- \n
- Next Thursday, Conference on\u00a0Digital Transformation and Resilience in Culture\u00a0(event in Spanish)<\/span><\/li>\n
- In depth with the\u00a0Belgian World Music Association, Piet Maris as spokesperson. Their showcase is next Sunday!<\/span><\/li>\n
- In depth with\u00a0Ken Day, from D Tours, about being an independent agent\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Brief news\u00a0from the media, charts and sister projects<\/span><\/li>\n
- Open calls\u00a0and professional events. Premio Andrea Parodi deadline coming soon, job opportunity in Mundial Montreal (a new one),\u00a03rd conference of the European Folk Network + Afro Pepites open call<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n\n![](\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/993c677d53044839b1b39b2dc\/images\/99ebed13-1cca-4364-a30a-fadbe8cd1320.png\")
How are you? I hope well.\u00a0I have a variety of emotions today.<\/p>\nI heard this morning about the\u00a0death of Franco Battiato<\/a><\/span>, the Italian artist who, at least for my generation in Spain, is a reference. From him I first heard concepts such as “dervish tourneur” or “kathakali” and he made me imagine what kind of Balkan music was played on Radio Tirana or played at the summer parties in Ireland.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/993c677d53044839b1b39b2dc\/images\/1f479615-53b8-829f-e451-7d25060cd0c3.jpg\")
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can listen to the English version of the song\u00a0I Want to See you as a Dancer<\/em>,\u00a0here<\/a><\/span>. This song, sung\u00a0in Spanish<\/a><\/span>, was on the Spanish public television very often\u00a0(there was no private television at that time) and on all the radio stations too.\u00a0I think all Spaniards between 40 and 70 years old can sing it for you. With this song, Battiato planted in the fertile soil of my mind the seed of imagination and curiosity to discover what all those wonders he was telling about would be like.\u00a0The song is a masterful hymn to the cultural diversity of the peoples of the world. The news of his passing has brought back so many memories.<\/p>\nApart from that, I am happy to share the very interesting reflections that these people below have so kindly given me and next Thursday I will share an experience of my own at the cultural managers’ conference in Madrid, which I am very excited about. You have more information below.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much for your attention. As always, if you have any news of interest for our community, let me know.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nDo you want to share any useful experience<\/strong>\u00a0you have had during this difficult time or another content relevant for our community of the world musics? Let me know.<\/h3>\n
\nAraceli Tzigane |\u00a0info@mundimapa.com |\u00a0+34 676\u00a030 28 82\u00a0<\/strong>
\nSubscription\u00a0is available here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nCONFERENCE ON DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND RESILIENCE IN CULTURE (event in Spanish)<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/993c677d53044839b1b39b2dc\/images\/04598ed2-be52-198a-71db-b3c96dd4d632.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNext Thursday May 20th I will participate in the Conference on Digital Transformation and Resilience in Culture<\/em>\u00a0organized by Agetec, the association of cultural managers of Madrid, of which I am part of the board.<\/span><\/p>\n
This conference will be done in person and streamed in real time. We will speak in Spanish. If you want to access, register for free,\u00a0here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n
I will talk\u00a0in the round table about \u201cExperiences of adaptation to the new cultural environment\u201d, about the experience of\u00a0ConcierTajo<\/a><\/span>, the artistic event that Mapamundi M\u00fasica designed and developed with the band\u00a0Vig\u00fcela<\/span><\/a>, specifically for the online environment, for the International Labour Organization,\u00a0Office for Spain. If you want to know what was it about, check\u00a0this post\u00a0in English<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n
You can attend in person (with health measures, of course, and there are still a few places left) or in real time online. Check the complete program and register for free, here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nIN DEPTH WITH THE BELGIAN WORLD MUSIC ASSOCIATION, PIET MARIS AS SPOKESPERSON<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\nNext Sunday, May 23th, it will take place the\u00a0Belgian World Music Night<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>? This is a link to the event in Facebook. You can attend it online, from 19:30 CET. The artists that will perform are Kaito Winse, Ana Diaz, Azmari and Les Sheiks Shikhats & B’net Chaabi. The DJs that were selected by the jury are\u00a0Rrita Jashari and Global Riddims.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
This year, I have had the honour to be the international jury, and it made me pay special attention to the organization too: this showcase is organized by the Belgian World Music Network, about which I talked with Piet Maris.
