Briefing notes for media WOMEX 13,

For further details, and to apply to attend WOMEX on a Media Pass, contact:

Angharad Wynne Communications Manager Cerdd Cymru: Music for Womex 13 07786256722 / [email protected]

Last updated: 2 September 2013 INTRODUCTION WHAT IS WOMEX? WOMEX is the most important international professional market of world music. This international fair brings together professionals from the worlds of folk, roots, ethnic and traditional music and also includes concerts, conferences and documentary films.

A significant part of WOMEX is the International Showcase Festival of World Music. This runs over three consecutive nights and is open to the public to enjoy the very best curated selection of emerging talent from across the globe.

Over the whole five days of WOMEX, some 2500 delegates from 1250 companies, from across 100 countries and 300 national and international journalists come together in one city to network, do business, explore diverse music cultures, listen to 40 speakers in 20 conference sessions and music showcases by day. The daytime activities for WOMEX 13, in Cardiff will be held at the Motorpoint Arena. By night, as mentioned, the doors are opened to the public, and specialists and world music fans together enjoy over 50 showcases of the best world music on the planet across 6 stages. This year, these will be held in and around Wales Millennium Centre, with DJ nights following on each night in Cardiff Bay.

ABOUT WOMEX 13 CARDIFF WOMEX 13 Cardiff offers an opportunity for world music from Wales in particular to receive international exposure on an unprecedented scale as the international world music industry comes to the capital. It is an event that will connect the sector in Wales with the wider UK and the world.

This is only the second time that WOMEX has come to the UK, the last time was in 2005 when it was hosted at Gateshead.

Bringing WOMEX back to the UK provides an opportunity to showcase the music of the Britain and Ireland. To this end, the leading music organisations of Wales, Scotland, England, Irenald and Northern Ireland have formed Horizons, a joint marketing and development

2 brand. Horizons will host the home showcase stage at WOMEX this year, and will showcase the very best selected world music talent from each of the regions.

The bid to host WOMEX in Cardiff was spearheaded by the Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales. Cardiff won the bid against stiff competition from nine top European cities.

Hosting WOMEX in Cardiff in 2013 is seen as a catalyst for further development of the world music industry across Wales, and in particular as a way of raising the ambitions of musicians in Wales and the UK to work and export their music internationally. An on-going programme of development in in place to support musicians in Wales towards this aim, with the view of using WOMEX 13 as the launch-pad for more engagement with international agents, buyers, festival promoters etc.

WOMEX 13 will be hosted in Cardiff between 23 and 27 October 2013, focussed around two venues. The Motorpoint arena will host c. 2500 international world music delegates for a daytime conference then, by night, focus will turn to the Wales Millennium Centre and Roald Dahl Plas in Cardiff Bay, where WOMEX delegates will be joined by public audiences to roam around six stages and enjoy over 50 showcases of the best world music on the planet. The performance element of WOMEX 13 begins with a gala opening concert on Wednesday 23 October, LAND OF SONG, led by Cerys Matthews. This will be followed by three evenings of world music showcases on Thursday to Saturday.

WOMEX 13 Cardiff is hosted by Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales. This is a partnership between Arts Council of Wales/ Wales Arts International and Welsh Music Foundation. WOMEX 13 Cardiff project partners are Cardiff Council, Motorpoint Arena and Wales Millennium Centre. WOMEX 13 Cardiff is supported by Welsh Government through the Major Events Unit.

3 WHAT’S THE WOMEX EXPERIENCE?

Whilst WOMEX is an industry focused conference and exhibition by day, by night it becomes a festival where the most exciting world music acts from across the world perform across 6 stages, delighting and exciting an amassed audience of music experts and members of the public who get to enjoy a round the world music tapas, and an electric global music scene ambience as they stroll from one stage to another, drinks in hand and enjoy WOMEX International Showcase Festival.

