionally, I’d ask for the dismantling of lobbies around certain festivals and power structures within the music industry. Let large music corporations stick to their domain and stop meddling in what we do, which is much more artisanal.
Most importantly, I’d ask for recognition of what we do—supporting very specific, challenging projects that are difficult to promote, export, and find a place for. At the very least, our work deserves to be valued.

AT: What advice would you give to someone starting in your line of work?

DS: Above all, have patience. This is a long-term career. From my perspective, after 15 years, I can say that success doesn’t happen overnight. It requires investing countless hours daily. Everything comes in time, but you need to work consistently, believe in what you’re doing, and present yourself authentically and naturally. Defend the project you’re working on with passion and determination.
Also, be open to advice from those around you who can guide and support you. Find allies along the way. In this profession, it’s much easier to work with partners or friends who can exchange not just work but also conversations and knowledge. That’s important.

AT: Perfect. We’ve covered advice for musicians, professionals like us, and even politicians. We have something for anyone! But I have two more questions before we wrap up. How would you define the type of music you work with, especially in relation to this next question: why do you think it deserves a place?

DS: Most of the music I work with stems from roots and tradition. I believe it deserves a place because it’s part of our cultural DNA and identity as members of a community. This connection ties closely to where you’re from. The majority of the artists I work with engage with the music of their birthplaces, where they grew up, and where they live.

To me, this intangible heritage—from pizzicas to field recordings and reinterpretations—is crucial. The starting point for most of the artists I collaborate with is traditional music. Many of them draw inspiration from these traditions and integrate elements from other genres, like electronic music or visual and performance arts. But there’s always a foundation in roots music.

It’s essential to value this music because it reflects where we come from and where we’re going. We can’t disconnect from the land.

AT: Anything else you’d like to add?

DS: Just to thank the newsletter readers, you, dear Araceli, and to acknowledge that we’re brave for doing what we do.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in December of 2024 is: Sweet Release, by Justin Adams & Mauro Durante (Ponderosa Music)

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the months are Andrés Belmonte’s Gharbí (Segell Microscopi), Alicia Svigals’ Fidl afire (Borscht Beat) and Super disco pirata: De Tepito para el mundo, 1965-1980 [V.A.] (Analog Africa)

🔸Mundofonías: Favis of the year 2024. In random order:

Polyphème / Wassim Halal & Gamelan Puspawarna – Le Rêve de Polyphème – Pagans

El Khat – Mute – Glitterbeat

Jyotsna Srikanth – Carnatic Nomad – Naxos World

Andrés Belmonte – Gharbí – Segell Microscopi

Bhutan Balladeers – Your Face Is Like the Moon, Your Eyes Are Stars – Glitterbeat

Vigüela – We – Mapamundi Música

V.A.· Super Disco Pirata: De Tepito para el Mundo 1965-1980 · Analog Africa

Lemon Bucket Orkestra – Cuckoo – Lemon Bucket Orkestra

Ruşan Filiztek – Exils – Accords Croisés

Bassekou Kouyate & Amy Sacko – Djudjon, L’Oiseau de Garana – One World

Ali Doğan Gönültaş · Keyeyî · Mapamundi Música

Quintet Bumbac – Héritages – Collectif Çok Malko

Petroloukas Halkias & Vasilis Kostas – The Soul of Epirus Vol. II – Artway / Technotropon

Tarek Abdallah & Adel Shams El Din – Ousoul – Buda Musique

Alicia Svigals – Fidl Afire – Borscht Beat

Le Bour-Bodros – Daou Ribl – Paker Prod

Hulbækmo & Jacobsen familieorkester – Rundsnurrknurr – Heilo

V.A. – Merengue típico, nueva generación! – Les Disques Bongo Joe

🔸World Music Charts Europe, chart of 2024

Their number 1 of the year is Aziza Brahim with the álbum Mawja (Glitterbeat). Click the line above to check all the chart. My Ali Doğan Gönültaş‘s second album, Keyeyî, is on the position #23 of the year. Yeah! And Vigüela‘s We is on the #35. 

🔸LIMúR (Iberian Roots Music Chart), last quarter of 2024

🔸Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame 2024

A LITTLE BIT OF MINE

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🔸 My Vigüela‘s 10th album We has been selected by the magazine Mondo Sonoro in the list of the best albums of flamenco and rooted music. I invite you to check the list and to listen to the other albums. I like specially the one by Tarta Relena. 

🔸 With Ali Doğan Gönültaş we made a list of some of his musical heroes, including a bio and a selected recording, with a comment. If you haven’t checked it yet, I invite you to discover them, here. It was very useful for me as I learnt about some facts of the history and deepened in Ali’s fascinating cosmogony. 

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

OPEN CALLS 

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 CALLS IN THE NEWSLETTER:

🔸SoAlive Music Conference.

For artists of any genre, from the Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Kosovo, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Romania, North Macedonia, Turkey, Croatia).

It will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, 14-17 October 2025. The call for artists is open until 15th of February. What do they offer: “As part of SoAlive 2025, you will perform in front of an audience that includes over 800 delegates from the music industry.” They won’t pay any fee. They cover fixed travel reimbursement (specific details provided upon selection), catering during the event, Pro + accreditations for all band members and accommodation for the duration of the festival.

How to apply? Please, check their website after Christmas time for the procedure.

🔸Circulart
The call is open for artists/bands, agencies and labels, Colombian or settled in Colombia or from the “Iberoamerican common cultural space”. Until 28th of January. All the details are on the website (Spanish).

In 2025 it will have its 16th edition. The event will take place from 12th to 14th of June in Medellin, Colombia. It includes showcases and a digital networking platform.

THESE CALLS WERE IN THE NEWSLETTER IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION:

🔹Babel Music XP

They have announced the artistic selection for 2025 and you can check it here.

Babel Music XP, which will take place from 20 to 22 March 2025 in Marseille has open the accreditations (the early rate is right now in 132,60 euros) and the booking of stands (early rate, price from €550 excl. TVA).

🔸Who is it for? 
“Music, performing or street art, folk culture and association-related proposals that are based on traditional roots as a driver of creativity and speak to us in the present.”
Note also that:

“The programme of Fira Mediterrània is divided into three main itineraries:

• Music, featuring the world music and traditional roots music scenes.
• Dance, with a dynamic perspective on traditional roots and folk culture.
• Memory, llegacy and oral storytelling, with performance and outdoor arts offerings, particularly theatre and circus, which draw on folk culture.”

