April 25. Talk with Sofia Labropoulou about Unbounded Sounds, update from EFN, new calls and + #82

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

Hello, how are you?

I am well and I hope you’re well too. Since the last edition, I’ve attended the MUM fair (Professional Music Days in Extremadura), which I’ve mentioned on previous occasions. The photo (by Juan Antonio Vázquez) is from my talk, where I presented a list of ten key ideas for developing a music career, which I shared with Juanlu González, as part of this fair and conference that celebrated its ninth edition this year.

More recently, I went to Budapest Ritmo for the first time. In the second picture I am with Sándor Csoóri, who performed as a guest artist with the band Mordái. He was/is a singer and violinist of the band Buda Folk Band. I say “was/is” because the band split up some years ago but Silvia Winkler told me they’ve reunited. Yeah. Great news! If you don’t know them, check this link and listen to their latest album. I love especially the first piece, sung by Sándor.

I attended RItmo on the occasion of the concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş, which was on Friday the 11th, in a venue so packed that security had to restrict access. It was my first time attending Budapest Ritmo. Aside from the pleasant setting of Budapest and the House of Music, I enjoyed not only the concerts but also the panels. I had the opportunity to listen to part of the talk between Chris Eckman and Ian Brennan, under the title How Music Dies (or Lives): De-colonizing international music, where they discussed the lack of representation of many countries or cultures even in contexts labeled as “global music.” I appreciate that this issue is increasingly part of the conversation within this kind of community of people working—each from their own perspective—in this field.

I was also glad to meet professionals from countries that aren’t usually so present at international events, such as Albania, Georgia or Romania.

Updates on the latest edition and some good news

In the previous edition I explained that “On the 18th, I received an email from Zone Franche with a press release titled Update: Artists without visas, which you can read in full here.” This press release talked about the cultural cooperation program SAWA SAWA, funded by the Institut Français, supporting around 50 artist residencies for Palestinian and French artists. Two Palestinian artists had been recently unable to travel to France due to unjustified visa delays, causing cancellations and project disruptions. Their statement urged the French government to approve the visas and uphold the free movement of artists as a fundamental part of cultural exchange.

Well, at the beginning of April I learnt from Sébastien Laussel, director of Zone Franche, that the press release had its effect and both artists have been granted their visas. Great news indeed!

Related to my participation on the panel “The new narratives for traditional music in the face of current political challenges” at Babel Music XP

Our protagonist today is Sofia Labropoulou, a Greek kanunist and composer based in Vienna. When I started preparing my talk for Babel Music XP, an initiative by Sofia immediately came to mind: the concert and workshop series Unbounded Sounds. I thought that project is a response to the issue. A migrant artist within Europe organizes a series of concerts with artists who will travel especially from other countries, and with artists of diverse backgrounds, also based in Vienna, some Austrian and others with Iranian and Kurdish background, in this first edition. It is a pleasure to contribute to the visibility of this initiative by Sofia, which I feel comes from her deepest honesty and generosity, her love for art, and her concept of music as a means of communication that transcends borders.

Is Sofia making a “new narrative”? I don’t think that’s her goal, but naturally—almost as a normal step in her artistic path—she’s helping shape a new one.

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.

After years of collaborating with artists from all over the world, I felt the need to offer this kind of artistic dialogue to a wider audience. A space where tradition and innovation are not in opposition, but coexist—sometimes in harmony, sometimes in tension. What is “old,” what is “new”? These are questions I don’t try to answer definitively. I prefer to leave them open. For me, the focus is the Sound itself—and how we can become one with it or through it.I invite musicians I admire deeply—artists whose sound, presence, and approach to music move me. This personal connection is at the heart of Unbounded Sounds.

A big part of the experience is the audience. Their presence, energy, and openness shape the atmosphere of each moment. And then, there are the seminars. For me, these are as essential as the concerts. I always feel like a student, no matter what I’m doing. And what a privilege it is to have the chance to spend a little more time around and learn from the invited wonderful artists—to learn, to listen, to feel and become part of their experience.

Vienna has been my home and artistic base for the past five years. Its deep musical heritage and vibrant multicultural landscape made it feel like the right place to begin this journey.

AT: I imagine it’s quite a lot of work to organize all of this, and I haven’t seen any sponsor logos, so I assume that the project’s funding comes from ticket sales. Even though the line-ups are small, there are some artists who have to travel from other countries, which involves some expenses. There is always some financial risk. Considering all this, I imagine you have very clear objectives that have led you to embark on this project. What are they?

SL: Yes, you’re absolutely right—there is a significant amount of work and also financial risk involved. On top of that, being both a musician and an organizer/artistic director requires a completely different mindset. That’s another challenge in itself: to move between these two roles while staying connected to the core of the music.

At this stage, the series—both the concerts and the workshops—is primarily funded through ticket sales, personal investment, and a lot of goodwill from the artists, collaborators, and friends who believe in the vision. As you very well noticed, there’s no public or private funding behind it yet. But for me, this first edition is something like a demo. A first gesture. I want to show what can be done just by the pure need of it—and simply, to do it. So, for this first edition, all the risk is mine alone, nobody else will not, should not and must not be affected. That is also essential.

Of course, the financial side is a reality, but the deeper motivation goes far beyond that. It’s about strengthening the local scene, creating space for mobility and dialogue, and offering the chance for new artistic encounters. I don t want to say a lot because my intention is not to preoccupy a situation. I think that music and art can speak by itself. I invite everyone just to come and listen and then decide.

My main objective is to create a space where we musicians can explore new formats of collaboration in front of an audience that values improvisation, experimentation, and shared presence. I want to demonstrate the richness of new sounds and artistic risk-taking—to show how much beauty can emerge when we are willing to meet each other without preconceptions, with curiosity and openness.

AT: What requirements do participants in the workshops have to meet? Do they need to know music and play an instrument?

SL: The workshops are open to instrument players and singers of all levels, composers, or sound artists. Some familiarity with improvisation can be helpful, but it’s by no means essential. What truly matters is openness, curiosity, and a willingness to listen, explore, and engage with others. One can participate actively or as an observer.

Each workshop reflects the unique artistic identity of the guest musician. They’re not designed as technical masterclasses at least at this first edition, but rather as hands-on explorations of musical ideas.

For me, it’s also about creating community around this scene. A moment of coming together, where participants and artists meet not through hierarchy or skill level, but through a shared love of sound, listening, and expression.

AT: From an artistic perspective, what challenges does organizing these collaborations present for you guys? Will it require a lot of prior preparation, or do you already share a certain musical language?

SL: Each collaboration brings its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. In projects like this, you don’t always have the luxury of extended rehearsal time—especially when resources are limited. To be honest, I would love it if in the future editions each concert could be preceded by a 5–6-day residency. That would open up so many creative possibilities. But that’s a completely different financial reality.

Some of us already share a musical language or history; others are meeting on stage for the first time. There’s always a delicate balance between preparation and spontaneity. We of course rehearse before the concert, as the guest artist is required to be in Vienna a minimum of two days earlier before the concert, but we intentionally leave space for the unknown—for risk-taking, for that fragile, powerful moment where something unexpected can emerge.

That’s part of what makes this series so alive and exciting. Improvisation is the thread that connects all the artists involved—whether it’s modal improvisation, jazz, free improvisation, or other open forms of musical expression. We all come with our own voices, but we share the willingness to listen, to trust, and to respond.

Every concert has a completely different nature and way it is being formed depends entirely on common decisions.

AT: Do you plan to repeat it in 2026?

SL: Yes, I truly hope so. The vision behind Unbounded Sounds was never meant to be limited to a single year. My dream is to develop it into an ongoing platform for musical dialogue—something that can grow over time, evolve, and respond to the artists and audiences it brings together.

Of course, whether it continues depends largely on funding and support. But even now, after the first concert, I can already feel that there’s a real interest, a need, and a space for this kind of initiative.

I’ll be in a better position to answer this question more concretely around October though—but the desire is very much there.

AT: For those who want to share this initiative in their media, I must say that on the website, at the bottom right, there is a link to press materials that is very complete and well-organized. But in case they want to interview you or any of the other participating artists, how can they contact you?

SL: Thank you so much for mentioning the press section and the website. It means a lot. The site was created by Yiota Vergo Web Stories ( y-vergo.com), and we put a lot of care into making the press materials accessible, clear, and well-organized.

Since I currently handle most aspects of the series myself, it was important to have everything in one obvious, easy-to-navigate place—to make it as effortless as possible for anyone who wants to share or support the initiative.

That said, I’m definitely not doing this alone. I want to thank Sotiris Bekas, for his unwavering support. He’s responsible for all the visual material—videos, teasers, documentation—which is another crucial part of Unbounded Sounds. Capturing and sharing the process is really important for us.

For interviews with the artists or any media inquiries, I can be contacted directly via the contact form on the website: www.unboundedsounds.com, or by email at contact@unboundedsounds.com.

AT: If you’d like to share any other thoughts, please feel free.

SL: I don’t know if it’s about gratitude.
What I know is: those beautiful artists said yes. I hope that they did because something in the silence before the music called them. That’s rare. And I don’t take it lightly.
Unbounded Sounds is not a festival, is not a brand, not a project. It is a room with instruments and people who still believe in something they can’t explain.

The second concert and workshop of Unbounded Sounds will take place on May 13 and 14. Our guest artist from abroad is the brilliant Efrén López. We will perform together in the first set, and in the second set, we’ll be joined by the wonderful singer Sakina Teyna.

Practical details on the concert that Sofia just mentioned:

▫️Concert 13.05.2025 Efrén López (Oud, saz), Sofia Labropoulou (Kanun) & Sakina Teyna (Voice). Location: Sargfabrik Kulturhaus, Goldschlagstraße 169, 1140 Vienna

▫️Workshop 14.05.2025 Efrén López & Sofia Labropoulou. Topic: Ottoman Music Influence on Sephardic Music. Location: mica – music austria, Seminarraum, Stiftgasse 29, 1070 Vienna

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 Unbounded Sounds music series held its first concert on March 15, 2025, at Sargfabrik Kulturhaus in Vienna. This video features a free improvisation based on “Dayah Dayah,” a Lori folk song from Iran, performed by Sokratis Sinopoulos (lyra, Istanbul kemençe), Sarvin Hazin (kamancheh), and Sofia Labropoulou (kanun).