WOMEX International Showcase Festival and DJ nights

On the Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, WOMEX 13, Cardiff will transform Cardiff Bay into a festival site for global world music, where local, regional and national audiences are welcome to roam around the six stages in Wales Millennium Centre and the Oval Basin to soak up the international vibe, listen to 45 minute long performances (or ‘showcases’ as WOMEX calls them) of the best world music on the planet, between 9pm and very late – or rather, early the following morning.

The WOMEX International Showcase Festival evenings are a bit like taking a musical holiday on an around the world ticket. Each corner of the globe is represented, and it’s a chance to discover some great bands, be awestruck by diverse musicianship and dumbstruck by some weird and wonderful instruments from different world cultures. The bars will be open, there will be food aplenty and there’ll be a festival atmosphere in the Bay. Full details about the WOMEX International Showcase Festival including selected artists can be found at www.womex.com/realwomex/main.php?id_headings=213&id_realwomex=15

4 In addition to the live performance showcases, on the Friday and Saturday night all are welcome to dance the night away at WOMEX 13 DJ nights at the Glee Club in Cardiff Bay, when Antie Flo (UK), DJ Caise (Nigeria / UK), iZem (Ireland / Portugal), Mitú (Columbia) and Mr Toubab & Cucurucho (France / Spain) will hit the decks over the course of the programme

Further details about the DJ Summit: http://www.womex.com/realwomex/2013/DJ_Summit.html

Tickets for WOMEX International Showcase Festival are now on sale via the Wales Millennium Centre Box Office on 02920636464 or via the website www.wmc.org.uk. Price £17 in advance, £22 on the day. Those wishing to attend all three of the WOMEX Showcase Festival nights can purchase a three day ticket for £45 from the Wales Millennium Centre Ticket Office.

WOMEX OPENING CONCERT – LAND OF SONG Wales Millennium Centre, 23 October, 8pm Media partners: BBC Wales / S4C / Rondo Media

Cerys Matthews will be joined by leading musicians and dancers from Wales to lead a spectacular, illustrated journey through 30,000 years of our Nation’s story, music and culture, celebrating deep traditions forged in myth and melody further back than we can possibly remember.

Wales’ music is an expression of the land and the people's relationship with it. It chronicles beliefs and superstitions and remains central to living traditions and everyday life. It’s informed by an unbroken ancestral root, stretching back into the dawn of time. It’s the music of poetry and language,

5 of story and industry, of love, loss and hiraeth (longing).

The rugged, lilting patter of the gave birth to early rhythms and musical forms. The ancient art of singing (strict metred Welsh verse to harp accompaniment) descends from declamation of praise poetry by early court bards.

Today our traditions weave with rhythms and timbres of Somalia, Yemen and other nationalities, who’ve made their home in Cardiff during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Cerys Matthews is Artistic Director of the opening concert. She will also perform in it. “It is the spontaneous and almost shamanic belief in the power of word and melody, which for me resonates most about being Welsh. It is this I remember vividly about growing up in Wales, about our twice-on-a-Sunday hymn singing in Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, Cardiff. It is this I sense on the terraces of the Millennium Stadium when our national rugby team plays, and at weddings, funerals, concerts and other gatherings.

Through our long and lasting love of the gymanfa ganu (singing festival), the male voice choir, the (singing and poetry competition), noson lawen (a sing-along party) we’ve earned the title 'LAND OF SONG'. At the WOMEX opening concert, we’ll be inviting the audience to jump right in with us; count our goats, drive our oxen, dance and smile about large and small saucepans, feel the value of a good heart with a song to sing. We’ll be giving the world a welcome to Wales, to this Land Of Song.”

The concert features some of the leading exponents of Wales’ music traditions including: Cass Meurig, Gwenan Gibbard, D n A , Georgia Ruth , Patrick Rimes , Siân James , Robin Huw Bowen, Wales-India collaboration between Gwyneth Glyn and Tauseef Akhtar, ‘Ghazalaw’, Twm Morys and more. For full details of the concert and line up of artists visit www.cerddcymru.com/land-of-song

Wales Millennium Centre has an allocation of public tickets for sale for this event, 02920 636464 or visit their website www.wmc.org.uk for tickets. Price £25

6 ABOUT THE WOMEX 13 HOSTS, Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales has been formed to develop the international horizons of musicians in Wales. It aims to generate international opportunities for creative collaborations, performances and export that benefit Wales economically and culturally.