🔸How to apply? 
The application is free and you can do it through the website. Deadline: Thursday 23 January 2025 at 12.00 a.m. CET.

🔸To learn more:
“Fira, as a performing arts fair attended by sector professionals (1,140 registered delegates), will agree a financial contribution with companies and groups.” Check all the conditions, on the official website.

🔸Who is it for? 
Participating artists must have their residence in Europe.
They must engage with folk music in the broadest sense in their musical performances – everything from traditional to crossover is welcome.
In case of a nomination for the Eversteiner award, FolkHerbst participants need to keep the award – ceremony date available (31.01.26).
🔸How to apply? 
Applications must be submitted informally by email to kultur@malzhaus.de by January 15, 2025. Send 3 music pieces (preferably videos in good quality, preferably live), along with a press text and a press photo.
🔸To learn more:
The official document I have received from Christian Dressel is this one.

MEET ME AT

• 27-29 of January, Brussels. Flanders Folk Music Awards (the performances will be by Snaarmaarwaar, BLIET, and Bamako Express) and Belgian Worldwide Music Night (with performances by Gaïsha, NENA, Soledad Kalza & Sina Kienou, and Peixe e Limão).
• 20-22 of March, Marseille. Babel Music XP.

This flyer is from the event of the Belgian World Music Night on Facebook.

Summary 👇 

• Editorial
  • Highlights of Mundial Montreal
  • Ageism in music
• In depth with Hassan Elammouri, from ArteGanza Foundation (The Netherlands)
• Talk with Sharaf DarZaid from the Popular Art Center (Ramallah, Palestine)
• Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects
• A little bit of mine
• Open calls: Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, Budapest Ritmo, Folkherbts, and coming soon, SoAlive – BabelMusic XP opened the accreditations
• Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

If you like this content, forward it ⬅️

Hello, how are you?

I hope well. I’m doing well, although I can’t stop being shocked by the political situation in my country. After all the awful things we’ve seen following the floods, there’s now a series of terrible corruption scandals. And when I look at the world, I feel like crawling under my bed and never coming out. But anyway…

The photo is from Montreal, where I was last week for Mundial Montreal. I truly enjoyed it, getting to see performances like those of Nimkii and the Niniis or the magnificent Due Perse-Inca, along with plenty of great conversations (the speed meetings with music supervisors in the frame of M from Montreal was another highlight) and walking all over the city. I was very lucky with the weather.

Now, I’ll spend a couple of months without business trips and will focus on booking concerts and refining work processes and strategy. Yes, in case anyone didn’t know, I don’t make a living writing this newsletter—I’m a manager and agent for musicians!

I’m really excited about the work for the next weeks, especially considering how the year has gone and what I foresee for 2025. For example, the new album from Hudaki Village Band. On that note, I posted a question yesterday on my Facebook page, which I’d like to share here and invite you to participate in. You can find it here and it says:

“I have a question for my colleagues working in the field of music. I see many festivals with the objective of increasing diversity in their lineups, and they mention things like gender, the presence of LGTBIQ+ people, people with disabilities, races… but I rarely see any claim about the diversity of ages (especially related to having older people). And I think that ageism is one of the biggest sources of discrimination in the field of music. What do you think?”

With Hudaki and with Vigüela I feel something in common. They are the last ones doing what they are doing. And right now, I think no one else is doing what they are doing. But as Juan Antonio Torres (on the picture) from Vigüela says, Aunt Marina la Chamarreta, from whom he learned so much, has passed away, and nothing has changed—the music continues, and music is music, and the melodies will stay. Those who want to learn it can do so, and those who don’t, simply won’t. I believe that if this is lost, we will be a little poorer. Juan Antonio agrees on this. It is sad that we will leave the art go. He has just told me that that it’s a shame that acorn-fed hams are no longer cured, and we settle for standard cured ham instead. I hope the metaphor is clear. And probably Sharaf DarZaid, one of the protagonists of this edition, thinks the same way we do.

My other protagonist today has shared some ideas that are a true lesson for anyone interested in organizing concerts—among many other things. He is Hassan Elammouri, founder of ArteGanza, and the interview is absolutely fascinating. Beyond this insight, we also get a glimpse into his life, and I personally feel quite connected to some aspects of it. I hope it moves you as well.

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR:

HASSAN ELAMMOURI, FOUNDER OF ARTEGANZA FOUNDATION

AT: Why did you stay in The Netherlands?

HE: Netherlands was my home land. That’s all.

AT: How did you start to have any activities related to music? 

HE: Starting with music often begins with a small spark — a song that sticks, a melody that inspires, or even a particular feeling that comes when hearing certain sounds. For many, this initial pull to music happens early, perhaps through family, school, or friends. Maybe someone grew up in a musical household where instruments were always around, or they had a teacher who encouraged them to sing or play. For others, it’s the pure joy they felt when singing along with their favorite songs or the curiosity that led them to pick up an instrument.

Learning an instrument, joining a choir, or taking music classes are common first steps. Sometimes it’s as simple as playing around with the family piano, a friend’s guitar, or even learning basic production software on a computer. These small activities build confidence and skill over time, encouraging a deeper dive into music.

As interests grow, people often start experimenting with creating music, forming bands, or recording their first songs. Maybe they start attending more concerts, discovering new genres, or connecting with others who share the same passion. These experiences — playing music, listening to it, or sharing it with others — create a pathway from curiosity to genuine involvement, setting the stage for music to become an integral part of their life.

AT: Your foundation is called ArteGanza. What does it mean? 

HE: The name ArteGanza is a blend of the words arte (which means “art” in several languages, including Italian and Spanish) and extravaganza (which implies a grand, lavish event or celebration). Together, ArteGanza suggests a vibrant celebration of art and culture, highlighting creativity and diversity.
The foundation likely aims to promote the arts in an inclusive and inspiring way, celebrating various forms of artistic expression — from music and dance to visual arts and more. The name itself communicates a mission of bringing people together through the power of art, creating spaces where creativity is celebrated on a grand, engaging scale.

AT: Which is your team in ArteGanza? 

