{"id":4024,"date":"2026-09-24T12:27:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mapamundimusica.com\/?p=4024"},"modified":"2026-09-24T13:04:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:04:17","slug":"september-26-interview-with-carolina-vallejo-from-one-world-records-living-traditions-living-networks-more-99","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapamundimusica.com\/en\/newsletter\/september-26-interview-with-carolina-vallejo-from-one-world-records-living-traditions-living-networks-more-99\/","title":{"rendered":"September \u201926 \u2014 Interview with Carolina Vallejo from One World Records; Living Traditions, Living Networks + More | #99"},"content":{"rendered":"

This month\ud83d\udc47<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Editorial<\/span>
\n\ud83d\udd38Living Traditions, Living Networks<\/p>\n

Interview with Carolina Vallejo about One World Records<\/span><\/p>\n

Brief news from the media, charts and sister projects<\/span><\/p>\n

Open calls and professional events:<\/span>
\n\ud83d\udd38MUM – Jornadas profesionales de la M\u00fasica en Extremadura
\n\ud83d\udd38Tallinn Music Week
\n\ud83d\udd38jazzahead!
\n\ud83d\udd38EFFEA Call #5, European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists<\/p>\n

Meet me at\u00a0\u2708\ufe0f<\/span>
\n\ud83d\udd38Heritage House Days in Budapest
\n\ud83d\udd38Bayonne, festival Haizebegi
\n\ud83d\udd38WOMEX
\n\ud83d\udd38London, Kings Place
\n\ud83d\udd38Mundial Montreal<\/p>\n

\n

\u27a1\ufe0f This is the link for subscription<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hello, <\/strong>how are you?\u00a0<\/strong>I am well.\u00a0The photo accompanying these words was taken in Tavira, next to the castle and the stage where Ali Do\u011fan G\u00f6n\u00fclta\u015f performed with his trio on the 5th, with a special guest appearance by Mario Pousada, a musician from Huelva. It was very hot, and that is something I will be missing very soon…<\/p>\n

I am writing this just a few hours before flying to Budapest for the\u00a0Heritage House Days<\/a> organised by Hagyom\u00e1nyok H\u00e1za (translated into English as Hungarian Heritage House).<\/p>\n

The Hungarian Heritage House Days <\/strong>2026 are being held in Budapest for the first time on 25 and 26 September. They bring together research, heritage, traditional music and dance. The programme includes the presentation of Root_ED in Roma Music, a new platform dedicated to urban Roma musical heritage, research and archive sessions, concerts, visual theatre and a major production by the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble.<\/p>\n

One of the most appealing moments for me will be Friday night\u2019s T\u00e1nch\u00e1z (Dance House): a new initiative by the Hungarian Heritage House aimed at bringing this dance tradition closer to younger audiences by combining traditional music and dance with the informal atmosphere of a folk pub. On Saturday there will also be a colourful parade through the streets of Buda, with musicians, dancers and traditional costumes, followed by a second night of t\u00e1nch\u00e1z. I am really looking forward to it. I greatly appreciate what this institution does and it is also directed by Dr Mikl\u00f3s Both, whom I have mentioned here on several occasions and whom I first came to know through the Polyphony Project<\/a>, whose mission is to explore, preserve and present the living musical folklore of Ukrainian villages, before he became director of the institution. His very first day in the position happened to coincide with a day when I was there: 19 November 2021. It was also the first in-person annual European Folk Network conference after the pandemic, which was why I was there.<\/p>\n

This year, in 2026, I will not be able to attend the EFN annual conference. By the time the date was announced, I already had an Ali Do\u011fan G\u00f6n\u00fclta\u015f concert confirmed for 14 November at the Konzerthaus Berlin as part of the KONZERTHAUS X \u0130\u00c7 \u0130\u00c7E programme<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the EFN, yesterday was European Folk Day<\/strong>, for the fourth consecutive year. I think it has gradually established itself as a celebration that is known beyond the sphere of the EFN\u2019s own promotional work, and that is wonderful. I will return to this idea a little further down, in the section about Kateryna Kapra\u2019s talk on Rys.<\/p>\n

My mind is running a little fast. These past few days have been full of wonderful and intellectually demanding challenges \u2014 and emotionally demanding ones too, although for me there is no clear boundary between those aspects. Even more so because in just a few hours I will be flying out and joining the packed and fascinating programme of the Heritage House Days.<\/p>\n