It is a partnership between Wales Arts International - the international arm of the Arts Council of Wales - and Welsh Music Foundation.

Wales Arts International brings international connections and know-how to the partnership, providing focus on developing artists through international creative collaborations. Through its partnership with the British Council and close collaboration with Welsh Government’s strategy of international reach it creates opportunities to showcase Welsh music and musicians and to form collaborative projects through trade missions and international partnerships.

Welsh Music Foundation brings a focus on industry training, mentoring and commercial development to the partnership, ensuring that as well as development of creative content, there is, through Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales’s work, adequate support to stimulate direct commercial benefit to the music industry in Wales.

Cardiff Council, Motorpoint Arena and Wales Millennium Centre are Directors of Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales for the duration of Womex 13. The partnership it is supported by the British Council and Welsh Government.

7 THE VENUES: Motorpoint Arena – Daytime Venue

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff is located in the heart of the city and provides a focus for business and entertainment in Wales. This multi-purpose venue has become first choice for many concert goers and event organisers and their customers. Hosting a variety of events from world-class concerts and entertainment to conferences, sporting events, exhibitions and trade shows it attracts in excess of 500, 000 patrons each year. Motorpoint Arena was formerly known as the Cardiff International Arena (CIA).

Wales Millennium Centre – Evening Showcase Venue

8 Wales Millennium Centre was opened on 26 November 2004, by Her Majesty the Queen.

In a relatively short time, the Centre has achieved extraordinary success, gaining a reputation as an outstanding performing arts venue, locally, nationally and internationally. Since the spectacular opening weekend the Centre has welcomed millions of visitors from Wales and beyond, making it the most popular tourist attraction in Wales, and one of the UK’s most visited cultural attractions outside London.

The Centre is established as an iconic European landmark – a cultural destination, welcoming over 11 million visitors to date. The Centre is more than the sum of its parts. With nine creative organisations under the one roof the Centre supports up to 1,000 jobs, and contributes over £40 million into the Welsh economy every year.

We share a creative vision which reflects the synergies, partnerships and dynamic relationships that are bringing to life the original concept of Wales Millennium Centre. In the past 12 months there has been even greater collaboration between the individual resident organisations, demonstrating the benefits from having a creative cluster all living under the one roof. This makes for a true furnace of creativity, providing a focus for the cultural aspirations of our nation – and we’re a proud partner and host venue for WOMEX 13 in Cardiff. wmc.org.uk

ABOUT THE HOST CITY, CARDIFF

Capital and gateway to Wales

Cardiff, the capital city, is the perfect gateway to the history, culture, language and landscapes of Wales.

The sounds of the city today are a multi-cultural mix, with two main languages – one shared with half the world, and another, ancient tongue that belongs to Wales. Language sets the scene for a city of contrasts, where the innovative architecture of the Millennium Stadium

9 and Wales Millennium Centre sit alongside the 2000-year-old grandeur of Cardiff Castle. The castle rests on Roman foundations, with a 12th Century Norman keep and sumptuously restored Victorian staterooms.

A couple of minutes walk from the castle is another cultural icon; the National Museum. As well as rare and precious artefacts that unlock the story of Wales’s history, the gallery boasts one of the finest collections of Impressionist paintings on display outside Paris, including works by Renoir, Monet and Cezanne.

WOMEX 13’s daytime venue, Motorpoint Arena is located next to the city’s newest retail centre, St David’s Dewi Sant. Cardiff is one of the UK’s top six shopping cities, with undercover malls and Victorian and Edwardian arcades offering designer boutiques and quirky gift shops – many of them with a Welsh flavour. No shopping expedition in Cardiff is complete until you’ve visited the market – it sells everything from freshly caught fish and Welsh cheese to cotton reels and local crafts.