HE: My organizational team consists of several people. First of all, I have a board of four people: the president, secretary, treasurer and two more general board members. There are also two colleagues who deal with grant applications, communications and more.

In terms of execution, we have a producer who deals with preparations on all fronts (think contact with the artists, technique, permits with the local government, scheduling of volunteers, etc…). We have an enthusiastic volunteer coordinator and volunteer team with diverse backgrounds consisting of 20 permanent members.

Last but not least, I hold the position of the general and artistic director. I deal with programming and also managing the organization. I am a proponent of a platform organization. It works and communicates easily and decisions made (in advance) are implemented quickly.

AT: You make a festival, Musica Mundo, and you also present artists in different venues of the Netherlands during the year. And ArteGanza was born in 2007. It is curious: it is the same year as Mapamundi Música. Please, how have you perceived the development of the circuit or market of the world musics? You can answer specifically about The Netherlands or in general in Europe or the world, or about several of these frames. 

HE: Since ArteGanza’s beginning in 2007, the world music scene has gone through significant changes, both in the Netherlands and globally. The rise of digital streaming platforms and social media has reshaped how audiences discover, access, and engage with world music. In the past, people often discovered global genres through physical events, niche record stores, or specialized radio stations. Now, anyone with internet access can explore a vast range of musical traditions and artists from around the world with ease. This accessibility has broadened the market and increased interest, but it has also made it more challenging for artists and organizers to stand out.

In the Netherlands and across Europe, there has been a growing appreciation for diverse musical traditions and fusion genres, but this shift has also brought challenges. Cultural diversity initiatives and government support for the arts have increased opportunities for artists from different backgrounds, enabling a wider range of voices to reach audiences. However, competition for funding and resources has intensified, and the music industry’s rapid changes mean that traditional circuits and festivals have to innovate continually to stay relevant.

Many European cities, including some in the Netherlands, have established more festivals and concert series focused on world music. However, the sustainability of these events can be unpredictable, as they often depend on fluctuating cultural budgets and sponsorships. Festivals like Musica Mundo and initiatives by foundations like ArteGanza play a crucial role in providing a platform for world music artists, helping to build a dedicated audience and create meaningful experiences that transcend just music.

Looking ahead, as audiences become more global-minded and curious, there’s enormous potential for world music to keep growing. In the Netherlands, the increase in diverse communities and international exchange only deepens this interest. The challenge — and opportunity — lies in nurturing this interest through high-quality, immersive events and in continuing to foster a deep appreciation of world music’s cultural richness, bridging the gap between artists and new audiences.

This picture is the cover picture of Hassan’s facebook profile.

AT: Why did you call it “Musica Mundo”? It sounds like Spanish. 

HE: The name Musica Mundo indeed sounds like Spanish, and this choice was likely intentional to give the festival a warm, international, and accessible feel. “Musica” means “music” in several Romance languages, and “Mundo” means “world” in Spanish and Portuguese. Together, Musica Mundo translates roughly to “Music of the World,” capturing the essence of a festival that celebrates global sounds and cultural diversity.

The name evokes a sense of openness and inclusivity, suggesting that the festival is a meeting point for different cultures, traditions, and musical expressions from around the world. By using a name with a Romance language influence, it adds a feeling of warmth and familiarity, resonating with people from different linguistic backgrounds, especially in a multicultural setting like the Netherlands.

AT: Which are the main challenges you face to make the festival? 

HE: Organizing a festival like Musica Mundo comes with several significant challenges, especially when it celebrates a diverse range of global music traditions. Here are some of the main challenges:

Funding and Sponsorship: Securing adequate funding is often the biggest challenge. Festivals like Musica Mundo, which focus on world music, sometimes struggle to attract large commercial sponsors who may prioritize mainstream music events. Dependence on government or cultural grants adds uncertainty, as budgets can fluctuate and funding priorities may change.

Audience Engagement: Reaching and educating audiences about the value of world music requires effort. While there is a growing interest in global sounds, building a dedicated audience who will consistently attend and support diverse performances can be challenging, particularly in areas where world music is less familiar.

Artist Logistics: Coordinating international artists brings logistical complexities, including visas, travel arrangements, and accommodations. Different countries have varying requirements and timelines for visas, and any delays or issues can impact the festival lineup.

Venue and Technical Setup: Ensuring that venues have the right acoustics and technical setup for diverse musical traditions is critical. World music often involves unique instruments and sound requirements, so the technical crew must be equipped to handle these nuances to ensure high-quality performances.

Balancing Tradition and Innovation: Many world music genres have deep traditional roots, but audiences today may prefer fusion or contemporary interpretations. Balancing authentic representation with innovative programming that appeals to a broader audience is a delicate task, requiring sensitivity to both the artists’ integrity and audience interests.

Cultural Sensitivity and Representation: With a focus on world music, it’s crucial to present cultures respectfully and authentically. This means building relationships with artists and communities, understanding cultural contexts, and avoiding tokenism. Ensuring diversity without falling into stereotypes requires ongoing awareness and respect.

Sustaining Relevance and Growth: As with any festival, staying relevant is vital. Competing with other music festivals and entertainment options means that Musica Mundo needs to offer something unique and create memorable experiences that bring audiences back year after year.

Overcoming these challenges often requires creativity, adaptability, and a passionate commitment to the festival’s mission. By continuing to find new ways to connect with audiences and involve communities, Musica Mundo can thrive and create lasting impact.

AT: What do you feel when you see the concerts you organise going on and the public over there attending?

HE: Seeing a concert come to life — especially one you’ve organized — is an incredibly rewarding and emotional experience. Watching the audience connect with the music, immersing themselves in the sounds and energy, brings a profound sense of fulfillment and joy. It’s often a moment where all the hard work, challenges, and behind-the-scenes efforts feel worth it, because you can see the impact that the event is having right in front of you.

There’s also a deep sense of pride and gratitude. Pride in the artists for sharing their culture and talent, and gratitude toward the audience for showing up, engaging, and being open to experiencing something new. It’s particularly moving to see people from different backgrounds coming together, enjoying the performance, and discovering music they may never have encountered otherwise.

For many organizers, these moments also bring a sense of relief and peace, knowing that everything has come together successfully. It can be emotional to witness the magic of live music — the shared smiles, the movement, the applause, and the connections being made. This experience creates a lasting bond between the music, the artists, the audience, and yourself as the organizer.