Other things happened yesterday too. I gave a presentation at Resonate UA<\/a><\/strong>, which is a 20-week-long online training programme designed to support emerging Ukraine artists and music managers,\u00a0run by Musikcentrum \u00d6st (SE) and the Ukrainian Institute (UA). The proposed topic was to talk about my network, and this made me reflect a great deal on how informal networks are built and what logic underpins them. Formal networks, such as the EFN, are more obvious and more predictable. At the same time, though, they contain informal networks within them, on which their success and continuity depend to some extent. I did not develop this idea during the 20-minute talk. It has only just occurred to me as I write this editorial.<\/p>\n

Irina Lobanok from Porichka<\/a> and Kateryna Kapra from Rys<\/a> also took part in the session. At the end of her talk, Kateryna shared this conclusion:<\/p>\n

“The main lesson: A cultural organisation does not necessarily succeed by becoming indispensable. It can succeed by creating a community that no longer needs it.”<\/p>\n

I hope this will happen with the European Folk Day, that it will remain alive even without the EFN.<\/p>\n

And Rys has\u00a0gone beyond the purpose they originally had. Kateryna was asked whether they were going to pivot towards another objective and she said yes: they wanted to integrate the cultures of the minorities living in Ukraine into their collective too, as until now it seems that Ukrainian traditional music has been understood as music made by ethnically Ukrainian people. I am recalling this from memory, so those may not have been her exact words, but I believe the idea is accurate.<\/p>\n

In Kateryna\u2019s talk, I saw several ideas that completely coincide with my own experience of working with traditional music in Spain. She set out the following problems:<\/p>\n

“1. traditional music was often seen as irrelevant \/ outdated genre”
\n“2. public perception was shaped by misrepresentation: staged \u201cfolklore\u201d, stereotypes, and a simulacrum of tradition
\n3. people weren\u2019t ready to pay for the services”<\/p>\n

On point 1: It is true that nowadays traditional music very often has a participatory component that prioritises participation over artistic excellence. This happens when it exists within the contexts in which it was traditionally used (or what remains of those contexts), precisely because its purpose was participation. Although even that is not quite so straightforward. It is also true that nowadays, at least in Spain, there seems to be a fair amount of tolerance towards people who sing or play badly at informal gatherings, but that was not always the case. In the past, if someone started singing, they knew how to sing, and people had far fewer qualms about telling someone who did not know how to sing that they did not know how to sing. The music had an artistic value beyond participation, and many people knew the traditional ways of performing it. That is no longer the case. I did not experience this myself; I have been told about it.<\/p>\n

On point 2: In Spain, the Falange Espa\u00f1ola deliberately and systematically sought out, selected and \u201cpolished and sanitised\u201d the cultural expressions of the different regions of Spain in order to create a fa\u00e7ade consistent with what they wanted to present of the country. We are still living with the consequences today. I spoke about this when I took part in a panel at Babel Music XP last March and I would like to return to the subject when the right context arises.<\/p>\n

On point 3:\u00a0This is indeed the case in Spain. Money goes to shows that \u201ccontemporise\u201d tradition. I am sorry, but almost all the people who say they are doing this do not know how to perform traditional music. I am fed up with it and I have grown tired of this battle. Everyone can make whatever music they want. The problem is usually the discourse around it and the substitution that takes place.<\/p>\n

She then said that “We believed traditional music should evolve as a living part of contemporary culture, rather than be preserved as a museum artifact”. Again, this resonated completely with me. I agree with the sentence. The issue is that the spaces in which traditional music could evolve are often taken away from it and occupied by proposals that are something else entirely. So there is no evolution: there is substitution.<\/p>\n

In addition, over the last few weeks I have been working as an adviser on the artistic programme for the Spanish Pavilion at Expo Belgrade<\/strong>, which will take place from 15 May to 15 August 2027. Together with a diverse team with an extraordinary level of knowledge and sensitivity, we have to put together a programme, and I am already beginning the first conversations with some of the possible artists and projects we may programme. It is a responsibility and an honour, and I intend to give it my very best.<\/p>\n