\n![](\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/993c677d53044839b1b39b2dc\/images\/9e0a3084-d41a-ae4d-a756-cb0cd7634acb.jpg\")
<\/a><\/strong>
\nIt seems that little by little we are getting organised in this community of the world musics, which for now is still very fragmented. That’s why I think that the example of this organisation, which was born in a country that I always think is very advanced in everything that has to do with our musics, is very interesting and it’s worth going deeper into how and why it started and how they organise themselves.<\/span><\/p>\nPiet Maris<\/a>, who is a member of the Network,\u00a0as well as a musician himself (in the bands\u00a0Jaune Toujours<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0Mec Yek<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a03’Ain<\/a><\/span>) and a member of the collective of musicians\u00a0Choux de Bruxelles<\/a><\/span>, answers my questions on behalf of the Network.\u00a0On the board are more organisations of old friends whom I will have the pleasure to greet, such as Muziekpublique (hello, Peter!) or Fragan (hello, Fr\u00e9d\u00e9rique!).<\/p>\n
This interview is interesting for anybody that, like me, had an\u00a0associative spirit. And now I am involved with a bunch of colleagues in the development of\u00a0AGIMA – Association of Global Independent Music Agents<\/a><\/span>, it is twice as interesting.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u261d\ufe0f\u00a0An aside: if you want to learn more about AGIMA, visit the\u00a0website<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0sign up for the news<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n
.<\/span><\/div>\nBut now, let’s dive into the conversation with Piet Maris. For a better understanding, check the page\u00a0History from the Network’s website<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n.<\/span><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/993c677d53044839b1b39b2dc\/images\/b2109a81-4d2d-fa15-e901-5c312ef6d398.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\nMapamundi M\u00fasica: Back to the beginning, on the website you say “In 2012 it became clear that a federation needed to be founded.” Why was it clear? Which was the vision for that federation at that time?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nPiet Maris \/ Belgian World Music Network:\u00a0<\/strong>We observed with various players in the field (musicians, collectives, agents, promotors, journalists) that world music was being pushed away in our media, more and more, in favour of mainstream musical programming.<\/p>\n
At the same time, we felt little organised as a sector for the genre: everyone was a bit isolated in organising activities. So the aim was to bring the sector together and put world music (back) on the agenda.<\/p>\n
The first 2 years, the network was organising and active only at the Dutch-Speaking side of the country, but fell silent somehow. Things were not organised in a structural way at at that time. The organisation was still a\u00a0de facto<\/em>\u00a0association, in which dynamics depended mostly on the initiative of a few people.<\/p>\n
A few years later, out of the same frustration, a new media campaign was launched towards the Dutch-speaking National Radio, demanding to pay more attention to specific musical genres and world music in particular. In 2017 then, we decided with some key players to take on the network in a broader, more serious set-up, stretching it to the other side of the country as well – to the French-speaking side. From then on we started organising and communicating in and towards the two languages, Dutch and French, seeking to represent the sector for the whole of Belgium.<\/p>\n
MM:\u00a0How did you translate that into more concrete objectives, how did you set the main lines of activity to develop?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
PM:\u00a0<\/strong>As concrete objectives, we formulated:
\n– Creating more opportunities, both nationally and internationally, for world music production in Belgium
\n– Promoting cooperation and reflection in the sector
\n– Creating more attention for world music in the media, in education and in politics
\n– Positively portraying the social diversity through music
\n– Asking attention for the situation of the artists (correct salaries, statute, \u2026)<\/p>\nAnd to be able to organise all that and guarantee continuity, we \u201cprofessionalised\u201d the network, making it a “vzw\/asbl”, a non-profit association, with a board.<\/p>\n
MM:\u00a0After meetings on a regular basis, the non-profit association was officially established in 2019. So they were 7 years of work to give shape to the network. Why was it so long? Which were the most complicated issues to agree on?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
PM:\u00a0<\/strong>Cfr. here above: it\u2019s not that we disagreed, but the network activity fell silent for some time. It was only after picking the network up again in 2017 again in a structural way and on a national level, that things indeed got more serious.<\/p>\n
MM:\u00a0You have at least 3 and at most 11 directors in the board of directors. The rules for the elections and re-elections periods are clearly set. And you have 51 active members (organizations) and 30 associate members (individuals). It seems there are a lot of voices and also, in the field in which we operate, there is a very great diversity in all senses of the word. What is the decision-making process like?<\/strong><\/p>\n