AT: Do you consider that the world musics have any specific added value? 

HE: Yes, world music brings unique and powerful added value, both culturally and personally. It goes beyond mere entertainment by offering listeners a way to connect with diverse histories, languages, and traditions from around the globe. This form of music holds deep cultural significance, often rooted in centuries of tradition, storytelling, and communal experience, and this depth provides audiences with an authentic glimpse into the lives, emotions, and values of different cultures.

One of the most significant added values of world music is its ability to foster empathy and understanding. By listening to music from different parts of the world, people can appreciate the uniqueness and universality of human experience. World music often introduces audiences to unfamiliar instruments, rhythms, and vocal styles, expanding their musical horizons and encouraging open-mindedness.

Another added value is the preservation and revitalization of cultural heritage. World music keeps traditional sounds and stories alive, sometimes in the face of globalization pressures that can erode local cultures. By bringing these art forms to new audiences, festivals and artists help protect and celebrate cultural identities that might otherwise fade over time.

World music also nurtures creativity and innovation. Many contemporary artists draw inspiration from world music traditions, blending them with other genres to create new, hybrid forms of music. This cross-pollination enriches the entire music landscape, pushing boundaries and sparking fresh creative ideas.

In sum, world music has the unique power to educate, inspire, and connect people, bridging cultural gaps and fostering a richer, more interconnected world. It holds intrinsic value as a cultural artifact, while also offering emotional depth and fostering a global sense of unity and appreciation.

AT: How can the readers be updated of your activities? 

HE: Readers can stay updated on all our activities by subscribing to our newsletter, which provides the latest news on upcoming concerts, festivals, artist spotlights, and special events. Through the newsletter, we share insights into the artists we work with, behind-the-scenes stories, and exclusive offers for subscribers.

In addition to the newsletter, you can follow us on our social media channels for real-time updates, photos, and videos from our events. Our website also has an events calendar where you can find detailed information about each performance, ticketing, and venues.

By staying connected through these platforms, you’ll be the first to know about new programs and enjoy a closer look into our world of global music!

Feel free to follow their social media channels:
🔸Instagram of Musica Mundo Festival
🔸Facebook of ArteGanza
🔸Facebook of Musica Mundo Festival
🔸Youtube channel of Musica Mundo

AT: If you want to share any insights to the readers, please, do. 

HE: One insight I’d love to share is the transformative power of exploring world music. Engaging with music from different cultures isn’t just about enjoying a new sound — it’s a way to travel, connect, and grow as individuals. Each song, instrument, and rhythm carries a piece of a community’s spirit and history, creating a bridge between listeners and distant parts of the world.

For those curious about world music but not sure where to start, I encourage you to attend a live performance or festival if you have the chance. Experiencing this music live can be profoundly moving, and you’ll find that it brings people together in a special way. Listening with an open heart and mind, you may discover stories and sounds that resonate with your own life and expand your perspective.

World music reminds us that, despite our diverse languages and backgrounds, we all share similar emotions, dreams, and struggles. By embracing this diversity, we not only celebrate other cultures but enrich our own lives with the beauty of global connection. So keep exploring, stay curious, and allow music to guide you on a journey of understanding and unity.

Thank you, Hassan! 

TALK WITH 
SHARAF DARZAID FROM THE POPULAR ART CENTER (RAMALLAH, PALESTINE)

This a short video, one minute and a half, of Sharaf DarZaid dancing alone. It is a good context for the interview. Below you’ll find more videos, also with a dance troupe.

As I explained in the previous edition of the newsletter, in October I attended the Fira Mediterrània in Manresa, where I made an interview with Sharaf DarZaid from the Popular Art Center of Palestine. Sharaf was performing at the Fira and he also participated in a panel called “Artistic Diaspora and Cultural Rights”.

I want to thank Paula Ten from the Associació Catalana per la Pau, because this organization was hosting a project with Sharaf, and I understand they served as the connection with the Fira too. I didn’t know Sharaf before and I had no idea about the Popular Art Center. Their story is really worth to be told to the world.

To learn about Sharaf and the Center has one of the highlights for me from the Fira Mediterrània. Another one was the interview with Laia Canals, that I already published in the previous edition of this magazine.

Thinking about what is happening stirs up a lot of emotions in me. Two years ago around this time, I was in Israel. I often think about the people who organize that event, the showcase I’ve attended three times, where I saw, for example, Gulaza, with whom I later worked. It’s also where I met Eyal ElWahab from El Khat, who has now emigrated to Germany—a decision I find understandable, yet also sad. I think about how the people who organize the showcase don’t wish for the destruction of others. I think about how we are at the mercy of madmen and large-scale murderers. I think about how they treat people like pawns. I think about how some people find strength and hope amidst despair and the lack of freedom. Attending the Fira would have been worth the effort even if it had been just to learn about the existence of the Popular Art Center in Ramallah.

I have nothing more insightful to say about this. So I will simply share the interview with Sharaf, to whom I am infinitely grateful for those minutes he gave me after the panel.

Araceli Tzigane: Please, could you explain to me briefly what is the Popular Art Center? When was it created?  

Sharaf DarZaid: The Popular Art Center was founded in 1987, in the first Intifada, in the time when the Israeli occupation was just not looking to occupy land, but also to steal our heritage and our identity and our culture. And even the colours of our Palestinian flag were forbidden. And if any Palestinian tried to raise their Palestinian flag, they would arrest him or her. In this kind of situation, the Popular Art Center came established in order to save culture, identity and dabke. And to create a dance school to teach to children, from 5 years old until 16 years old, dabke, the pure traditional folkloric dance. And not just to teach them the technique of the dance, but also the importance of the dabke dance and the story behind it and why we are doing it and how it’s related to our heritage and how we can use it to express ourselves.

We started with the Heritage Festival to keep the dance groups alive and to have the space to present their creation to the audience. And of course, all kind of dabke dance production is always talking about resistance, about Palestine, its history, about reigning, about Palestinian agriculture, about fighting, about Palestinian animals that we use, whether in agriculture or in the fights, sharing different stories. And we also have one of the programs that we called “outreach program”, where we go to different villages and refugee camps to work with children. Especially at the second Intifada, those children faced a lot of harms and problems due to the occupation. And what we actually do is to go and establish dance groups or to develop dance groups that they already established there in these places.