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

Schedule:

09 October – arrive – 19.00 Reception hosted by D.O. Pla de Bages
10 October – Conference 10.30 – 18.00
11 October – Conference 10.30 – 18.00
12 October – depart

For more details and to register, check this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/efn-2025-conference-in-manresa-tickets-1328315370029?aff=oddtdtcreator

About the Fira Mediterrània

From its side, according to its website, the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa “works with what we call the 360 degrees of the root, starting with the first level, the intangible heritage, continuing through the associations of popular and traditional culture, which start with that heritage and work to connect it with society, and ending with the professional sector, the artists whose creations are based on that tradition. At the Fira, we attach particular importance to the interchange, interrelation and intersection of all of those.”

On the picture, you have the the poster for the 28th Fira Mediterrània of Manresa: a heart made of musical instruments and stage elements takes center stage. According to their communication, “the idea is to visually represent this year’s theme: creation in the folk and roots-based arts.” For more information about the Fira, visit their website.

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

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.

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.

Vigüela will bring their warm-blooded music to the most iconic festivity of the city of Madrid: San Isidro!

March 25. Talk with Anton Apostol (Antonovka Records), post-Babel Music XP, visas issues, new calls and + #81

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

Hello, how are you?

Hope you’re well. The photo accompanying today’s Editorial is from Friday, March 21 in Marseille, during Babel Music XP. I’ve already written about my participation in this panel. It was recorded and you can listen to it in full here.

I think it went really well. Each speaker approached the topic from a different angle, and it seems increasingly relevant by the day.

This year I could clearly feel the results of Babel’s intention to make the event more international than in previous years. All the panels had simultaneous translation available through the app. And the presence of international delegates was significantly higher. I don’t have the exact figures, which I’m sure the team does, but I believe I’m not too far off with this impression.

But at the same time…

On the 18th, I received an email from Zone Franche with a press release titled “Update: Artists without visas”, which you can read in full here. Here’s a summary in English (done by me with support of ChatGPT so I recommend to check the original one if you want to delve more):

___

SAWA SAWA is a cultural cooperation program fully managed and funded by the Institut Français, under the joint supervision of the French Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs. It supports Palestinian and French cultural organizations by organizing around 50 artist residencies (about 20 in Palestine and 30 in France), offering Palestinian artists from Gaza, Jerusalem, and the West Bank the opportunity to continue their creative work during wartime.

Despite the program’s positive intent, two Palestinian artists—a musician and a poet—have been unable to travel to France due to delays in obtaining visas from the French Ministry of the Interior. This has led to canceled concerts, disrupted projects, and negative impacts on French collaborators. Their visa applications were correctly submitted but remain unjustifiably blocked.

This situation highlights growing restrictions on the mobility of artists, especially from regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb, and the Middle East. The increasing difficulty in obtaining visas is seen as discriminatory and damaging to cultural diversity.

The statement calls for the urgent approval of the pending visas and urges the French government to uphold international agreements and guarantee the free movement of artists, which is essential for cultural dialogue and universal human values.

___

Then, last Friday the 28th, I saw on Facebook that the concert of Malian musician Afel Bocoum at the Salam Music Festival in Vienna had been canceled. This flyer with the list of cancellations is from Norbert Hausen’s Facebook profile.

A few days before, I had seen this post. And it really caught my attention because I can only imagine the huge amount of work behind organizing a tour of 21 concerts in 7 countries. I can imagine how important it is for the booking agents and the artists, both financially, logistically and emotionally —the number of people involved, the thousands of tickets sold or ready to be sold…

Well, the whole tour had to be canceled (or postponed, I really hope so) because the visas were not issued. It breaks your heart.

The most detailed explanation of the situation I found is in this post from the Salam Music Festival. They explain the steps they made for the visas application and, between other things, that “we were told the French Embassy had stopped issuing visas due to broader political decisions”. I don’t want to place the blame specifically on France. They also didn’t succeed when applying for the visa through the Netherlands and Austria.

It’s just an example that illustrates a situation harming artists from other continents as well as many European companies and organizations, making it even harder to carry out projects that already face a huge number of challenges by default.

However, institutions in Europe insist that diversity must be a core value in cultural projects to receive public funding. Honestly, it all feels like a farce. Diversity… on the surface, sure. We are subject, in our global community, to these forces that I’m not sure we have the power to influence at all.

Well, not everything is negative. Below you’ll find some cool things, including a short interview with Anton Apostol from Antonovka Records — an initiative that really moves me. I find it very comforting that there are people in the world doing this kind of work. It’s obvious that the commercial interest in it is virtually nonexistent, but the legacy that Antonovka Records is leaving in the world is a true treasure.

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

I took this portrait from Anton’s Facebook profile.

The first time I talked about something related to Antonovka here was in this November 2022 edition. It was about the album by Damir Guagov and Asker Sapiev, artists from Adygea, Circassian culture. I love the album.

The label already has 155 releases, and you can listen to them on Bandcamp. Most of them are very raw recordings of various peoples living in the Russian Federation, some from the Balkans, and a couple of albums from Rwanda.

The label defines itself as: “Agile and low cost record label dedicated to traditional and local music of former USSR and the world”.

I sent a few questions to its founder, Anton Apostol. Here are his answers.

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

Araceli Tzigane: As I look at your website and your Bandcamp page, I remember when I first listened to one of the albums that has impressed me the most in recent years: Adyge Oredyzhkher: Adyg / Circassian Music by Damir Guagov & Asker Sapiev. It was in November 2022, and I found out about it from the list of albums that Daryana Antipova provided me to vote for in the Russian World Music Chart. It awakened very deep emotions in me. One of them was the surprise of hearing such young guys, barely 20 years old, singing in this way, like seasoned men, performing such a different kind of music with so few elements—just their voices, an accordion (called pshina), a violin (shichepshina), and the percussion of phachichao. Even the instrumental pieces were magical. Thank you for that, Anton.

Later, I started following the releases of Antonovka. Some were from Rwanda, which you released around the same time as Guagov and Sapiev’s album, and many others from the diverse peoples of the republics of the Russian Federation, as well as some from the Balkans. At that time, when we were witnessing the increasing isolation of artists administratively labeled as “Russian” from many institutions and sectors, it completely broke my heart. Seven months had passed since Russia invaded Ukraine, and incredibly, this conflict remains unresolved… until today. What fault did those two young men have in all this horror? And what about the Ukrainian women from Siberia of the Bereginya Ensemble, for instance? What has happened to them? How are they now? Do they hold Russian nationality while having a Ukrainian cultural identity? What should be done with them, then? And yet, everything remains the same.

And despite all this, Anton, you say: “If you perform traditional or similar music, then contact us at aa@antonovka.online. We will do our best to visit you, record your music, and release it online. This is free.” You are Russian and currently live in Belgrade, if I am not mistaken. Since that Circassian music album, you have released around 100 more…

So, I have several questions:

AT: How is all of this financed? You say it’s low-cost, but in the end, you have to travel to these places, some of them very remote, which involves costs for flights and regional/local transportation logistics. I imagine the revenue from having the albums on Bandcamp is quite limited.

Anton Apostol: All is done at my own cost. Recently we (I have a companion, Marina Lobanova) opened a non profit company in Russia so maybe it will help. Some money arrives from the streaming, but very small of course.

AT: In general, are the people you go to record always in agreement and prepared? I imagine you must have had some surprises. I remember that Andrzej Bieńkowski, a Polish professor who has done extensive field recordings, told me that, in his case, he often had to drink high-proof alcohol in large glasses when offered. But in your case, do people usually invite you to record them? Have you ever encountered difficulties?

AA: Of course various stories happen. More often we search musicians ourselves, contact them, and of course not everyone agrees to be recorded. And this may work differently in different countries and cultures. Sometimes yes, I have to drink with them.

AT: What is happening on the ground with the culture of Ukrainians who have settled in Russian Federation republics?

AA: Fortunately there are no issues for the moment. Because the majority of Russian Ukrainians are the descendants of Ukrainian settlers of the early 20th century, when people were coming to Siberia, Ural and similar areas in search of a better life. They were given free or very cheap land there by the government. So they are very well integrated, and some of them never even visited Ukraine. So yes, they have Russian nationality but still keep Ukrainian cultural identity. Not all of them, but still many.

AT: A few weeks ago, you had to change the cover of an album (Georgian music – click on the picture to listen to the album ➡️) because “some musicians asked to conceal their names and remove their photo from the cover.” Can you explain what happened? By the way, that music is also amazing.

AA: Technical reason, so to speak. There are two duos on the album, and one of them recently contacted me and said they do not like their own playing on this recording. So they wanted to remove it at all. We finally agreed that we keep the tracks but remove their names and the photo from the cover. Because for me the music is beautiful.

AT: Why do you do all this? What is your personal background? Did music play any role in your childhood?

AA: I am a telecom engineer by my main profession. In my childhood I used to live with my parents at the university campus in Moscow where there were many students from all over the world. So, other cultures have been kind of natural things for me. Then, when I was a student myself I began to be interested in folk music. And I record it now simply because I love it. Some people like skiing, some like football, and I like field recordings.

AT: What are your future plans with Antonovka Records?

AA: Not many plans for the moment, because I recently returned from Serbia (where I lived for the last 2 years) to Moscow and started a new job here. And it keeps me very busy. But I have an idea to probably visit WOMEX in Finland this year, just as a visitor. So that I see how it all works and probably next year we can participate.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ANTON!

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in March of 2025 is: Samba Touré’s Baarakelaw (Glitterbeat)

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the month are &Fusion’s La marche du bonheur; Damily & Toliara Tsapiky Band’s Fihisa and Muslim Shaggan’s Asar

🔸The winner of the World Music category for the best recording of 2024 in Slovakia, in the Radio_Head Awards, organiced by the Slovenská televízia a rozhlas has been Ildikó Kali with her album Jore, jore. I was a jury already for the 4th time and I glad to share the news.