The protagonist of this edition is Carolina Vallejo<\/strong>. I think I met her in Samarkand, at the Sharq Taronalari Festival in 2017. We had probably crossed paths before, but I am not aware of it. I remember we were at a talk, with me in the audience, when this elegant, stylish woman walked in, with a face that radiated joy. I had no idea who she was and I do not think I connected this person with the person behind One World Records until quite a bit later. Carolina is a multidisciplinary artist, a jewellery designer, a painter… and she is the founder and the heart of One World Records. She has answered all my questions and curiosities with great generosity and I am extremely grateful to her.<\/p>\n

I think it is time now to move on and give her the floor.<\/p>\n

\n

And you? Do you have something you would like to share with the international community working in this field? Get in touch.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Araceli Tzigane | Mapamundi M\u00fasica\u00a0|\u00a0+34 676\u00a030 28 82\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

INTERVIEW WITH CAROLINA VALLEJO FROM ONE WORLD RECORDS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/span><\/a>One World Records grew organically out of Carolina Vallejo\u2019s many years of working across music, art and live production. Rather than beginning with a conventional business plan, the label emerged from a desire to create visibility and opportunities for artists she believed in, gradually taking shape through each new project, collaboration and release. Its story is therefore closely connected to Carolina\u2019s own: multidisciplinary, international and built through experience, curiosity and personal relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this interview, Carolina talks about the childhood experiences that shaped her musical world, the path that led her to create One World Records, her work with artists from different cultural backgrounds and the ideas that continue to guide the label today.<\/p>\n

~~~~<\/p>\n

Araceli Tzigane: On your website, in the \u201cAbout\u201d section, I read: \u201cAs beloved and\u00a0missed Mr. Andy Palacio stated in his winner speech at Womex in 2007,\u00a0I too believe in music with a higher purpose that goes beyond\u00a0simple entertainment. That of transmitting a culture or ideas, of preserving values of traditions, renewing them in personal ways, being a way of\u00a0expressing all parts of humans history, present situation and visions<\/em>.\u201d How did you come to develop this belief?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Carolina Vallejo:<\/strong> When I heard Andy Palacio at his winner speech at WOMEX in Sevilla in 2007, he told about the Garifuna\u2019s history; Escaped African slaves who swam to the coast of Belize and there met with a group of Mayas, who had also escaped from the Spanish slavery. Andy explained how this developed into a culture of its own, with a language and music of the two peoples. He said his music with the Garifuna Collective, represented \u201cmusic with a higher purpose that goes beyond simple entertainment<\/em>\u201d. Andy\u2019s inspiring explanation touched my heart and soul. I found my purpose in the music in that very moment. To represent not only art, but human freedom! I think that as artists, this is the deepest purpose: as creative humans, we are able to be completely free, free from conventions and expectations from the society; we can create our own reality – of course related to society, to the world, to our history, to humanity. Because we all come from something; we carry human memory and the creative imagination represent old knowledge in new ways, so what we create is connected to who we are at the personal level as well as on the universal level. Andy told me his dream of coming to the African continent to connect with his ancestors, and I was working with Andy and The Garifuna collective, on what was to be their\u00a0first African tour, when he so very sadly passed away. This is one of the reasons I quote his words, to commemorate and honour Andy Palacio and his spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

AT: How did you begin to enter the world of diverse music traditions and cultures?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:\u00a0<\/strong>My mother had a huge collection of vinyls from Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Congo, Greece, Mexico, Cuba, Egypt, Panama, Russia, USA etc etc. My father had a huge collection of jazz and classical music. My brother had a collection of spiritual jazz and blues, like Abdullah Ibrahim, and \u2026\u00a0I had my own collection of singles, among those there were Nigerian and classical albums. We had a top B&O stereo and professional headphones. Since I was toddler, I was allowed to play vinyls on our stereo, and I got obsessed with listening to all the albums over and over, reading or trying to read the covers; when I was seven years old, I decided that I would marry Louis Armstrong when I grew up. And I would become an artist.<\/span><\/p>\n