We don’t do like branches for the Popular Art Center, no, we build partnerships with organizations with community-based organizations, because we believe that everyone is in their own city, they are stronger. So it’s not a business thing, it’s a non-governmental and non-profit organization. And we established hundreds of dance troops, and the Heritage Festival is a place for them to present and to perform, not just in Ramallah where we live, and also in other cities in Palestine.

We also started in 1993 the Palestine International Festival, where we are trying to invite local and international dance and music troops to perform, in Ramallah and also in other cities to present their own culture, their own art, and to share it with Palestinians and also to see Palestine with their own eyes and to experience passing through checkpoints, through apartheid, the separation wall and also to visit villages and refugee camps to see what’s going on in Palestine. And this is also to build cultural bridges with the whole world.

Also one of the group programs that we worked on is to record old songs and traditional music, to record them and to put them available for artists and groups from all over Palestine, to come and to listen and to produce new productions inspired by the folklore. There are our roots and this is our heritage, this is our culture, this is our identity, that we are presenting, and keep them alive and share it with people. We don’t want this kind of art to stay just in the museum: we want it to be spread out and to be all over the word. This is like one of our missions in the Popular Art Center.

AT:  So you are building an archive of recordings. Is it available somehow for people from abroad, on your website?

SD: You should come and listen to it in the Center.

AT:  Ah, so we have to visit you if we want to listen to it. Do you have any plan for putting it available for the world online?

SD: We do have plans, but we still are stuck in some technical issues and also the copyright, because we don’t have the copyright to put it on the website. We just record them and archive them, so people can come, listen, and produce their own. If I want to put it online for people all over the world to use it, I need copyright.

AT:  Is this your job? Can you make your living with this?

SD: Yes, this is my job but actually I do art management and I do dance, so I’m not just professional dancer. I wouldn’t have enough money to to live just as a dancer, because being a dancer it’s a bit risky in in Palestine: if there’s a project, you work. If you don’t have a project, you don’t work. And actually, in our dance troupe I’m a volunteer, I dance as a volunteer, I train as a volunteer and I also choreograph as a volunteer. And I travel abroad with the company as a volunteer. I don’t take money, and I don’t want to take money, actually. Even if they had money I would ask them to save it, in order to create new productions. So we are more than 100 members in the dance troupe, but all of us are volunteers. And this is basically one of the very important things that makes the organization keep going and keep alive and not stopping, because it’s volunteer-based.

How we define professional? For us, a professional dancer it not about taking money from the dance. For us, professional means that you are loyal towards the idea and to have a common mission with the dance troop and to present Palestine, especially due to the current circumstances, the situation that we are living under occupation, and to be on time, to give all your effort, put all your energy, power… This is professionality for us. It’s not about money at all.

AT:  You are very young, so you didn’t found yourself the Popular Art Center. You said it was founded in 1987. 

SD: I was born in the same year. The Forum Dance Troupe was established in 1979. And in 1987 they decided to establish the Popular Art Center because they didn’t want their dancers to be, as I told you, paid as dancers. They wanted to keep the volunteer-based work. And at that moment they thought about having their own dance school. Then, their members and Forum Dance Group could be paid trainers, professional trainers at the Popular Art Center. So, they are actually two organizations: one is producing art volunteer-based and the other one is presenting art and teaching art on a professional level.

So personally I do dance voluntarily but, at the Popular Art Center, I work as a manager as my every day I have office work from 10 to 18. Dancing comes before, we have a studio upstairs in the building. I dance like 2 hours before my work starts and, afterwards, after 6, I dance with Forum Dance Troope. But I have eight hours a day to work, because, you know it is a bit risky to work just as a dancer and we don’t have an insurance even. If you fall, for example, on your leg and you can’t dance anymore, no one will give you a wage, a salary. And I think this is not just in Palestine, I mean, it’s everywhere, but in Palestine it’s much more difficult, because we don’t even have support from a cultural ministry or from the government. We need to have our own funds and in the Popular Art Center we refuse to take funds from Sweden, from the EU, from the United States, from the British Council. All the funders put political conditional funds. So we decided not to take money from them. And from those who give the right for Israelis to start their genocide in Gaza we also decided not to take a money from them.

In this so beautiful video you’ll see Sharaf performing with the El-Funoun Palestinian Dance Troupe:

AT:  So how do you keep the organizations going on economically? How can you found your own salary?

SD: Our society helps.

AT:  You mean the Palestinians… they buy tickets…

SD: They buy tickets, they are participating in the dance school, they support us, they help us… It’s not a problem.

AT:  I have one last question. You are talking about dabke. It’s not only in Palestine, but this dance is also in other countries too. Are you able to bring also foreigner dancers to dabke dancers from other countries?

SD: Yes, of course. As I told you, we organize the Palestine International Festival where we annually invite different dance and music artists from all over the world to come to Palestine, and to perform as well, and to work with the Palestinian artists. We also work on a project at the Popular Art Center: our dance students travel and they do exchange programs. Last year, nine of our students went to Poland and they worked with different students who are learning dance and they teach each other their own culture. Last summer, ten of our students went to Morocco to learn about Morocco and their dance and also to meet other children from different countries, to share experiences together and to teach each other’s dance. And they bring this experience back to Palestine and we give them the space to develop it more and more.

AT: I have one last question. You are talking about dabke. It’s not only in Palestine, but this dance is also in other countries too. Are you able to bring also foreigner dancers to dabke dancers from other countries?

SD: Yes.

AT: So you can go to the Consulate of Poland or Morocco and you apply for the Visa and if you are given a Visa for Poland, you have a Visa for the Schengen area. 

SD: Sometimes they give it just to Poland but recently they do the Schengen Visa. I have a Dutch Schengen Visa that I can travel with. I came here with my Dutch Schengen Visa.

AT: Is it more or less easy for you?