🔸By the way, earlier in the year it was announced the winners of the award Golden Microphone, organiced by the “Association of Latvian Sound Recording Producers, Publishers and Distributors” (LaMPA). I was a jury for the category of folk and world music and the winner has been Etnogrupa OGAS with the album Ok, Laime!

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:

🔸Premio Andrea Parodi

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

🔸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.

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…

February 25. Talk with Kavita Shah from Folkalist Records, insights about Babel Music XP, UnBounded Sounds by Sofia Labropoulou, many new calls and + #80

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

I got this beautiful picture from Kavita’s website and it is by Julien Charpentier. I first heard about Kavita through her album Cape Verdean Blues, the first release from Folkalist Records. A few days later, I received an email introducing the label, which she had founded. And I realised that was the first album of a new record label.

I wondered why this woman, an artist with an already established career, would decide to start a record label in these times when recorded music doesn’t seem to be a great business.

I had recently started my own label to release my own artists and to offer an option for other musicians whose projects I identify with, helping them navigate all the work and procedures required to put an album on the market. I wondered what Kavita’s reason was… As usually happens, when something catches your attention, more and more questions start to arise. Kavita was kind enough to answer mine, and here I share them with you.

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

Araceli Tzigane: Kavita, you already have some discographic experience. On your Bandcamp I see two albums released previously, before creating Folkalist. Why did you start a new record label, instead of releasing the album/s with other labels already existing?

Kavita Shah: Thank you for inviting me to share about Folkalist Records! I am a singer, composer, and educator working across the jazz, global music, and contemporary classical worlds. My practice also incorporates ethnographic research into diverse musical traditions from around the world.

Folkalist has long been a goal of mine–to create a space for artists who, like myself, are global citizens and make music that transcend cultures, genres, and marketing labels. With Folkalist, my dream is not just to highlight marginalized music and music-makers, especially women, but to establish a digital platform through which artists and audiences everywhere–from Ethiopia to Argentina, Cabo Verde to India–can find one another, discover novel connections, and in so doing, enable a new type of global music community.

The decision to found Folkalist Records was more about this broader vision I had for the arts world than it was about creating a label for releasing my own music. That said, personally having recorded and toured on six continents for the past 13 years, I also grew weary of the exploitative dynamic between artists and industry folk, especially as a woman of color operating in a predominantly white, male space. And when it comes to record labels, the deals that exist out there in this very volatile environment, even with major labels, are lackluster at best.

I have always been entrepreneurial in my career, and I enjoy a good challenge. When I realized that with a bit of work, I could create a forward-thinking structure with the right attention to detail to benefit independent artists on a global stage, it felt like the right time to launch Folkalist.

AT: Please also explain what Folkalist provides differently to the world of the music industry.

KS: Folkalist is an artist-forward, artist-run label for the 21st century. As artists ourselves, we are acutely aware of the challenges artists face and strive to uplift independent artists and amplify their work. We offer bespoke services beyond just uploading music to DSPs, including in-house publicity, copywriting, career consulting, and booking services. This holistic approach contributes to the success of our artists and their long-term sustainability beyond an individual release. On our website, each artist can also present digital liner notes (beautifully designed by Hyperkit) with the photos, field recordings, and stories behind their music, giving them the opportunity to share their work with audiences in a deeper way (check out the liner notes for my album Cape Verdean Blues or for Juana Luna’s Canciones en Blanco y Negro!).

Regarding our business model, many record labels were founded during a different era, when profits were still made through physical products, and these labels have fought to survive in the era of streaming by desperately trying to adapt an obsolete model to current times. We at Folkalist are coming into the game with eyes wide open that streaming is here to stay, and that in order to turn a profit as a record label, we have to be tactical about finding new ways to generate revenue. We use AI and data science tools to analyze streaming algorithms that can help us and our artists in this new climate, and we are developing partnerships with other organizations to help broaden the reach of our artists and their music.

AT: I wonder about the name, Folkalist. Why did you choose this name?

KS: The word “folkalist” came to me during a performance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in the middle of a whirlwind voyage from Cape Verde to Dakar, Bamako to Tanzania. Singing with the founder of Ethio-jazz, the legendary Mulatu Astatke, and local musicians who effortlessly crossed folk genres and identities, something in me clicked: a “folkalist” is a culture-maker, someone engaged in storytelling, and often at the crossroads where diverse cultures meet. And my calling as a multi-hyphenate, polyglot artist is to do my part to advance the music found in these places of encounter.

AT: And about your logo, it looks vintage. Together with the name it brings to my mind the idea of people like Alan Lomax. Was that your idea too?

KS: Thank you for noticing our logo! It was created by a great UK-based design studio called IWANT Design. My colleague Jayme Stone and I worked with John Gilsenan, the designer, to make a logo that conveyed Folkalist’s brand as bridging the traditional and the modern. We wanted something that felt both machine-printed and bespoke/hand-drawn, with imperfections visible, much like the aesthetic of Folkalist’s music.

AT: Do you think physical production is still relevant?

KS: A few years ago, everyone thought that physical albums were on their way out, so when founding Folkalist, I assumed we would have a digital focus. But while the commercial market for CDs has indeed shrunk, I was shocked that within three months of the release of my album Cape Verdean Blues, I had to reprint CDs because so many people were buying the albums, both at concerts and through vendors like Bandcamp. People are buying CDs who don’t even have a CD player anymore because they want to take home a memento of what they experience live. Some radio and press outlets still request physical copies as well, and Folkalist has been working with physical distributors in Europe and Japan, where there is still a strong demand for physical product. So, yes, print is still relevant. We’ll have to assess this in real time as the industry continues to shift.

AT: What do you think is the future of vinyl? Will it remain one of the alternatives for physical formats, or is it just a passing trend?

KS: Vinyl is not a passing trend! There is something to the analog experience of sitting down and listening to a story from start to finish. It’s meditative, and many people who are overwhelmed by the barrage of information thrown at us in the digital age welcome this experience. Vinyls are also more sustainable than CDs, they offer the best sound quality, and they look great, so they are collector’s items.

This said, vinyls are still very expensive to produce, and I think the decline of CDs and rise of vinyls might be a little hyped, as we’re still seeing more demand for CDs than for vinyls. This is another thing Folkalist will have to monitor closely from release to release.

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

On August 2020, still during the hard time of the pandemic, Olivier Rey explained to us about the rebirth of the “Babel”. This event, Babel Music XP would be the heir of Babel Med, giving to the event the new vision and strength of a new team, lead by him. You can read that interview here. For Mundofonías, Juan Antonio sent some questions to Olivier and I asked them permission to write it down here also for my readers. Here you are.

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

I first discovered Sofia Labropoulou through her 2020 work Sisyphus. You can listen to it, here. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person in Belgrade in September 2021, at the Todo Mundo festival, where she performed, and we were both invited to a panel called Women in the World Music.

When a few weeks ago I started receiving information about this initiative by Sofia, I loved it and didn’t want to miss the chance to share it already, although I plan to revisit it in future editions as I want to explore some aspects further. But for now, don’t forget to visit the website, where they explain, among other things, the following:

“Unbounded Sounds is a music series created by kanun virtuoso, improvisation artist and composer Sofia Labropoulou. Premiering at Sargfabrik Kulturhaus in 2025 , the series invites audiences to experience a unique blend of folk traditions, contemporary innovation and Vienna’s rich musical diversity.”

Learn more and check the program on the website.

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.

🔸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:

🔸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.

🔸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.

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.

January 25. Talk with Miklós Both (Folk_ME), Juan Antonio Vázquez (LIMúR), A’mosi Just a Label (Ntwala Oh Yeah!), many new calls and + #79

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

Let me invite you to play this in the background, if you can. Or listen to it first and then keep reading, if you can’t. I’m the second type. Good music captivates me too much for me to focus on what I’m reading.

According to the website, “Folk_ME’s platform is a versatile online teaching toolkit designed primarily for teachers and their students.” It is a project led by Miklós Both, whom I first heard about in connection with the Polyphony Project. Piotr Piszczatowski, Polish percussionist who works with Janusz Prusinowski, told me about this. It is superb; check it out.

In November 2021, Miklós became the director of the Hagyományok Háza (Hungarian Heritage House). On the day he took office, I was there for the annual conference of the European Folk Network. This picture of us together is from the 2024 annual conference in Kaustinen. Miklós is also a composer, performer, folklorist, singer, guitarist, actor, and vitar violin (a mix of guitar and violin) player.

Following a similar model to Polyphony, with an added educational layer, Folk_ME is fascinating not only for those interested in improving their performance of traditional Hungarian music but also for anyone who appreciates good music. This is how Miklós explains Folk_ME:

“The Folk_ME platform currently offers 134 recorded pieces, each structured according to the Folk_ME methodology, focusing on education and cultural heritage preservation. The website is designed as a versatile toolkit for musicians, educators, and enthusiasts, providing a deep dive into traditional folk music through various interactive features:

🔸1. Video Clips: Each piece has a main video showing the performance. Detailed information accompanies the video, including the song’s origin, performers, and lyrics, to contextualize the piece culturally and geographically.

🔸2. Tracks: The multi-track player allows users to isolate or combine individual instrumental and vocal parts. This feature helps users analyze the music layer by layer and study each instrument’s role.

🔸3. Parts: Individual performances of each musician are recorded separately, with a focus on their hands and instruments. Videos can be slowed to 0.75x or 0.5x speed for detailed study without losing quality. This is ideal for musicians learning the techniques.

🔸4. Sources: Archival recordings spanning the past century are included to explore the rich diversity of folk music traditions and their historical evolution.

Additionally, the site supports searches by instrument, musical dialect, or genre, making it easy to explore the content based on specific interests. This combination of educational and analytical tools fosters both learning and appreciation of folk music in an engaging and innovative way.”

