This month👇 

• Editorial
• Would you like to be featured here?
• Podcast of “Gaining visibility for heritage-based music” in Babel Music XP, available 
• Interview in the EFN newsletter: Roots in Motion: Aly Keïta between West Africa and Germany
• Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects
• Open calls and professional events:  
  🔸Premio Andrea Parodi (Cagliari, Sardinia) 
  There are more, but I’m rethinking what I choose to give visibility to…. I’m in a moment of deep reflection.
• Meet me at ✈️  

➡️ This is the link for subscription

Hello, how are you?

I’m doing well, although time has definitely caught up with me. This April I was at Budapest Ritmo. The photo is from there, with Sándor Csoóri, a Hungarian singer and viola player. He is the son of one of the members of Muzsikás, who shares the same name. Sándor performed at Budapest Ritmo with Soma Nóvé, guitarist and singer. I really enjoyed it — together with the Cuban Grupo Compay Segundo, they were among my highlights.

Sándor is also a member of Buda Folk Band, a group I admire, who have just announced a new concert after several years on hiatus. This all took place before going on tour with Ali Doğan Gönültaş and his trio in Paris, Den Haag and five cities in Belgium over ten days. It has given me a lot to reflect on, beyond music and our work. They have been consistently outstanding, and we will meet again soon for new adventures.

In the previous edition I shared many reflections. This time I will keep things shorter. I have also skipped interviews for a few editions and would like to bring them back: so this is a call.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE FEATURED HERE? 

Would you like to share your vision with the world, your path in cultural management, your motivation?

In this newsletter, I don’t focus on artists themselves. They are at the centre in other parts of my work, such as Mundofonías and my work in management and booking. Here, the focus is on the people behind them. I find myself wondering why they do this. I know why I do it — the sacrifices and the joys that keep me going. What has their journey been? What do they want to plant in the world through what they do?

I already have a few interviews arranged that I have personally requested. And on previous occasions, some people have suggested that I interview them here. I know there are others who would like to, but perhaps out of modesty or hesitation, they don’t say it. Yet they have a perspective worth sharing.

This is their moment. This is your moment. Get in touch at this email address with the subject line “Interview for the newsletter”.

PODCAST OF “GAINING VISIBILITY FOR HERITAGE-BASED MUSIC” IN BABEL MUSIC XP, AVAILABLE 

The panels from Babel Music XP are now available as podcasts. With Nod Knowles (ENF) and Sébastien Laussel, director of Zone Franche, I partipated in “Gaining visibility for heritage-based music”.

Listen, here 🎧

INTERVIEW IN THE EFN NEWSLETTER: ROOTS IN MOTION: ALY KEÏTA BETWEEN WEST AFRICA AND GERMANY

I had the opportunity to ask a few questions to Aly Keïta, a balafon player from Côte d’Ivoire based in Germany, in the context of the European Folk Network newsletter, following the release of his new album Balafon Evolution with his trio.

For some time now, I have been thinking about how, on the one hand, certain cultural traditions may remain alive in Europe, as in their original contexts they are undergoing processes of assimilation or other dynamics that may lead to their fading. On the other hand, I wonder whether contributions like those of Aly Keïta will eventually become part of what will be the popular music of Europe in the future, something I cannot yet know, precisely because it belongs to what is still to come. This interview may also be of interest to Mapamundi readers.

Read it, here 📖

BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND SISTER PROJECTS 

🔸#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in April of 2026 is: Souad Massi’s Zagate (BackingTrack Production)

🔸Mundofonías: the favourites of April have been Tram‘s Alligator (Les Entêtés Production), Solo Cissokho‘s Solo (Global Sonics) and Indian talking machine part two: instrumental gems from the 78rpm era [V.A.] (Sublime Frequencies).

OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

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

The following call was already in the newsletter of March:

🔸19th Premio Andrea Parodi (Cagliari, Sardinia)

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

The new call for entries is available at www.premioandreaparodi.it/premio, with registration free of charge until 9 May 2026. There is more information in my previous monthly newsletter too and you can send your questions to fondazione.andreaparodi@gmail.com.

MEET ME AT

• 22nd May: If you happen to be in Madrid, Vigüela will perform in the city centre, at Casa de Castilla-La Mancha. Juan Antonio Vázquez will make an introduction to the concert and after the performance, the band will hold a conversation with the public.
• 11th-14th June: concert and workshop by Vigüela in EthnoPort festival (Poznań, Poland).
• 27th June: concert by Ali Doğan Gönültaş TBA… out ot Europe
• 1st-4th July: A to Jazz + MTC (Music Talks Conference) (Sofia, Bulgaria). As I mentioned in the previous edition, I have been a jury for the showcase of A to Jazz and I will gladly attend to the showcase day, 2nd of July, as well as the rest of the activities of the festival and the conference. Juan Antonio Vázquez will also be attending.