SD: Not for all, it depends to whom they give it. Just last week, a colleague of mine who has a US citizen passport, but he lives in Palestine, he decided to go to the United States to give dance workshops with a dance troupe and on the border they didn’t allow him to travel. Even he is a US citizen, but still they didn’t allow him to travel. And other dancers have been kicked out of the country, so it depends. And others apply through offices to apply for a couple of countries in the EU and because, you know, sometimes the official office is in Jerusalem, and we can’t go to Jerusalem. So they open an office in Ramallah and we go to that office to apply. But of course they ask for a lot, a lot of papers, so, so many…

AT: I think it’s a huge issue, the visas, many documents, you have to pay a lot of money… OK. I saw you have a website, so the people can visit your website and check everything. I saw about the Heritage Festival on Facebook.

SD: Facebook, Popular Art Center on Facebook.

AT: I think it’s a huge issue, the visas, many documents, you have to pay a lot of money… OK. I saw you have a website, so the people can visit your website and check everything. I saw about the Heritage Festival on Facebook.

SD: Yes, there’s a website it’s a bit old, but yes, you can know about the Center through the website and also through the Facebook.

On the Youtube channel of the Popular Art Center there are some old videos in which you can see the lessons and other events.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the months are the albums Caracoles by Orquesta Akokán, Le concile des oiseaux by Hadouk and Le rêve de Polyphème by Polyphème / Wassim Halal & Gamelan Puspawarna.

A LITTLE BIT OF MINE

Listen to some pieces of the future album by Hudaki Village Band:

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

OPEN CALLS 

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.

🔸Note that the SoAlive Music Conference is announced for 14-17 October 2025. It will take place in Sofia, as the previous editions. The open call for bands will be announced in December.

🔸And note that Babel Music XP, which will take place from 20 to 22 March 2025 in Marseille has open the accreditations (the early rate is right now in 132,60 euros) and the booking of stands (early rate, price from €550 excl. TVA).

🔸Who is it for? 
“Music, performing or street art, folk culture and association-related proposals that are based on traditional roots as a driver of creativity and speak to us in the present.”
Note also that:
“The programme of Fira Mediterrània is divided into three main itineraries:

• Music, featuring the world music and traditional roots music scenes.
• Dance, with a dynamic perspective on traditional roots and folk culture.
• Memory, llegacy and oral storytelling, with performance and outdoor arts offerings, particularly theatre and circus, which draw on folk culture.”

🔸How to apply? 
The application is free and you can do it through the website. Deadline: Thursday 23 January 2025 at 12.00 a.m. CET.

🔸To learn more:
“Fira, as a performing arts fair attended by sector professionals (1,140 registered delegates), will agree a financial contribution with companies and groups.” Check all the conditions, on the official website.

🔸Who is it for? 
Bands and artists from the world music scene, from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Western-Balkan countries, Eastern Partnership countries, Baltics, Hungary’s neighboring countries, ready to step on the international stage.
🔸How to apply? 
The application is free and you can do it through the platform gigmit, until midnight on December 22. This is the direct link for the call in gigmit.
🔸To learn more:
Check all the conditions, on the official website.

🔸Who is it for? 
Participating artists must have their residence in Europe.
They must engage with folk music in the broadest sense in their musical performances – everything from traditional to crossover is welcome.
In case of a nomination for the Eversteiner award, FolkHerbst participants need to keep the award – ceremony date available (31.01.26).
🔸How to apply? 
Applications must be submitted informally by email to kultur@malzhaus.de by January 15, 2025. Send 3 music pieces (preferably videos in good quality, preferably live), along with a press text and a press photo.
🔸To learn more:
The official document I have received from Christian Dressel is this one.

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. 

Summary 👇 

🔹Editorial
Drops of Fira Mediterrània de Manresa and WOMEX

🔹Talk with Laia Canals, director of Tempi (and much more)

🔹Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

🔹A little bit of mine

🔹Open calls: Budapest Ritmo, Folkherbts, Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame DEADLINE TOMORROW 31ST OCTOBER

🔹Meet me at ✈️ 

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you?

I hope well. I’m doing well, although somewhat sad about the catastrophe in Valencia and nearby provinces. News about these situations, which can literally end you, triggers a strong internal debate within me between the temptation to indulge in hedonism and the urge to keep striving to leave a better world for when I’m no longer here. For now, the latter tendency still prevails. I imagine this happens to almost everyone.

As I write this, the storm has moved toward Andalusia, mainly affecting Seville and Cádiz, and I hope they’ve had enough time to prepare better than those impacted yesterday. I’m still waiting for news from a couple of people in Valencia, but I trust they’re safe and only experiencing power outages, which I know has happened in several towns, and with no battery on their phones. I trust.

This October has been a very busy month for me. I attended the Fira Mediterrània in Manresa, where I made an interview that I’ll publish in the next edition of this newsletter, with Sharaf DarZaid (in the picture) from the Popular Art Center of Palestine. I shared some additional insights about the Fira in this edition of Mundofonías. Listen here.

I also had a long interview with Laia Canals, director of Tempi. You can find it further down. She is the protagonist in this edition.

And, of course, I’ve been at WOMEX. I’ve been attending since 2011, and this time I had my fourth artist showcasing, the fifth chosen for the official selection (in 2020 Vigüela were selected, but the event was canceled due to the pandemic). This time it was Ali Doğan Gönültaş, and it was a success. I’m still receiving congratulations, ever since last Friday. I am especially moved by the words of some colleagues. I believe none of us who attended will ever forget it. In the photo, you can see us both just minutes before his performance.

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR:
LAIA CANALS, DIRECTOR OF TEMPI – ROOTS MUSIC DENMARK

Rachid Taha included a version of “Ya Rayah” in his 1998 album Diwân. I think this was the greatest hit of his career. The song was originally written by the Algerian artist Dahmane El Harrachi in the 1970s. It speaks about migration, nostalgia, and the challenges of leaving one’s homeland. It is a powerful symbol of the immigrant experience and cultural identity, particularly for North Africans in Europe. Here below you have the videoclip of Taha. And you can listen to the recording by El Harrachi, here.

AT: What was the record label called?
LC: Post World Industries. It was home to artists like Filastine, Maga Bo, Copia Doble Systema, and Alo Wala—many of whom performed at WOMEX and gained significant recognition. We collaborated with Enchufada, Buraka Som Sistema, and even Major Lazer. It became a cult label. As many of our artists started gaining popularity, they often lacked management representation.