As I mentioned above, one of the topics that frequently occupies my mind is the transmission of traditional music, and I find this project fascinating. I asked Miklós a few more questions, and I’m sharing his answers below. My thanks go to Linda Diligens from the Hagyományok Háza for her support in the coordination.

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

Recently, LIMúR announced its first annual chart, following four quarterly lists produced throughout 2024. I am part of the panel, but, as I did with Transglobal World Music Chart, I have not voted during the time when I had an album from my own label in the list of candidates. This was the case with Vigüela’s album We. Even so, it reached the number one spot. Honestly, I consider it well-deserved. However, the focus of this article is not that, but rather to celebrate LIMúR’s first anniversary. Congratulations! And we’ll do so with a few words from Juan Antonio Vázquez, its driving force and the coordinator of a team of nearly 30 jurors. You can find more details on the website and social media (Facebook and Instagram).

Without further ado, here are the statements from Juan Antonio.

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

In the March 2023 edition of this newsletter, I talked about the first open call of Ntwala Oh Yeah! Festival. The artist A’mosi Just A Label contacted me about it and told me about this new initiative in Angola, a multidisciplinary and international gathering of artists.The event took place already for two times and now, KONONO SOUL ARTS, the organization of A’mosi, announces the NTWALA OH YEAH! Malanje Edition 2025. It is scheduled for June 24-29.

According to their press release,

“NTWALA OH YEAH! It is an itinerant meeting between the performing arts, Music, Dance, Literature, Visual Arts, and Spoken Word. Plus, Book Launches, Talks, Workshops, Networking and Tourism. The 2025 edition in Malanje – Angola, it’s a camping edition with ecological footprint. The aim of the festival is to promote and highlight emerging artists, offering them a platform to present themselves.” You can read the full press release, here. And I really recommend it to understand it better.The call for proposals is this form. It is open until February 15th. And you can check the social media, here.

After these two previous years, I made a couple of questions to A’mosi. Check the answers here below.

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

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in January of 2025 is: Mari Boine’s Alva

And the results of the Festival Awards 2024 have been announced. Check them here.

🔸Mundofonías: the three favourite of the month are JB Moundele’s Racines, Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong’s – Confluencias and Benoît LeBlanc’s, Mô kouzin, mô kouzinn

🔸LIMúR (Iberian Roots Music Chart), annual results of 2024

Check the results in the link. In this collage Juan Antonio managed to put the top 25.

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.

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:

🔹Fira Mediterrània de Manresa

The 28th edition of the Fira Mediterrània will take place in Manresa from 9 to 12 October 2025.

🔸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.

🔸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? In the previous edition this was not answered but yes in this: the application is on Gigmit (for free, you don’t need to create a pro account), here.

🔸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.

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.

December 24. Talk with David Sierra (Sierra Contratación Artística), recaps, new calls and + #78

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

If you like this content, send it to a friend ⬅️

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.

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:

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.

Araceli Tzigane: How did you start in the music industry?

David Sierra: I started professionally in 2008. Before that, I worked in a travel agency as a travel agent. I had studied a degree in Humanities with a specialization in Tourism. So, I ended up in a travel agency, and through a very casual connection there, I met someone who worked in music. This person needed someone to manage the administrative and commercial side of the business, and that’s where I began. I worked at that company until 2011 with that artist, and then, starting in 2012, I became self-employed under the name Sierra Contratación Artística, which is still my business today.

AT: Was it already folk music at that time?

DS: Yes, it was with an artist primarily focused on Celtic music. We’re talking about the 2000s, a time when there was a large network of festivals centered around Celtic music in Spain. Many of those festivals have since disappeared.

AT: So, when you started, you already had some experience with logistics, production, and similar aspects because of your work in travel.

DS: Exactly. Everything involving customer service, the commercial side, and all the organizational aspects of what we call pre-production, I already had experience with that. Of course, it was completely new to me to have to call municipalities, theatre networks, and so on. That whole commercial aspect, but related to the arts, was unfamiliar to me compared to arranging hotels or flights. Dealing with, for example, a cultural officer, a festival director, or a technical manager was something I didn’t know much about. So, it was very much a day-to-day learning process.

AT: How did you learn?

DS: I think it was through trial and error—mistakes, more mistakes, and learning from them. The person I worked with helped me a lot since she already had experience in the music industry. She knew how to do things and guided me. But a lot of it was self-taught. Later, when you start attending trade fairs, that’s another learning curve. The first fair I attended was WOMEX in 2008 in Seville. From that experience, I started building a network with colleagues, exchanging experiences, contacts, and ways of working. That’s also how I learned the most. Initially, my work was much more regionally focused, specifically in Castilla-La Mancha, which was my region. My client base in those first one or two years was largely regional, with some national work. After two years, I started moving into international territory. During those two years, I gained a lot of experience. But above all, it was a lot of self-teaching, really.

AT: Did you live in Italy as well?

DS: I did an Erasmus program in Italy. Something that helped me both for this job and for my work in the travel agency was that all the exams there were oral. That was something we didn’t normally do in Spain. Evaluation in Spain was usually through written exams or multiple-choice tests. So, it wasn’t like facing a panel of four professors with students behind you while you tried to speak Italian and defend yourself in a language that wasn’t your own. That experience really helped me lose my fear of public speaking and interacting with others. I think it was very useful for both the travel agency and my current job—being able to communicate and feel comfortable speaking.

AT: So, you already had an inclination toward international experiences.

DS: Yes, absolutely. Plus, I’ve always been very connected to music through dance. For example, in secondary school, I had an amazing teacher from Cantabria, Esther Diego, and between us it developed a very personal and wonderful bond. She gave me cassette tapes from that era, with things like Naciones Celtas or even Goran Bregović. I grew up listening to everything from Vangelis to The Beatles. During my childhood and adolescence, Mike Oldfield was also a significant influence. I always had an interest in less commercial music. Thanks to that teacher, I discovered so many groups. Later, a colleague from the travel agency, who was a Bosnian refugee from the Balkan War of the ’90s, introduced me to a wealth of Balkan music, from Bijelo Dugme to Sevdah. So, I already had an interest in this kind of music before pursuing it professionally.

AT: Were you born in Cuenca or Belmonte?

DS: I was born in Cuenca. My family is from Belmonte, but I was born in Cuenca’s hospital, so that’s what my ID says. My siblings, however, were born in the village. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, in small villages like mine, about 100 km from the capital (so for the hospital too), the figure of a midwife was still common. There was a woman named Manuela who did everything—she could cure the evil eye, deliver babies, or prepare the deceased.

At this moment I think it is useful to illustrate the conversation with this picture of Belmonte and its castle (by José Francisco Fernández Saura from Pexels).

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.

Kalàscima is one of the artists with which David Sierra works for the bookings worldwide. I invite you to enjoy this live recording if you don’t know them yet:

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.

Sierra Contratación Artística works with La Jose. She participated in the last edition of La Voz (The Voice) and I really liked this performance of her. So, check it and, if you want to book her, contact David Sierra!!!

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

As Vigüela’s album is not elegible now, I voted again for this last chart. The #1 has been Al Andaluz Project, with the album The songs of Iman Kandoussi (Galileo Music Communication), which is a compilation of the pieces sung by the Moroccan singer Iman Kandoussi, from the albums that the ensemble released previously.

I’d like to highlight the album on #10, which is Andrés Belmonte’s Gharbí (Segell Microscopi).

🔸Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame 2024

The inductees this year have been:

ARTIST

Martin Carthy

Jyotsna Srikanth

Petroloukas Halkias

Hermeto Pascoal

Erik Marchand

IN MEMORIAM

Toumani Diabate

Mercedes Sosa

Camarón de la Isla

Mohammad-Reza Shajarian

Reinette l’Oranaise

PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE

Percy Yip Tong

Muziekpublique

Simon Broughton

A LITTLE BIT OF MINE

🔸 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).

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).

🔹Fira Mediterrània de Manresa

The 28th edition of the Fira Mediterrània will take place in Manresa from 9 to 12 October 2025.

“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.

🔹FolkHerbst

“The FolkHerbst is a series of music events, as a result of which the only European folk music award in Germany, the Eiserner Eversteiner, has been awarded since 1992. […] The single “competition“ concerts take place from the end of September to the end of November.”

🔸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.

November 24. Talks with Sharaf DarZaid (Popular Art Center, Palestine) and Hassan Elammouri (ArteGanza Foundation, Netherlands) and + #77

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.

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:

HASSAN ELAMMOURI, FOUNDER OF ARTEGANZA FOUNDATION

I knew about Hassan Elammouri this past May in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, during the Music Meeting festival, which I visited because of the Ali Doğan Gönültaş’s performance. By the way, the festival won the UPBEAT Future Festival Award, and the prize was presented at the recent edition of WOMEX in Manchester. You can find more details here.

However, Hassan and I didn’t meet at Ali’s concert. After the performance, Ali told me about a Moroccan man who had a festival and who had congratulated him on his show. I immediately looked into it and found him—Hassan Elammouri, founder of ArteGanza Foundation and director of the Musica Mundo Festival.

Coincidentally, he founded ArteGanza the same year Mapamundi Música was established. Our similarities don’t end there. In our communications from afar, I believe we’ve recognized shared values in our approach to working with music. This inspired me to learn more about him and share his voice with the readers of this newsletter, an idea he welcomed with generosity.

About ArteGanza, I will make a summary of some content from their website:

Founded in 2007, ArteGanza is led by a team with culturally diverse backgrounds and uses global performing arts to connect people from different cultures. The organization hosts theater concerts and a major festival, focusing on emerging artists often overlooked by mainstream programming. ArteGanza acts as a springboard for these artists, helping them reach larger stages across the Netherlands. It also inspires broader cultural programming of non-Western art forms by providing expertise and access to international networks.

Since 2018, the Musica Mundo Festival highlights world music in summer, complemented by the Musica Mundo Series of concerts in spring and fall.

Without further ado, here is the conversation with Hassan.

Araceli Tzigane: Why do you work with music?