I studied at the international Odin Theater, the Italian director, Eugenio Barba is like an uncle to me, the actors are like our family. In their performances, live music also plays a huge role. When I was 12 years old, I was participating in ISTA conference (International School of Theatre Anthropology), at the Odin Theater, with actors from India, Bali, Japan and China. I was assisting the Japanese Nihon Buyo dancer, Katzuko Azuma and her group, and playing with the Balinese and Chinese dancers, who were my age. All were performing with live music. After the symposium, I took lessons with legendary classical Indian Odissi dancer, Sanjukta Panigrahi, whose husband, the singer and composer Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi, was singing with his beautiful voice at the performances and classes.<\/p>\n

In other words, I was exposed to various cultures and art on a level that one could only dream of. And on top of this, my father, who was a journalist and cultural television and radio program producer at the Danish Radio for more than 40 years, would take me to the studios where I was playing in the rooms of the sound engineers, who would let me discover their libraries of sounds.<\/p>\n

AT: I am very curious about your personal background. Your name and surname are both familiar to me in my language, you speak Spanish, you live in Denmark and you work mainly with African artists. Does your personal background influence your approach to cultural work?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:\u00a0<\/strong>I am Danish, but I was born in Athens and grew up in Mykonos until I was 3 years old, Then we moved to Sweden and then Copenhagen. I spent my yearly vacations in Mykonos every summer to stay with my Greek family, my Godmother and my Greek grandparents. Early on, I was brought to Bouzouki concerts and to local Panigiria-partys with our neighbors playing violins, Toumpaki percussions and the Mykonian bagpipe\u2014 the Tsabouna. Those instruments were build by the musicians themselves, with organic materials, just like the N\u2019Goni, Kamale N\u2019Goni, Calabash, Balafon, Tama and Kora, for instance.<\/span><\/p>\n

In in my teens, Mykonos began with the heavy nightlife, and I was going dancing in the clubs every night. We were all dancing to African music in Mykonos, but in Denmark, African music hadn\u2019t reached on that level, there it was the American funk and Hip Hop we used to dance to. Although, during my kindergarten at the French school, we danced to Miriam Makeba, African music was not mainstream in Denmark as it was in Greece. I clearly remember when Mory Kant\u00e9\u2019s Y\u00e9 K\u00e9 Y\u00e9 K\u00e9<\/em> and later Salif Keita\u2019s album Soro <\/em>came out in Greece. Then I saw Salif live first time in Athens in 1987. Abdullah Ibrahim also performed that unforgettable night.<\/p>\n

Regarding my names Carolina came from a Brazilian song my parents loved, and Vallejo from my daughter’s father, who is Mexican. I went to French School in Copenhagen so it\u2019s been easy for me to work with West African artists. In my kinder-garden, my first best friend was African. Even my favourite doll was African. But the deeper connection come from my early childhood. I had a set of Kenyan drums, and when I was listening to the drumming on our African albums, I was feeling a strong spiritual connection. One of my mothers albums, had a flute player, a boy. He became my imaginary African friend. I was around 5 years old. In 2018, I went to visit the legendary Malian trumpet player Sory Bamba. His son played some of his fathers old music on his little phone, while the three of us were talking. I was in shock! \u201cIs this you Sory, playing the flute then? My imaginary childhood friend!!\u201d We both got tears in our eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

I have to stop here for a moment. Carolina mentions \u201cY\u00e9 K\u00e9 Y\u00e9 K\u00e9\u00a0\u201d<\/strong>, and that fills me with emotion. Unlike her, I didn\u2019t grow up in a home full of world music, although there was certainly a love of art. My father had a collection of cassettes that were sold once a week at newsstands, featuring recordings by some of the world\u2019s greatest orchestras and conductors, and my mother, when she wasn\u2019t singing herself, listened to wonderful music by artists such as Charles Aznavour<\/strong> and Jos\u00e9 Luis Perales<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

So coming across the video for \u201cY\u00e9 K\u00e9 Y\u00e9 K\u00e9\u201d<\/strong> on television as a child had a huge impact on me. And no wonder, because I listen to it again now and it is still an absolute banger.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

AT: You are an artist and jewelry designer. Which came first, this or\u00a0music? How do these two disciplines interact in your personal journey?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> Creativity all came since my childhood. The messages are same with the various disciplines; freedom, reflection, beauty, philosophy, love, legacy, time… I was taken to art museums, our home was full of art and culture. I was always drawing and painting since I can remember, and we knew many artists who\u2019s ateliers I could explore. I take many of the cover photos and did the artwork for many of the albums. I also edited most of the releases, wrote the press texts and styled the artists. So I work multidisciplinary all the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the picture, Carolina Vallejo is receiving the African Achievement Award for Best African Promoter in Denmark, Celebrate Africa, 2011.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

About One World<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