👉 Check more about Post World Industries, on their BandCamp

AT: You were still in Barcelona?
LC: Yes. Many of the artists didn’t have representation, so I gradually began managing and booking several of the label’s artists. As the daughter of a businessman from Spain, I learned a lot from my father, but I had never really connected music and business until I started the record label. It came naturally to me, and I found great enjoyment in blending business with music. That’s when I realized this was my true passion.

Of course, there wasn’t a music management school back then—and I don’t think there still is. For me, it’s an art form, a craft. I refer to it as the craft of being a manager. That’s when I discovered the role I wanted—I found my joy!

I worked in artist management for over 15 years, developing many artists who are well-known today. I also traveled to Denmark frequently to DJ, receiving calls from the venue Vega, which flew me from Barcelona to perform once a month. That’s how I got to know the Danish music scene and industry. Eventually, I moved to Denmark and started working with the local music landscape and the people here.

Then I had two children. Artist management is a 24/7 job, and with two babies, I realized I couldn’t continue in that role. So, I had to move on from my agency. The organization I work for now, Tempi, was seeking to establish a strong international network, and as a manager, I specialized in artist internationalization and export initiatives. I’ve been attending WOMEX for 17 years and Eurosonic as well, because I worked in mainstream markets too, not just world music. However, I’ve always promoted global music, even in mainstream contexts. For the past seven years, I’ve been leading the export initiatives for Danish roots music.

To close this part about Laia’s career before joining Tempi, the organization where she has been working for the last 7 years, I’d like to bring here one of the artists she mentioned and which I had the chance to see live at WOMEX in 2013: Filastine.

AT: Which kinds of music do you work with at Tempi?
LC: Roots music, folk, global music, Chamber Folk Music, Americana and Country, Blues, Afrobeat, all play a significant role in our landscape. We have a strong tradition of singer-songwriters, and even in mainstream music, elements of roots music are blending more than ever—just look at artists like Rosalía. Many Danish artists in the mainstream are now incorporating Colombian and Kurdish influences into their music.It’s like the coolest office in Denmark because we get to work across so many genres: jazz, classical music, electronic music, hip hop, rock, and more. As the director of the office, I have the opportunity to work both nationally in Denmark and internationally.

AT: What are Tempi’s goals? To internationalise the artists as much as possible?
LC: Tempi primarily focuses on national objectives. We participate in three festivals and two music conferences each year. Additionally, we create artist accelerators, mentorship programs, sync conferences, writing camps, and data collection projects. Beyond functioning as an export office, we manage a mobility fund that artists can apply for to cover both national and international travel expenses.
For instance, if an artist has a tour to promote an album, they can seek funding to cover their travel costs. We also provide various forms of support. If you’re starting a festival, we can assist with fundraising, offer advice, and help in any way we can.

We also facilitate the participation of international delegations at events like the Resonator Festival, Spot Festival, Nordic Folk Alliance, and Tønder Festival. Essentially, we’re deeply involved in the entire Danish and international roots music ecosystem.

AT: And you have three of your own festivals, which are those?
LC: It’s always about partnership. We don’t run the festivals ourselves; instead, we handle the coordination and fundraising at specific stages. It’s a collaborative effort. For example, we work on the Resonator Festival, which is gaining recognition, as well as the Nordic Folk Festival, which, while niche, is popular within Nordic music circles. We also collaborate on the Rosenthal Chamber Folk Festival, which beautifully blends folk and classical music. In the Nordic countries, this intersection of genres has a strong identity, exemplified by bands like Dreamers’ Circus and Stundom, who thrive in that classical-folk crossover niche.
Additionally, we’re involved in two conferences: the Nordic Folk Alliance, which we produce, and the Spot Festival, which is Denmark’s equivalent of BIME or Eurosonic. At these events, we contribute by curating and funding the global roots music and folk music stages.

AT: And what would you like to develop within Tempi that hasn’t been done yet?
LC: My obsession is to leave a structural impact in the industry. Denmark has incredibly talented musicians, thanks to the excellent music schools and the economic support to the artists, as well as great music conservatories. However, once they leave these institutions, there’s a lack of industry. We don’t have booking agents or management within our music genre, and that pulls the brakes on the artists careers and the whole tapestry of our music genre in Denmark.

What we are working on is attracting the existing labels and independent booking agencies that are independent but still considered mainstream into our niche. And it’s working—we’re seeing the industry grow more and more, and making contracts with Roots artists.

As the director of Tempi, I hope my legacy will be the establishment of a robust infrastructure that provides sustainable career opportunities for artists in roots music. Currently, we have a major project focused on block booking networks, where concert venues collaborate on artist bookings. We’re also partnering with festivals. My goal is to leave behind a more developed music industry with a solid infrastructure when I eventually move on from Tempi.

Under this video we will continue talking about Laia’s work in Tempi and other of her activities. But before, let’s listen to one of the Danish bands she mentioned: Stundom. 

AT: Is all of this work at Tempi funded by public money?
LC: Yes, at Tempi, we get around 5 million kroner from the Ministry of Culture and the Danish Arts Council. We also apply for funds from private foundations. While fundraising is a big part of what we do, a core portion of our funding is a fixed amount from the state, which we then distribute across national projects, international initiatives, and our mobility fund.Another thing I’m really passionate about is board work. I sit on a number of boards and see firsthand how limited representation is at this level. Having diverse voices here is so important for driving real change in the industry. I’m involved with the Nordic Folk Alliance and the Nordic Folk Council, which is similar to the European Folk Network but focused on the Nordic region, and we’re also part of the European Folk Network.

I think boards are where big shifts can happen because they’re all about strategy. We don’t talk enough about the impact boards can have, but when there’s a clear vision, they can make a real difference. I’m genuinely passionate about it because I see the potential for change when we’re intentional about how we approach it.

AT: But you also have that vision. It also happens that, often, this type of non-commercial music excludes itself.
LC: For me, beyond any commercial value, we hold an incredible democratic value.

AT: Of course, that’s part of the legacy of the peoples.
LC: That’s exactly what the European Union resonates with and needs: our message of community, unity, inclusion, diversity, openness to new cultures, and creating a safe space for marginalized voices…

AT: Exactly, but we sometimes excluded ourselves, as if we don’t believe that we belong in that space.
LC: Yes, I agree—we often lack confidence in our own value, in saying, ‘This is what we’re worth.’ But we’re taking steps to change that.