Hassan Elammouri: Music touches something deeper within us; it is a language beyond words. For many who work with it, it offers a unique way to express feelings, experiences and ideas that are difficult to put into words. The deep motivation for making music can vary, but usually it comes down to the desire to connect – with others and with oneself.

Many musicians feel a strong need to express themselves and share their emotions. Music gives them an outlet to turn everything they are feeling and experiencing into something that can touch others as well. It is almost a spiritual urge to create something that gives meaning, not only to themselves, but also to others. In addition, it offers an almost magical form of freedom and creativity in which they can explore and express their personal truth.

Some are also driven by the desire to tell stories, to give hope, or even to inspire others. Music can bring comfort, strength and joy, and for many musicians, the idea that they can have a positive impact on others is a huge motivation. The idea that a song can improve someone’s day, provide comfort during difficult times or simply inspire a sense of joy makes the work worthwhile for them.

In short, music acts as a bridge – a way to connect with others and themselves in a deeper way. It is a search for meaning, and a way to make the invisible visible,

AT: Which is your personal background? Where were you born and where have you lived?

HE: I was born and raised in Morocco. I lived and studied in my city of Fes. At the beginning of my 19th year, I left for the Netherlands to continue my studies. I completed my studies in Amsterdam and stayed in the Netherlands

I studied Arabic and English literature. Later I did administrative studies and worked at the municipality of my city of Amersfoort. Besides my studies, I was always busy with music, theatre and art. At the end of 2007, I established my foundation ArteGanza. The intention was to create a home for world cultures, art and creation. Thus we are engaged in initiating, developing, programming, organizing and distributing various art forms.

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.

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.

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

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in November of 2024 is: Chain of Light, by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party ·

🔸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

🔸 After WOMEX, we signed an agreement for booking for Eastern Europe for Ali Doğan Gönültaş with MOST Music Agency.
🔸 The Ukrainian band Hudaki Village Band are mixing their new album, to be released next Spring. Listen to a bit of it in the video below. No doubt, they have incredible strength!
🔸 The 10th album of Vigüela has been awared by the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik.

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).

🔹Fira Mediterrània de Manresa NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER

The 28th edition of the Fira Mediterrània will take place in Manresa from 9 to 12 October 2025.

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.

🔹Budapest Ritmo

🔸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.

🔹FolkHerbst

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mapamundi Música is an agency of management and booking. Learn more here. Check our proposals at our website.

We also offer you our Mundofonías radio show, probably the leader about world music in Spanish language (on 50 stations in 18 countries). We produce the Transglobal World Music Chart with our partner Ángel Romero from WorldMusicCentral.com.

Feel free to request info if you wish. For further information about us, get in touch by email, telephone (+34 676 30 28 82), our website or at our Facebook.

October 24. Post-WOMEX, talk with Laia Canals (Tempi), new open calls and + #76

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.

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:
LAIA CANALS, DIRECTOR OF TEMPI – ROOTS MUSIC DENMARK

After working since 2017 as the Head of International Projects in Tempi – Roots Music Denmark, the national organization that promotes Danish roots music genres in Denmark and abroad, Laia became its director in April 2023.

I’ve known Laia for several years, but it was only during the last edition of the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa that we were able to spend a good while talking, and it was wonderful. I wasn’t aware of many important aspects of her career, elements of her initiatives from which I have benefitted through the beauty of the music she has supported. For example, Filastine, of whom you’ll find more below. It’s a great pleasure to share these aspects of her career and her vision with the readers of this newsletter. I won’t keep you any longer. Enjoy.

Araceli Tzigane: Why do you work with music?
Laia Canals: Music has been my life, even though I’m not a musician. I never learned to play an instrument or attended a conservatory.

AT: I feel the same way. Music has been a kind of madness for me ever since I can remember.
LC: When I was in school, I was always very musical. I never learned to play an instrument, but I’ve always loved dancing. I even skated competitively and became the European champion in figure skating, which is all about dancing to music. I was always very physical and focused on networking—I was the one organizing all the parties at school. At the end of primary school, our teachers gave each of us a title for our best quality. There was one for the best mathematician, another for someone who would go to the moon, and one for the best friend. I received the title for “the dance and rhythm”, and I had no doubt they were right. For me, there was never a Plan B.

I was also a bit nerdy about machines and gaming, which led me to film school where I specialized in sound, combining my love for both machines and music. For my thesis, I worked with Dolby Digital 5.1, setting up cinemas and handling post-production with split sound.

I was very young, and music meant everything to me. I took a live sound technician course at Microfusa, a well-known school in Barcelona, and started working at a small cultural center. A band there offered me a position as their monitor engineer at Sala Apolo. The venue noticed my work and informed me that their monitor technician was leaving, so they hired me as well. From there, I became the house technician, managing both concerts and DJ nights.

Two key moments directed me toward world music. The first was a concert by Rachid Taha. I had always been drawn to music with roots-based references, but working as Rachid Taha’s engineer was a turning point. He blended electronic music with traditional sounds, making it feel incredibly contemporary, and his charismatic personality made it a joy to collaborate with him.

Sala Apolo hosted a club called Mundo Canibal, which brought in 2,000 students every Wednesday from midnight to 5 a.m. I was the sound technician for those sessions, and I loved the music and the atmosphere. There was a DJ named Mamayé who heard the music I played during soundchecks and suggested, ‘Why don’t you try DJing?’ So, little by little, I began warming up for the club. I had the opening hour, and gradually, people started arriving earlier just to catch my sets.

One day, Mamayé said to me, ‘Laia, you’re ready for prime time,’ but I hesitated, saying, ‘No, no, no, I’m scared.’ However, she believed in me and pushed me forward. She was an incredible mentor and gave me a prime-time slot, and that’s when I DJed for the first time. To my surprise, a music booker from Roskilde Festival was in the audience. Shortly after, I found a manager who started representing me, leading to performances at Sziget, Sfinks, and many other festivals across Europe and around the world.

At these festivals, I met a few other DJs who were doing what I was—combining electronic music with global influences. This was back in 2004, and while that style is well-established now, hardly anyone was exploring it then. By chance, we decided to start a record label focused on electronic music with roots music influences.

Under the video, Laia will continue explaining about the record label. But I wanted to remember Rahid Taha and pay him a tribute for the effect his work and personality had in my protagonist of today.

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 B andCamp

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.

This outstanding piece is called Colony Collapse and I find it very beautiful and also meaningful. The artists are Grey Filastine & Nova Ruth. This was release by the record label founded by Laia: Post World Industries. About the video, they explain that: “Colony Collapse is filmed at sites of ecological friction, the fault lines of conflict between humanity and (the rest of) nature. It is a video made to confront and indict the ongoing catastrophes that are the very fabric of our globalized economic order.” Read the complete text in the descripcion on Youtube:

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.

Så meget godt i vente was the first single from their most recent album, Hvis ikke de er døde, lever de endnu, their second studio album, released last September. Feel free to learn more about the band, on their website.

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

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in October of 202 4 is: the homonymous album by Buzz’ Ayaz (label: Glitterbeat)

🔸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 😎”

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.

🔹Budapest Ritmo NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER

🔹FolkHerbst NEW IN THE NEWSLETTER

🔹Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame DEADLINE TOMORROW 31ST

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).

September 24. Relocated identities. Birgit Ellinghaus’s speech on the 5th Conference of the EFN and + #75

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

Hello, how are you? I hope well. I am well but I have been so busy the last times!

The 5th Annual Conference of the European Folk Network

In previous editions, I have been announcing the 5th Annual Conference of the European Folk Network. I must say that it was extraordinary in both the diversity and depth of the topics we covered, as well as the brilliant minds that participated. The production was also exemplary, led by Nod Knowles and an incredibly dedicated and experienced team. You can find all the details about the specific individuals and the entire program here.

This time, it was held in Kaustinen, a place that, at least for folk fans in Spain, sounds almost mythical, like Rivendell or Avalon of Nordic folk. Well, it has a more tangible reality. If you haven’t been there, believe me, I assure you. More than a hundred people gathered, and I must say it was two days filled with exciting reflections.

One of the moments I enjoyed the most was the participation of Miklós Both, who is with me in the photo. I consider Miklós is one of the brightest minds we have in this community. The first time I heard about him was through his Polyphony Project, which you can check out here. It is an initiative dedicated to preserving and documenting the traditional polyphonic songs of Ukraine. It provides an extensive digital archive of folk songs and stories, aiming to maintain and share the cultural heritage of Ukraine’s polyphonic singing tradition.

Miklós has been the director of the Hungarian Heritage House since November 2021. He took on the position when we were having the second Annual Meeting of the European Folk Network right at its facilities. The House is a center for the safeguarding and presentation of Hungary’s intangible cultural heritage, particularly through music, dance, and folk art.

And in this 5th Annual Meeting, Miklós explained how, during the folk revival of the 60s and 70s, the original rural context of traditional music was lost when that music was brought into the city, to a completely different setting. I found this idea quite insightful. This topic, regarding the romanticization of traditional music and how certain ideas are sometimes created around it that have more to do with fantasy than reality, is something I often discuss with Juan Antonio Torres from Vigüela. One day, I’ll delve deeper into this with him and bring it here.

For my part, I had the pleasure of participating in the panel “Branding for Professional Folk,” moderated by Laia Canals (Tempi, Denmark), and with the participation of Ale Carr (Sweden), on the frame of his role for the Nordic Folk Alliance. The picture is by Pablo Camino (Spain is Music), who came to lead a discussion group about musical tourism.

Honestly, it was a fascinating mental exercise for me, reflecting on some issues around country branding, comparing certain characteristics of my own country, Spain, which has a strong and recognizable brand, with its advantages and disadvantages, offering a few insights into its historical roots, and exploring how it contrasts with the concept of Nordic folk in a way that could be useful for them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Relocated identities
Directly connected to the topic I discuss further down, the part about Birgit Ellinghaus’ participation in the Annual Meeting is what I want to tell you now. I learned from Eyal El Wahab, leader of the Yemeni Jewish band El Khat (picture by Kfir Mualem, Eyal is the one in the middle), that they have emigrated from Jaffa, the old city next to Tel Aviv, to Berlin. It feels disheartening that such things happen.