AT: With One World, you have produced more than 2,000 concerts over\u00a0the years, across five continents, at major festivals, as well as dozens of\u00a0albums. What kinds of skills and structures are necessary to sustain that\u00a0kind of work over time?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> For me, it has been learning by doing all along. While studying or creating art, I had so many jobs; waitress, cleaner, hospital worker, pedagogue for mentally handicapped children, cook, baker, artist assistant, teacher, music booker, festival advisor, actress, model, etc. All those jobs each told me lessons, that I have been able to use in my practical work in the live productions, and organising.<\/span><\/p>\n

I produced my two first live shows at 15 and 18 in Denmark, both sold out. In Mykonos me and my friends made a live band and opened our own live music club. I was playing saxophone at that time. I was writing music for the horn sections of other bands, even though I was mostly autodidact. I stopped playing when I met with Eddie Harris; he gave me a great advise, when I asked how to become a musician of high level (for my own ears sake). As I had told him I was also doing art- painting and sculpture at that time. He told me to make a choice and go all in. I chose art, cause I was not obsessed enough to rehearse for more than 2 hours a day, and he had suggested 8 hours in the first years.<\/p>\n

I built One World Records organically, each production taught me lessons, and little by little it has become what it is today. I might have been lucky in a strange sense; When The Orchard and Spotify began the streaming culture, many labels had to give up, as they were used to have good businesses. But I came in from a non-business angle; I just wanted visibility for my artists and couldn\u2019t find any labels willing to invest. So I decided to make a label. One year before when in Kenya for an art project with Massai artists, I planned to make a music company with a Kenyan friend. I decided for the name “One World” thinking of that the company could function in world wide and with different disciplines. To gather talents from all over. We designed the One World logo together, and he was supposed to build the website. Three years later there was still no website, although I was doing many tours, so I gave up the collaboration and developed the website with help from my daughter. And then I produced my first album under One World Records with the Kenyan artist Makadem. The album \u2018Koko Rio\u2019 was nominated for Afrima Awards, and that was thanks to Chris Syren, who was at that time Salif Keita\u2019s manager. Years later, Salif asked me to produce his kamale n\u2019goni player, Harouna Samake, and the album \u2018Kamale Blues\u2019 got us a Womex Showcase.<\/p>\n

In the picture, Carolina is with Ans T Crazy from Guinea and Victorine Yok, manager of AfrotroniX, at the APO (African Political Outlook) conference, where Carolina gave a talk about her label and her collaboration with Salif Keita.<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

AT: Working in international music also means influencing which artists\u00a0become visible and which do not. How conscious are you of that\u00a0curatorial power?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> Hm, I never thought about this as \u201cpower\u201d. But yes, I am curating, I am editing\u00a0and many times producing the albums that are on my label. There are so\u00a0many great labels and each one must curate their own selections that they\u00a0feel passionate about, and have some knowledge about. I respect all the\u00a0labels that are selected in the Top 10 or Top 20 lists, I feel we all support the\u00a0cause to get great music out there. My choices can come because of several\u00a0reasons. Sometimes I simply fall in love with the music,\u00a0other times I feel an\u00a0obligation to present it because I think it deserves visibility due to the artists\u00a0honest dedication.<\/span><\/p>\n

AT: Has there been a moment in your career when you seriously\u00a0questioned the sustainability \u2014 emotionally or economically \u2014 of working in\u00a0this field?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> Economically I am taking huge risks and basically investing every thing I can,\u00a0with no sight of being able to \u201cmake the money back\u201d on the investments. But\u00a0since I have always been able to somehow pull it off, I am used to take risks.\u00a0Art is all about taking risks! In the last year I have been brave enough to cut\u00a0ties if I am not treated well, so I only work with people with whom I feel trust\u00a0with and can call my friends. Both the releases and the tours, its like you\u00a0become family, or you take care of a child together. This, I feel, is so\u00a0important, investing your time is sharing a part of your life, and each breath\u00a0we take must have that value. This is why we need to respect each other and\u00a0be kind to each other. I deal a lot with micro economies and macro\u00a0economies at the same time, from buying a sack of rice to\u00a0my musician to\u00a0meeting with presidents and royalties. I respect both. But I always try to make\u00a0people sensible to the differences. In general I am against inequality and\u00a0behind anything I do, I have that mindset to balance things, trying to change\u00a0mindsets.<\/span><\/p>\n