AT: It’s also about global justice. Why are there cultures that are completely outside of the “industry”? Because there are countries that don’t invest in this.
LC: There are real differences in privilege. I’d love to mention that I’m the chairperson of Another Life Community, an organization in Denmark that advocates for marginalized groups within the music industry. It’s incredibly interesting work—we gather data through surveys and publish an annual report to keep a pulse on industry inclusivity. Our work spans LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and gender balance, always assessing and aiming to improve the landscape. Alongside the report, we also run workshops and even organize a festival each year.

I love this specific work. It’s where I can bring on my activism.  

👉 Check more about Another Life Community, on their website

AT: And what about ageism, is that included?
LC: Yes, I find it very important.

AT: Whenever I see projects that are for people under 35… how many super marginalized people over 50 are doing truly emerging things?
LC: Like many others, people often start their entrepreneurial journey young. But why should starting under 35 open doors to funding, while starting at 45 is overlooked? Entrepreneurship isn’t limited by age—you don’t have to be young to innovate and build something new. I believe it’s important to offer incubators and accelerators for all ages.

AT: The people I know who are deeply committed to music end up seeking the real roots. It could be flamenco, traditional music, or whatever, but intermediate substitutes eventually aren’t enough.
LC: They definitely serve a purpose, but for me, it goes beyond that. I can still enjoy a great night at a club listening to Baiuca or Bomba Estéreo—I’m always the first one on the dancefloor

AT: Yes, yes, because I think it’s a world where people are very decent, in the sense that they’re very respectful. It’s even healthy in the sense that the drugs consumed aren’t hard drugs. It’s a healthy vibe in every way, with a general sense of respect.
LC: I believe we have a lot to contribute on a democratic level—that’s our strength. And on a community level as well, since folk music is deeply connected to local communities and community work.

AT: Yes, and to participation.
LC: A partner once asked, ‘What are the ticket sales? What’s the audience size?’ But that’s not the right approach. The real question is: ask the community—is this platform meaningful to them? Is it a good investment? We’re not mainstream.

AT: Right, and it’s public money. You have to show returns, but you need to show social returns, not just economic ones, because these are taxes. If that’s your world, go into the private sector and don’t mix taxes into it because you’re competing with private business.
LC: The same applies to public radio stations—they’re cutting folk programs. The question is, ‘If you don’t support us, who will?’ We may not generate the audience numbers that Spotify or private radio stations seek, but abandoning us isn’t the solution.

AT: But public money shouldn’t compete with private companies. That’s unfair competition. If a private company needs to do commercial things to survive and Spanish Television does the same with taxpayer money… Then shut it down, don’t spend millions a year doing that. You have to cover what the private sector doesn’t cover. That’s something that astonishes me because the EU tries to prevent governments from distorting market competition. But they keep doing it with culture, using it for propaganda and advertising…

We kept talking for quite a while longer, but that’s a story for another time 😊
Thank you, Laia!

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

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🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in October of 2024 is:  the homonymous album by Buzz’ Ayaz (label: Glitterbeat)

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🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the months are the albums Mute by El Khat, Svängo Nuevo by Sväng,  and Gyezz by Söndörgő.

A LITTLE BIT OF MINE

Let me share a bit of joy from me. After so much work, investment and expectation, I can’t keep for me the words I have been receiving the last days about the showcase by Ali Doğan Gönültaş:

🔸”It was AMAZING”
🔸”A wonderful artist and group”
🔸”I enjoyed it enormously – what an amazing talent!”
🔸”Congratulations again for a great showcase. It was one of the highlights for sure”
🔸”Ali, your concert was the best I’ve heard at this year WOMEX”
🔸”I was truly touched by the show”
🔸”Ali Doğan Gönültaş was in my top 2 of best performances at WOMEX”
🔸”It was a glorious concert 😎”

OPEN CALLS 

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.

🔸Who is it for? 
Bands and artists from the world music scene, from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Western-Balkan countries, Eastern Partnership countries, Baltics, Hungary’s neighboring countries, ready to step on the international stage.
🔸How to apply? 
The application is free and you can do it through the platform gigmit, until midnight on December 22. This is the direct link for the call in gigmit.
🔸To learn more:
Check all the conditions, on the official website.

🔸Who is it for? 
Participating artists must have their residence in Europe.
They must engage with folk music in the broadest sense in their musical performances – everything from traditional to crossover is welcome.
In case of a nomination for the Eversteiner award, FolkHerbst participants need to keep the award – ceremony date available (31.01.26).
🔸How to apply? 
Applications must be submitted informally by email to kultur@malzhaus.de by January 15, 2025. Send 3 music pieces (preferably videos in good quality, preferably live), along with a press text and a press photo.
🔸To learn more:
The official document I have received from Christian Dressel is this one.

The Transglobal World Music Hall Fame celebrates excellence in the world music field. The Hall of Fame includes three categories: 1) Artists, 2) Professional Excellence; and 3) In Memoriam. Would you like to submit any individual or organization?

The period for proposals for 2024 is open until 31st of October 2024. Submit your proposals through the form at the bottom of this website. Check the previous inductees, in the website.

MEET ME AT

If you happen to attend these events, drop me a line. They are international events to which some of the readers may attend. If you are not, they can be interesting for you too in any case.

• 19-22 November: Mundial Montreal (Canada).

Summary 👇 

• Editorial:
  🔸A few insights from the 5th Annual Conference of the European Folk Network 
  🔸Relocated identities
• Birgit Ellinghaus’s Speech At The 5th Annual Conference Of The European Folk Network
• Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects + WOMEX 20 Top Labels
• Open calls: Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame
• Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

BIRGIT ELLINGHAUS’S SPEECH AT THE 5TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN FOLK NETWORK
ON THE PANEL “NEW EUROPEANS – ACCOMMODATING AND SAFEGUARDING THEIR ICH”

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the months are the albums Exils, by Ruşan Filiztek, Cuckoo, by the Lemon Bucket Orkestra and Daou ribl by Le Bour-Bodros

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

OPEN CALLS 

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.

MEET ME AT

If you happen to attend these events, drop me a line. They are international events to which some of the readers may attend. If you are not, they can be interesting for you too in any case.

• 10-13 October, Fira Mediterrània de Manresa.
• 23-27 October: WOMEX in Manchester (UK).
• 19-22 November: Mundial Montreal (Canada).