In the notes sent by the Glitterbeat record label about their latest album, Mute, (you can listen to it here) these words are included:

“The move was an expression of the nomadic urge that has been a constant in el Wahab’s life, one that flows directly into his work. ‘These songs are about emigrating, leaving someone or somewhere. I don’t think I’ve stayed in any one place for more than a year. For us Arab Jews whose families were forced to leave Yemen, it really began with that big move and our families’ arrival in Israel, a land with a constant muting of the ‘other’.”

I would also like to share a few more words from Eyal:

“We Arab Jews of Yemeni origin condemn the war in Gaza. The war is a mute, the actions of leaders are a mute, dividing Islam and Judaism or any other religion is a mute. Judging people based on their skin colour, where they were born, or ethnicity is a mute.” “I cannot even share my feelings with my friends and family anymore. People only see themselves instead of the entire picture, that ‘whole’ where we all complete each other and cannot be separated as if we were different parts of a human body.”

I don’t know Eyal very well. We only met two years ago in Tel Aviv. Will we ever meet there again? Will they ever return?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m very tired, I have a lot of work, and on Thursday, Ali Doğan Gönültaş is coming to Spain to perform in Málaga and Madrid (which is great!). And somehow, I feel that writing this is the most important thing I could be doing right now.

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

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

I had the idea, which turned out to be a very good one, to record the mentioned panel, as the speakers I know best, Birgit Ellinghaus (alba Kultur, Germany) and Alan Ibrahim (Music for Identity, originally from Syria and based in Germany), contribute ideas that open paths to deep reflection. I am less familiar with the other participants: alongside them were moderator Jaana-Maria Jukkara (Global Music Centre, Finland) and Mehrnoosh Zolfaghari (kanunist from Iran settled in Finland).

I have interviews with both of them from previous editions:
🔸Here is Birgit’s and she has appeared on several occasions, for instance, before Migrans Music Manifesto, here,
🔸and here is Alan’s.

This time, I have transcribed Birgit’s participation. To fully understand it, I recommend checking out, before or after reading her speech, the Conventions and the charter she mentioned:

🔸UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression – website
🔸UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) – website
🔸And the newest tool, which Birgit encouraged us to check and countersign, the Fair Culture Charter – website (available in English, French, Spanish and German)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Birgit Ellinghaus’s speech:

“We spoke a lot about Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), yesterday and today, mainly in rural peaceful territories: Nordic Countries, Scotland… we saw all these great examples. And today the majority of the European population is living in urban regions of very pluralistic societies due to the migration of many different kinds: we call “recruited skill workers” who came and who are still coming to Europe, we have blue card holders, we have international students, we have displaced people from war zones or, in the future, maybe because of climate change, refugees coming to the Nordic zones, because they can’t survive anymore on the small islands in the Pacific or the Indian Ocean. So, they all have different cultural identities, they have different kind of food, languages, music, instruments, rituals, religions, understanding of the universe and nature. This is the cultural baggage they carry along here to this European territory.

So, I going to start with some questions about the term “new Europeans”. Are there new Europeans and old Europeans? And who are old Europeans and could we really use this term? Do we really have a European identity? If we think about what Matti Hakamäki* introduced to us yesterday as principles of communities and ICH, would the communities from the rural North identify themselves first as Europeans? Or do they have their local identity and the term European is put as a political on top? And do we want really ask to migrants from non-European territories to assimilate in Europe and to have an European identity? And in this case, what kind of European culture do we ask from them? And do we really want to put the power on others (the migrants) and name them “new Europeans” and ignore and reject by this attitude their own roots in other (non-European) cultures? Or is there a new grown identity by a community of people living in urban pluralistic societies in Europe we could name, now or in the future, European? All these are very dynamic and multifaceted questions. I would just pledge to avoid in this debate the Eurocentric views or post-colonial wording and classification.

And all this is in a broader context which has given us, not only the convention on ICH, but as well the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which stands for the diversity of individuals and their rights to be recognized equally with their cultural expression and to make their cultural expressions and identity flourishing and developing freely.

This is why we call the UNESCO Convention of Cultural Diversity the “magna carta for contemporary creation”. This is a convention, which has a different position within all the other UNESCO conventions, because only this convention has a binding power for the ratifying states. All states who have signed up with the UNESCO convention for cultural diversity have to implement this convention and all the rules and knowledge and concepts into their society, into our society and in the intergovernmental relationships with other countries. Europe has ratified as an entire network of states and each state within Europe has ratified this convention too. We have to see, that the ICH convention is nice to have, but it has no legal binding power. The UNESCO convention for cultural diversity has this legal binding power. And through this different concept we can say, both conventions are sister conventions, and the ICH convention is carried through the Convention on cultural diversity into a more powerful meaning, because, through the convention of cultural diversity, the ICH convention gets the relevance to be implemented within the concept of cultural diversity.

This is the concept which gives us access to the cultures from migrants of all kinds, which should be included on equal base into our cultural political debate and into our actions. Both conventions are commitments to artistic freedom, for fair working conditions of artists and creatives and other cultural workers, because around each artist you have such activists and many of you are activist as well.

And this diversity convention is a commitment to pay particular attention to vulnerable and marginalized people in all territories. It highlights the systematic inequalities and imbalances to cultural exchange, that continues to exist on local level, on regional, national and on global level. So, this is a tool we have with the cultural diversity convention, which makes us acting in our relationships and though these relationships we are expressing, what we mean with communities.

And I just would like to finish to give you some brand-new information, because last week we all got a new tool to act in this diverse cultural landscape in Europe: it’s the Fair Culture Charter, which has been worked out after the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development MONDIACULT in Mexico one and a half year ago by a number of national UNESCO committees from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America. All together it was a really a collective process to draw down and to squeeze some rules, specifically for the cultural sector from these UNESCO Conventions, but as well from some international laws, such as the status of artists, which had been recommended already in 1980, by the UN, by the Human Rights Declaration, by some economic, social and cultural rights laws, which has been approved by the UN and, lately, the Sustainable Development Goals.

This Fair Culture Charter is the complete application of all these diverse tools for the cultural sector and it has been broken down to eight principles, I do not name them all, but some are: access to diverse culture expressions and resources, non-discrimination and gender equality, local development… These are principles of this Charter which gives us now really power to act. And I call to all of you to get in the internet on the on the website www.fair-culture.org and to countersign this Charter and to spread the word. Everybody, individuals and organizations, can sign this Charter and this could be a very powerful tool for us, similar to what we know already since many years from the fair-trade movement. So, we would like to start a fair-culture movement with this, which helps to implement our mission in the field of music.”

* Matti Hakamäki is the director of the Finnish Folk Music Institute, that hosted the conference. This is his profile at the UNESCO website. The day before, Matti had made the Keynote “UNESCO Inscriptions, Safeguarding ICH and Professional Folk Music”, together with Esbjörn Hogmark (ESI, SE).

~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to close the section saying thank you to Birgit and asking you to check out the Fair Culture Charter on its website and if you agree with it, please consider supporting it by signing as an individual or as an organization.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in September of 202 4 is: Bassekou Kouyate & Amy Sacko’s Djudjon, l’Oiseau de Garana (One World)

🔸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

🔸The 20 Top Labels for WOMEX is made with the data of the monthly playlist charts that they receive from their partners “World Music Charts Europe and Transglobal World Music Chart who work with more than 100 journalists and broadcasters worldwide enable us to compile this list“. All the details are here.

The 20 Top independent labels are

Glitterbeat Records (Germany)
Real World Records (UK)
Buda Musique (France)
Galileo MC (Spain/Germany)
Nordic Notes / CPL Music (Germany)
Segell Microscopi (Spain)
ARC Music (UK)
Mieruba (Mali)
Zero Nove Nove (Italy)
One World Records (Denmark)
Ajabu! Records (Sweden/Germany)
Analog Africa (Germany)
Riverboat Records / World Music Network (UK)
Trad Records (Belgium)
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (USA)
Outhere Records (Germany)
ZZK Records (Argentina)
Wagram / Chapter Two (France)
Dreyer Gaido (Germany)
World Circuit (UK)

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.

Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame

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. Below you see the inductees of 2023. Check the ones also of 2022 and 2021, 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.

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

August 24. Back to school! Teaching traditional music, educational offer by Muziekpublique & + #74

Summary 👇

🔸Editorial. Back to school!

🔸The educational offer by Muziekpublique, with Marie Devlieger, coordinator of the academy and Peter Van Rompaey, artistic director

🔸Juan Antonio Vázquez brings his Mil Mundos to Radio 5 – National Radio of Spain

🔸European Folk Network annual conference: the complete program

🔸Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects

🔸Open calls: European Folk Day update, Afro Pepites

🔸Discover the first moving images of Spanish dance: espefically, jota

🔸Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you?

I hope well. I am very well. This picture is from Thursday 22nd of August in Plasencia, on the occasion of the concert by Vigüela in Folk Plasencia. And he is Wafir Shaikheldin, musician from Sudan, settled in Spain for more than half of his life.

I have explained on several occasions that the first concert sold under the brand of Mapamundi Música was by Cherno More, the trio with the brothers Nasco and Ivo Hristov and Wafir. We haven’t met in person since before the pandemic. Wafir performed with Tamar Ilana & Ventanas. It was really nice to see him again.

Back to school! Learning the traditional music

And back to the topic of the subject. I talked with Peter Van Rompaey before. There is an extensive interview with him in this previous edition. The last weeks I started to see their posts about the educational offer of music and dance from Muziekpublique. Peter and his team have all my admiration, and I wanted to learn more about their educational approach. Below, you’ll find their statements on the subject.