AT: Salif Keita is one of the towering figures of African music history. What\u00a0have you learned from working closely with an artist of that stature?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the picture, Carolina is with Salif Keita. Picture by Anna Sienkiewicz<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/span>CV:<\/strong><\/span> Salif is my close friend. We talk about every thing; music, life, politics, pain,\u00a0joy. Salif is obviously a musical visionary, I am learning something from him\u00a0every moment I spend with him. I am watching him create and teach his\u00a0musicians; we are also constantly analysing his upcoming songs for this\u00a0amazing new album we are planning to release next spring! We are in this\u00a0production now. I feel truly blessed! In the beginning of our collaboration,\u00a0Salif told me: \u201cThere are three kinds of managers: The one who likes to be\u00a0with famous people, the one who likes to make money, and the one who\u00a0loves music. You belong to the third category, Carolina, and this is why I want\u00a0to work with you. Your enthusiasm has made me love to tour again!\u201d I was\u00a0close friends with Salif\u2019s late manager, Chris Syren, who was also in this third\u00a0category and a dear friend to Salif as well. He was a big teacher for me, and\u00a0he also always helped my projects, for instance 2 of the albums I produced\u00a0were nominated for Afrima Awards thanks to Chris. It was with Chris I began\u00a0to make some contracts for Salif with Chris. I also went on some tours with all\u00a0of them and got to know the musicians, Salif\u2019s family and friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

About the fabric \/ circuit<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

AT: Many artists today are technically visible online, but economically\u00a0extremely fragile. From your perspective, what is currently broken in\u00a0the international music ecosystem?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> The promoters have changed and don\u2019t connect in the same way as they\u00a0used; when I was working at Copenhagen Jazz House, we could call\u00a0Stockholm, Oslo and Berlin, and there would be a small tour already. Also, in\u00a0Denmark for instance, we used to have touring funding from the government\u00a0and more support for international artists than we have today. Still, I am very\u00a0grateful for the support I am receiving from The Danish Music Publishers and\u00a0The Ministry of Culture. Even though they cover a small percentage, it gives\u00a0strengths and confidence to be backed by the institutions, who are also very\u00a0selective.<\/span><\/p>\n

AT: Your projects often involve collaboration across languages, continents\u00a0and identities. What are the hidden difficulties people from outside\u00a0rarely see?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> Many places I work with, the artist live day to day. I try as much as possible to\u00a0be the problem solver for the instant issues. Doctors, medicine, school fees,\u00a0equipment, rice. Necessary things you can\u2019t just close your eyes to. This is\u00a0obviously not practical or economical, but it is the right way to be human. I\u00a0have been in so many situations where people helped me, even strangers. I\u00a0try to do the same. At the same time I am hoping to provide enough income\u00a0for the artists to handle those things. But still we collaborate in a totally\u00a0organic and solidaric way.<\/span><\/p>\n

AT: Do you think Europe still listens to African, Middle Eastern and other\u00a0non-Western artists through a colonial lens more often than it realises?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think so. The mainstream African music is mainstream world wide. So is\u00a0Latin American music. The lesser known artists I have produced are listened to\u00a0by specialists and people who already love and respect the different cultures. The ones who would listen with a colonist ear, would not chose our music any\u00a0way.<\/span><\/p>\n

AT: How do you navigate the tension between authenticity and\u00a0international market expectations? Do you sometimes feel artists are\u00a0subtly pushed to simplify themselves for export?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think about market expectations at all. Then I wouldn\u2019t do what I\u2019m\u00a0doing. I would not chose artists who bend themselves towards a market. I\u00a0prefer the personal honest, personal projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

AT: If you look at the current international circuit, what gives you hope and what worries you most?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> Xenophobia and fascism is what worries me most. The dehumanisation we\u00a0are seeing many places. Even the Super Intelligence and AI is dehumanising\u00a0us, and might be the biggest thread ever to humanity and human values.\u00a0I am also positive about the strength of humanism. The poles are more\u00a0extreme and we can see we must be united on the points of climate, justice\u00a0and peace.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the artists who read us<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