PM:\u00a0<\/strong>Decision-making within the network is based on consensus, themes and goals being initiated by the members of the board. But the sector is also widely consulted to determine whether objectives are correct or should be added, as we\u2019ll do at the upcoming on-line meeting on Friday 21 May, not coincidentally on the World Day for Cultural Diversity.<\/p>\n
MM:\u00a0How do you organise the work? Do you have thematic working groups, with volunteers, or in other ways?<\/strong><\/p>\n
PM:\u00a0<\/strong>Up till now, the work has been done by the active board members. For one theme, \u201cWorld Music, what\u2019s in a Name?\u201d (reflection on the term World Music, whether it should be kept or replaced as a term in general but also as part of the network\u2019s name), a working group has been formed with extra players from the sector. On a longer term, on some of our objectives, we want to organise more working groups like this one.<\/p>\n
MM:\u00a0Do you have any secretarial or administrative staff?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
PM:\u00a0<\/strong>For more than 4 years, we ran everything on a voluntary basis with our board, without a real secretarial or administrative staff. But very recently, we recruited an administrative support: H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Spitaels is now working for the BWMN, on a part time basis, since end of March 21.<\/p>\n
\nMM:\u00a0Which have been the main challenges during this time?<\/strong><\/p>\n
PM:\u00a0<\/strong>You mean the last Corona-year? The main challenge has been to guarantee continuity, keeping together the network and the sector; but also organising our activities: scheduling, postponing, rescheduling… The showcases for 2020 which were due for May 20 but have been postponed twice and in the end have been broadcasted in February 21. The meeting, each year normally in May, has been split up in several digital meetings in May, November and December 21, converted in days with digital workshops, presentations, webinars and virtual meetings…<\/p>\n
MM:\u00a0Now, 9 years later, we are in an extraordinarily complicated moment, because of the pandemic, but leaving aside what the last year has been like, how do you assess the achievements of the Network?<\/strong><\/p>\n
PM:\u00a0<\/strong>Well, at least, we still exist, that\u2019s already an achievement \ud83d\ude42 No, seriously, I think the achievement standing out the most in everyone\u2019s perception is the fact that we manage to organise our national meeting and showcase night on a yearly basis, for the fourth time now (consecutively since 2018). The Belgian World Music Meeting and Night really do mean a significant impulse for the sector. On a less notable level: we represent the sector on various levels of consultation, in different councils at both sides of the country and even towards the national media. Then again, the latter results in a yearly collaboration with the Dutch speaking\u00a0National VRT Radio 1\u00a0<\/em>on the broadcast for \u201cReis Rond de Wereld<\/em>\u201d (Travel around the World) and different world music radio sessions, on the occasion of the Belgian World Music Meeting and the\u00a0World Day for Cultural Diversity<\/em>\u00a0(21st of May) as in a yearly collaboration with the French speaking\u00a0National RTBF Radio La Premi\u00e8re<\/em>, on a more diverse programming on that very 21st of May, with extra help and attention from La Premi\u00e8re\u2019s world music program\u00a0Le Monde Est Un Village<\/em>\u00a0– program which supports the whole sector (us included) significantly throughout the year.<\/p>\n
MM:\u00a0If you want to announce anything or add any relevant insight, this is the moment.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
PM:\u00a0<\/strong>Check out the showcases on the 23rd of May and to get in the mood, check out the BWMN Spotify-playlists! If you\u2019re curious about what is happening in Belgium on the level of world music production, those playlists offer already a pretty good idea.
\n\u00b7\u00a0Bel Mundo: Music from the Belgian World #2<\/span><\/a>\u00a0= playlist which has been playing in the Brussels Metro on the 8th of February, all day, on the occasion of the opening of the Belgian Music Week and the broadcasting of the showcases 2020 that same day (the list also includes the names of the longlist for the 2020 showcase selection).
\n\u00b7\u00a0Belgian World Music Network Longlist 2021<\/a><\/span>\u00a0= playlist with the names on the longlist for showcase selection 2021.<\/p>\nCredits:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
- \n
- Logo, from the\u00a0Facebook page of the Network<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- Portrait of Piet, provided by himself<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n - Portrait of Piet, provided by himself<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- In depth with the\u00a0Belgian World Music Association, Piet Maris as spokesperson. Their showcase is next Sunday!<\/span><\/li>\n
![\"Forward](\"https:\/\/cdn-images.mailchimp.com\/icons\/social-block-v2\/outline-dark-forwardtofriend-48.png\")
<\/a><\/td>\n![\"Share](\"https:\/\/cdn-images.mailchimp.com\/icons\/social-block-v2\/outline-dark-facebook-48.png\")
<\/a><\/td>\n![](\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/993c677d53044839b1b39b2dc\/images\/83c5607a-cd0b-8fd0-73e3-f716742aa134.png\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n