A couple of weeks ago, Juan Antonio Torres from Vigüela was telling me about a very special experience in Almería with Antonio Mirón, who teaches in the villages around his house, which is here. Mirón is a farmer, plays and sings, and also makes instruments. He doesn’t live in the town itself, but in the “rambla” of Oria. The “ramblas” are dry riverbeds, paths formed by water when it rains, which is rare there. Normally, these ramblas are used as roads, and communication between localities often takes place along these ramblas, beyond the small formal roads. I invite you to take a look on Google Maps and use Street View. For example, here you can cross the locality of Los Cerricos. This is more or less the center of the locality:

Juan Antonio told me how he accompanied Mirón through ramblas to teach traditional music to children in several villages, and how in some of them there isn’t even a formal classroom. They hold the class in the village square. In Los Cerricos, an old lady from the village went to dance during the lessons.

Almería is known for its tourist spots on the coast, but the interior is rugged and dry. Every milliliter of water is used to grow vegetables in the orchards. Mirón explained to me that their area is like an oasis because it is irrigated; there is water for irrigation, but the surrounding environment is almost desert-like. The use of water in Spain has a history spanning millennia, just like traditional music and the rituals often associated with it. In this region, around Murcia, southern Albacete, and Almería, traditional music has a significant ritualistic connection, with pre-Christian origins that were later instrumentaliced by the church. I believe this is a process that has happened in many other places.

This is Mirón’s cover picture of his Facebook profile. I met him on the occasion of a dance workshop so here he is how I met him: dancing.

I met Mirón in Riopar, on February of 2020. Yes, shortly before the pandemic. I never forgot a phrase from him: “Now they form cuadrillas that have no ritual”. The cuadrillas are groups of people who join to play and sing. In the tradition, the cuadrillas are connected to a ritual. Mainly around Christmas. He explains that there are cuadrillas that just play one mass in the year. Nothing else. That mass is the purpose of the cuadrilla. In the tradition, the cuadrillas were connected to ritualistic events, not to make concerts on the stage. Mirón is not a religious person. All this is not about religion.

Mirón has explained to me that he teaches in 6 locations of 4 different municipalities. Some of the local governments support economically all the cost, others support it partly. Mirón makes this to transmit the tradition to the newest generations. He has students even from 5 years old. He explained to me that there is a huge generation, who are now around 60 years old, who haven’t experienced the tradition, and it is meaningless for them. Nevertheless, he is managing to keep these groups of pupils.

About the rituals related to music and about Antonio Mirón, I found this video. If you don’t speak Spanish you won’t understand much. Antonio is the man in green. They are holding a bidding to see who will pay the most to open the dance. Whoever wins the bid gets to choose what dance will be performed. At 2:24, the music and dancing begin. This is not a show. It is a social event. On this occasion they made it with play money but this ritual is still done with real money in some places. The money that is collected was traditionally a donation for the religious brotherhood, but nowadays they give the money to charitable causes as the group deems appropriate. The video is from the Youtube channel of Manuel Sánchez Martínez, which is very recommendable.

A few months ago, I learned that Codarts, the renowned Rotterdam school known for its world music programs, might close its world music department. In April, they announced a redesign of their world music offerings, as detailed on their website of Codarts News. In recent years, they have been offering training in Latin, Turkish Music, and Argentine Tango. Previously, they also provided training in flamenco and Indian music, among other genres. However, in the upcoming academic year, they will not be accepting new students for any of these specializations.

A few weeks ago, I discussed with a musician from outside Europe the rationale behind studying the music of her homeland in Rotterdam rather than in her own country, where there are likely more masters of the tradition. She explained that, for an musician of her origin, coming to study in Europe opens many doors for her professional future. My question then was: What sense would it make for an European musician to study flamenco in Rotterdam instead of, for example, in Jerez de la Frontera?

What is the process of teaching a traditional musical style in a place like Codarts? I don’t know. What I do know is that learning in the traditional way takes years if you haven’t grown up with it. Even if you have grown up with it, it still takes years, but it develops more naturally—though excellence cannot be achieved without great dedication.

In any case, I believe there is interest in learning this music… I’m not sure what to call it. Folk? Juan Antonio from Vigüela has been offering themed workshops, and over the past few months, he has repeatedly worked with groups that already had a prior interest, as they are amateur ensembles with a strong desire to learn. His approach to music is the closest to tradition that you can imagine. During the years, he has developed his own methodology and terminology to be able to teach the musicians who join the band.

On the other hand, the Escuela de Música Creativa, a higher education institution, is offering an Official Master’s Degree in Folklore Performance of the Iberian Peninsula. However, I would change the word “Folklore” to “Folk.” I understand the concept of “folk” as more urban and with an artistic goal in itself. Folklore, at least in Spain, doesn’t have as much of an artistic purpose but rather serves as a means of social articulation. Many of the instructors of this Master’s Degree come from the music industry rather than from traditional music or folklore and their musical language is the one of the modern music, not the one from the traditional music.

To complicate matters further, Juan Antonio from Vigüela explains that the way we hear music is biased by the music we listen to all the time, which is created from a rhythmic perspective. I have witnessed for more than 10 years the process of learning a new interpretive language—the language of traditional music (different from that of academic music)—that the group has gone through once they realized this. So, is it possible and realistic to learn traditional music then? I don’t think I have the answer. What I do know is that, despite the difficulty, music captivates, generates passion, and many people are not content just consuming it. They want to be part of the performance, even though many of them have no intention of becoming professionals.

Going back to Muziekpublique’s offerings, I think it’s wonderful that they have 53 disciplines and have students for all or almost all of them. Oops, that’s a bit of a spoiler for what Peter Van Rompaey shares below. I won’t go on any longer and I’ll let you hear from him.

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

THE EDUCATIONAL OFFER BY MUZIEKPUBLIQUE

With Marie Devlieger, coordinator of the academy and Peter Van Rompaey, artistic director of Muziekpublique

Muziekpublique is a not-for-profit association which keeps music and dance traditions alive and kicking in Brussels through an ambitious programme of concerts, courses, and projects. They organice concerts in the Molière Theatre and several festivals in Brussels, they release albums, they make bookings for artists to perform all over the world and they have a huge educational offer of music and dance.

They are undoubtedly one of the leading references in Europe when it comes to promoting musical diversity. As I mentioned earlier, I did an extensive interview with Peter Van Rompaey a couple of years ago (it is here). Now, we focus on discussing their educational offerings, also with Marie Devlieger, the coordinator.

MM: If I counted well, you are offering 53 different courses of dance and music. Do you have students for all of these!?

MP: We do indeed have 53 different dance and music lessons. With this we try to be complementary to the existing range of music lessons in Belgium, which is mainly focused on classical music, and to a lesser extent also on jazz.

For some very specific instruments it is not easy to have many students. The instruments are not very well known to the general public and it is difficult to get an instrument. That is why we do very targeted promotion to target groups from the different communities that Brussels and by extension Belgium is rich in. You should know that Brussels is the second most diverse city in the world, after Dubai where 84 percent of the population was born outside the borders. Brussels has 184 different nationalities, out of 193 member states that the UN recognizes. For example, we promote the tar and setar lessons to the Iranian community or, in addition to the general public, we target the community from North Africa or the Middle East for the qanun lessons, and West Africa for the kora or n’goni.

But even with this targeted promotion, it sometimes happens that we do not find enough students to continue the lessons, although this is rather exceptional.

MM: How many students will you have for 2024-25?

MP: Registrations are still ongoing. So it is difficult to say how many students will be taking classes in 2024-2025. Last year, about 750 students took classes. In recent years, the number of students has been increasing every year. In 2022-2023, we had just over 650 students. We hope that this evolution will continue this year.

MM: Do your students have any kind or kinds of profiles or anything in common between them? I think that if a school offered so many topics here in Spain, only a 10% would have students enough, so I wonder if the citizens of Brussels have something special.

MP: As we said, Brussels is a very international city. Furthermore, Muziekpublique has a special profile because, in addition to the academy, we are also a concert organizer, with 80 to 100 concerts per year and also a few festivals plus label and management of artists such as Tamala, Las Lloronas, Toasaves, Jawa, Peixe e Limao,… Thanks to our other activities, the academy is becoming better known and that also works the other way around. Thanks to the academy, we attract an audience for our concerts. We are also seen in Belgium as a quality label for traditional music. We are particularly proud of the level of the artists who teach with us. It is therefore no coincidence that a lot of the teachers can also be found on our label.

MM: This educational offer seems to be very demanding in terms of administration and coordination and of course, there must be much cost. How do you guys manage to organise all these and how is the financing structure?

MP: We get a small base funding for the organization, which pays for overheads like rent, promotion and coordination. The rest of the funding comes from registration fees.

MM: Finally, share an insight for the readers about which is or are the benefits of getting into traditional styles of music or instruments, even if they don’t have the purpose of becoming professional artists.

MP: Our academy is not necessarily aimed at students who want to become professional musicians, although there are always a number of students who became professional musicans. For example, our teachers of body percussion, East-West Ensemble, qanun and diatonic accordion used to take lessons with us and some other teachers are both teachers and students at the same time. There are also artists at the label who were once students.

The entire philosophy of the academy ties in with our name, Muziekpublique. We try to create a direct link between the music (musicians) and the audience. If you learn to play an instrument from a certain culture, you get much more than just the music. It is simply a privilege to receive lessons from such artists, who give you a vision of life, countless experiences, a unique view of their culture, etc. Moreover, you gain much more insight into musical traditions and instruments. For example, our duduk students from Vardan Hovanissian listen to Armenian music in a different way than non-students. The academy is also a way for us to create an audience for our concerts. Finally, we give work to artists who cannot find work in regular education. It is not easy to make a living as an artist from concerts alone. Teaching provides an additional income and you also create a bit of a fan base. The students are the best ambassadors of their teacher.

These pictures, by Jean-Jacques Saive, are of the end of Season Festival, the festival of the classes

Thank you very much, Marie and Peter!! All the best for the new academic year!

NEW SPACE FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF WORLD MUSICS

**Juan Antonio Vázquez Brings His Mil Mundos to Radio 5 – National Radio of Spain**

Juan Antonio has been doing Mil Mundos (A Thousand Worlds) on Radio Clásica, the classical music channel of the national radio of Spain already for three seasons and he will start again in October. You can check all the previous editions, here.