AT: In your experience, what separates artists who endure internationally\u00a0from those who disappear after initial hype?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> Be yourself. Take risks. Don\u2019t take the easy way, but explore the options until\u00a0you hear something exceptional. Remember your roots and your stories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AT: When you discover a new artist, what is the first thing that makes you stop and really pay attention?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> That depends on the music. But it has to be outstanding. High quality. Of\u00a0course good arrangements, good performance. Mix can be changed and I\u00a0always work on the sound as soon as possible in any project. My first\u00a0productions don\u2019t have the same level in sound as I have now, I have learned\u00a0a lot since then. I also found my absolute favourite person to master, Tom\u00a0Leader, who had mastered some of my favourite albums over the years. Tom\u00a0used to be with World Circuit. I am blessed to work with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Closing reflections<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

AT: After all these years in the field, what still moves or surprises you emotionally?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CV:<\/strong> To still be able to find amazing music and dedicated people, who invest their\u00a0time on representing the arts on high level; journalists, festival directors,\u00a0venue programmers and also the amazing audience, who come to share their\u00a0joy, their love and energy. The smiles on the faces of the audience, the\u00a0children who dance\u2026 So the music gets carried as magic memories in the\u00a0souls and hearts of the listeners, old and young, united in this moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the legacy. When working on an album, I become obsessed. I can listen\u00a0again and again both while working on it and once the finished version has\u00a0been mastered. On September 25, we are releasing Gaoussou \u2018Sobra\u2019\u00a0Kouyate\u2019s second solo album, ‘Django Blues<\/em>\u2019. I have been waiting impatiently\u00a0to release this delicious album and I\u2019m very exited.<\/p>\n

These couple of years\u00a0have been truly wonderful, with the albums of Hawa & Kasse Mady Diabate,\u00a0Mah Damba, Kankou Kouyate, Bassekou Kouyate, Aly Keita, Mama Sissoko,\u00a0Eliza Marshall, Aly Keita, Banning Eyre, New Global Ensemble, Gamelan Sulk\u00a0& Jan Kadereit, Estrellas de Buena Vista w Pancho Amat, Mah Damba and\u00a0then the remixes of Salif Keita and Pongo with my Angolan DJ\u2019s from the\u00a0BROKA Collective. We have a lot of Afro House remixes ready to be released\u00a0in our collaboration BROKA x ONE WORLD RECORDS. I can see that dreams\u00a0often comes true, especially when you are patient. And hard working, of\u00a0course.<\/p>\n

In this moment, to be part of the production Salif Keita\u2019s upcoming album\u00a0makes me extremely high! I can\u2019t wait to present this gem to the world in May\u00a02027!<\/p>\n

Thank you, Carolina!<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u27a1\ufe0f\u00a0And you can follow One World\u00a0on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and on Instagram<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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BRIEF NEWS FROM THE MEDIA, CHARTS AND <\/span><\/strong><\/span>SISTER PROJECTS\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n
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\ud83d\udd38#1 for Transglobal World Music Chart in September of 2026<\/a> has been: Minyo Crusaders’ From Japan with Love<\/em> (Blue Note)<\/span><\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udd38Mundofon\u00edas<\/a>: the favourites of September are Cuadra Collective’s V\u00e4st <\/em>(toppkonst), Tilt’s Wasm <\/em>(Tilt) and Panjshanbe Maftun’s Made in Lyublino: Afghan songs <\/em><\/span>(Antonovka Records).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n


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Do you have a call of interest for our community that you want to share? Let me know asap<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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OPEN CALLS & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS<\/strong><\/h1>\n

This section is open for news. It is free of charge. You can let me know if you have any open call\u00a0of relevance to the community.<\/p>\n

THESE\u00a0CALLS ARE NEW\u00a0IN THE NEWSLETTER\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\ud83d\udd38<\/strong>MUM –\u00a0\u00a0Jornadas Profesionales de la M\u00fasica en Extremadura<\/strong><\/p>\n

The eleventh edition of this professional event will take place in M\u00e9rida from 14 to 16 April. Applications are open until 20 November here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It is a showcase-style event and covers some costs, including one night\u2019s accommodation, lunch or dinner on the day of the performance and \u20ac200 per musician, taxes included, as a contribution towards travel expenses, among other things. Check the official website for full details.<\/p>\n

The event is quite strongly focused on the Spanish market. In fact, the website is only available in Spanish. Although they usually invite some international programmers, and almost always some from Portugal, which is very close by.
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\ud83d\udd38<\/strong>Tallinn Music Week<\/strong><\/p>\n

Application deadline: 26 October 2026, 23:59 (EET). It will take place in Tallinn, Estonia, from 8 to 11 April 2027. It is a showcase and conference.<\/p>\n

What do they offer? Check the official website<\/a>.\u00a0This is a non-exhaustive, indicative summary:<\/p>\n