The news are that Mil Mundos stays in Radio Clásica and that a new small show will have place on another channel: Radio 5, the channel dedicated to news and general information. There will be two weekly editions where Juan Antonio will have a window to the general public.

This is the description of the new show:

“Mil mundos that aren’t a thousand, because they are countless. An invitation to discover and enjoy the music of the world’s cultures. The roots and the new territories to be explored, created by the most restless and authentic musicians. A sister program to Mil Mundos on Radio Clásica.”

EUROPEAN FOLK NETWORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The complete program

I already talked about this in the previous editions. Now you can check the complete program and the registration’s deadline is Monday 9 September at 17.00 CET.

I am very excited about this. Some of the panelists have been interviewed here. For instance, Alan Ibrahim, from Music for Identity (interview here); Birgit Ellinghaus (interview here).

Check all the details, here.

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in August of 202 4 is: The Zawose Queens’ album Maisha.

Mundofonías: we have been on holidays during August, so no favourites this month.

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.

European Folk Day again in 2024! Already present in the newsletter before + update

Right now there are 62 events registered in 11 countries already on the website of the European Folk Day. The participation is open to anyone, like in the first edition. There are many ideas on how to participate, on the website.

And the Music Repository is been developed again for this 2024 edition. To submit the music, the artists or label can send a song or tune in mp3 to media@europeanfolkday.eu. Tell them your name, where the piece is from and a statement that you have the rights and you allow them to share it on the website www.europeanfolkday.eu

Afro Pepites. Already present in the newsletter before.

The 14th casting of the Afro Pepites Show (The Trade Show) is open until 30 Sept. 2024! The registration process is here. It is a call for many kinds of arts, not just music. “The casting is open to all artists (musicians, painters, dancers, photographers, fashion-designers, sculptors, story-tellers, humorists, poets, directors of short movies and actors of solidary-based actions), who are from Africa, the Caribbean, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, etc. and to all artists inspired by Africa.”

The 3 selected projects (The Pepites) will be integrated into their platform and will benefit from support in communication and possibly in management.

THIS EVENING…

Discover the first moving images of Spanish dance: spefically, jota

According to Tina Paterson in this post on X (https://x.com/latinapaterson/status/1825888162083696668) , “Alexandre Jean Louis Promio (Lyon, 1868-1927), the pioneering cameraman for the Lumière brothers, recorded the first moving images of Spanish dance in history. It happened in Vicálvaro (Madrid) between June 12th and 22nd, 1896, while filming views of military maneuvers.”

Whether or not maneuvers took place, what we do know is that they performed some jotas. Today, Wednesday, September 28th, Vigüela will perform in Vicálvaro, 128 years later. The jota will be played, and if you wish, danced! We hope to see you there!

I made this symple edition of the video and it has already 64 thousands of visualizations and more than 300 sharings.

Thanks to Tina for spreading this and to Juan Antonio Vázquez for showing it to me.

Click to watch it:

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.

24-25 September: Kaustinen. Finland. Annual meeting of the European Folk Network.
10-13 October, Fira Mediterrània de Manresa.
23-27 October: WOMEX in Manchester (UK).
19-22 November: Mundial Montreal (Canada).

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

Mapamundi Música is an agency of management and booking. Learn more here. Check our proposals at our website.

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.

July 24. Summertime, reflections and farewells. #73

Summary 👇

Editorial
Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects.
European Folk Network annual conference: Kaustinen, Finland, 24-25 September.
Open calls: European Folk Day, Polyglot, Afro Pepites… Summertime so no many news!
Meet me at ✈️

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you?

I hope well. I am very well. This picture is from Friday 5th of July in Førde and the gentleman is the outstanding painter Oddvar Torsheim. I could tell you that we agreed on the colours to make this picture specifically for you, but the truth is that it was totally spontaneous. We met in the street dressed like this.

Red and black is always a winning combination, and I believe that both Oddvar and I prefer to dedicate our effort to decisions that are not about coordinating our outfits. We have it decided by default for most occasions, saving mental energy. At the same time, this creates a recognizable personal image. I’ve been thinking about such matters lately. For example, personal branding, especially for artists. I follow a marketing expert, Neus Díez, and she recently said in a video that an artist’s personal brand must be drawable.

Last Saturday, we learned of the passing of Mísia. She was very drawable. I think she is a paradigmatic example of this issue. Mísia created a distinctive image: sexier, more mysterious, darker, with a modern elegance, different from what was usual in fado. I’m not sure if she would have defined herself as a fado singer, given her diverse background, which manifested in her artistic career. The fact is, she has passed away. The funeral will take place on August 6th in Lisbon at the Basílica da Estrela. I am sure that many art professionals will attend to pay tribute to her. She wasn’t the best singer, but with the entirety of her proposition, she managed to expand the reach of her music and Portuguese popular music in general. Florenci Mas will surely discuss these topics in his course, which we talked about in the previous edition. If you didn’t read the interview, here it is.

Toumani Diabate has also passed away. I have thought about the people deeply connected with him, those behind the scenes, like Saul Presa, his manager, or Lucy Duran, who can be considered his discoverer. What a loss.

In this edition, I don’t have an interview. The person I had scheduled had personal issues, so it wasn’t possible. This edition is a bit lighter, but I’m sure you haven’t read the nearly 100 interviews I’ve already published. You can find them all here.

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

While you read the rest of the content, you can listen to the album “Songhai”, released in 1988, featuring the Spanish group Ketama, Toumani Diabate, and the British bassist Danny Thompson. I believe this album changed the lives of Ketama, certainly of many others, and possibly opened many minds and created new paths.

EUROPEAN FOLK NETWORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE

I will start quoting the text from the website:

“A host of superb speakers, sessions and discussions of interest to everyone in the traditional arts, unique Finnish music and dancing for three days – don’t miss this opportunity to network in the remarkable rural setting of Kaustinen in the heart of Finland.”

This sounds exciting and indeed it will be. An outline of the full schedule is HERE.

To tease you more, these are some of the topics that excite me specially and that will be discussed there:

New Europeans
Branding for Professional Folk
Traditional Arts Cultural Tourism
Safeguarding and Promotion of ICH and Traditional Arts

The European Folk Network has its own monthly newsletter, for which you can subscribe here. And here below I am sharing with you the digital poster that was published early today on the social media. For any questions, contact info@europeanfolknetwork.com

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in July of 2024 is: Ali Doğan Gönültaş’s Keyeyî. I already announced in the edition of April that, as I have a conflict of interest, I am not voting for the Transglobal World Music Chart while I have albums released by my brand as candidates for the charts. Nevertheless, other panelists supported the album and we are very proud about this success. Ali’s album is #10 this month in World Music Charts Europe, for which we are also very happy.

Mundofonías: the three favourites of the month are so diverse! Jyotsna Srikanth’s Carnatic Nomad, Vigüela’s We and the collective album of Bhutan Balladeers’ Your face is like the moon, your eyes are stars.

LIMúR, second quarter. For the same reason as for TWMC, I stopped voting while an album of my label is a candidate. Nevertheless, Vigüela’s We is #1. Check the Top 15 on the website.

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

Polyglot. Open until July 31.

These two phrases will give you an idea of this project:

· If you’re a songwriter who has a hit at hand, a potential chart-topper ready to conquer new audiences, apply!”

·”Songs in their original language are translated and promoted in other European languages by our seven partners”.

European Folk Day again in 2024! Already present in the newsletter before + update

Right now there are 26 events registered in 8 countries already on the website of the European Folk Day. The participation is open to anyone, like in the first edition. There are many ideas on how to participate, on the website.

Afro Pepites. Already present in the newsletter before.

The 3 selected projects (The Pepites) will be integrated into their platform and will benefit from support in communication and possibly in management.

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.

2 August: Jerash Festival. Jordan. Concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş.
24-25 September: Kaustinen. Finland. Annual meeting of the European Folk Network.
10-13 October, perhaps at Fira Mediterrània de Manresa but if I don’t go, you can go anyway! It is a enjoyable event where to discover many artists.
23-27 October: WOMEX in Manchester (UK).
19-22 November: Mundial Montreal (Canada).

Author: admin

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 ✈️

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”

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

Practical details about the conference

Conference registration fees cover:

Schedule:

About the Fira Mediterrània

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

MEET ME AT

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 🎧

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

OPEN CALLS

NEW CALLS IN THE NEWSLETTER:

APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED

THESE CALLS WERE IN THE NEWSLETTER IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION:

MEET ME AT

SUMMARY

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR: KAVITA SHAH, FROM FOLKALIST RECORDS

ABOUT BABEL MUSIC XP, 3RD EDITION BY OLIVIER REY

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

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

OPEN CALLS

NEW CALLS IN THE NEWSLETTER:

APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED AND NEW APPLICATION PROCESS

THESE CALLS WERE IN THE NEWSLETTER IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION:

MEET ME AT

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

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

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

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

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

NEW CALLS IN THE NEWSLETTER:

MEET ME AT

Summary 👇

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:

DAVID SIERRA, FROM SIERRA CONTRATACIÓN ARTÍSTICA

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

A LITTLE BIT OF MINE

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

OPEN CALLS

NEW CALLS IN THE NEWSLETTER:

THESE CALLS WERE IN THE NEWSLETTER IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION:

MEET ME AT

Summary 👇

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR:

HASSAN ELAMMOURI, FOUNDER OF ARTEGANZA FOUNDATION

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

WHO WE ARE AND SISTER PROJECTS

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

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS

A LITTLE BIT OF MINE

OPEN CALLS

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

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”

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR:
ANTON APOSTOL, FROM ANTONOVKA RECORDS

AND NOW THE FLOOR IS FOR:
KAVITA SHAH, FROM FOLKALIST RECORDS

ABOUT BABEL MUSIC XP, 3RD EDITION
BY OLIVIER REY

Remember: if you have any news of interest for our community, let me know. Thank you very much for your attention.
Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi Música | +34 676 30 28 82

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

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

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

**Juan Antonio Vázquez Brings His Mil Mundos to Radio 5 – National Radio of Spain**