With the capital and its welcoming hotels, bars and restaurants as a base, visitors can explore the best that Wales has to offer. The picturesque Wye Valley and Tintern Abbey, Blaenafon and the industrial history of the South Wales Valleys, the Brecon Beacon mountains, and the Gower Peninsula and the Glamorgan Heritage Coast are all easily reached for a day trip. On the edge of the city, the National History Museum brings Welsh culture to life through a collection of restored buildings brought from a variety of locations across Wales and rebuilt in a 100-acre park.

Cardiff Bay, the city’s revitalised dockland area, is now one of Europe’s most exciting waterfront developments, with a thriving leisure quarter. Dominating the Bay skyline is Wales Millennium Centre, home to nine creative arts organisations, including the world- renowned Welsh National Opera. Wales Millennium Centre is the venue for the evening Showcases during WOMEX 13, and just 15 minutes walk from the city centre, it will form the perfect backdrop for some of the best world music on the planet.

10 ABOUT WALES’ MUSIC HERITAGE

"As it always has been, and will be well into the future, Welsh traditional music is one of the most vibrant of the many threads running through the life and culture of Wales". Phyllis Kinney, Welsh Traditional Music, 2012

Wales’s music has deep roots and green shoots. Thanks to our native language, Welsh, which is one of the oldest living languages in Europe, we have an unbroken cultural DNA which stretches back in many cases, as far back as the Iron Age and some would argue earler. Written sources as early as the 6th Century reference the existence of a vibrant music and poetic tradition, and many of the instruments mentioned: the harp, the and pipes in particular continue to be core to Wales’s folk sound today.

Many of the ancient forms of music and poetry have survived down the centuries thanks to enlightened individuals and institutions such as the Eisteddfod, Folk Song and Societies. Cerdd Dant is unique to Wales, and hails from the Dark Age halls of Princes, when our bards would declaim praise poetry to their patron or raise the spirits of our warriors before battle by singing tight metered poetry called to the accompaniment of the harp, but not singing and playing the same tune. There are many complex rules as to how the poetry should be set to the music, but basically the harp melody and the singer's melody are in counterpoint, and main accents of the poetry fall on the main accents of the music.

The Cymry (our name for the people of Wales) fell under the enchantment of harmony much earlier than our Saxon and Norman neighbours, and it’s been a fundamental part of our music tradition ever since, whether in folk melodies, the singing of ballads or latterly as part of the 18th Century Methodist Revival inspired choral tradition, that has gained recognition and fans across the globe. It too is a development of our singing tradition - that love of singing in harmony - adapted to suit the zeitgeist of an increasingly industrialised community and landscape.

11 The 1960s and 1970s saw a surge in Welsh language activism which spearheaded a re- engaging with our folk music and traditions, fuelled in part by a surge in the popularity of Celtic music. These days, an increasing number of our young musicians are turning to the folk tradition for inspiration. It is perhaps among this generation of musicians - more than any other - that we find the confidence and drive for creative experimentation with our traditional material; to reverence it, but to keep it alive by shaking it up, applying new instrumentation, rhythm and beat. Importantly, in recent years, the musical cultures present in Wales, due in the main to the mass influx of migrants who came to work in our heavy industries and industrial ports during the 19th and 20th centuries,’ have begun to influence and infuse the native tradition with their timbres, forms and instruments. That, coupled with greater artist mobility has catalized work from Welsh musicians based on the native folk tradition but infused with influences from far beyond our shores.

HORIZONS, AND THE HORIZONS STAGE AT WOMEX 13

Horizons is a new partnership developed ahead of WOMEX 13 Cardiff that brings together England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to celebrate our wealth of music traditions and cultures within a world music market. Led by Cerdd Cymru Music Wales, the hosts of WOMEX 13, Horizons will lend its name to the local stage featuring music from the nations of the UK and Ireland at Wales Millennium Centre.

The artists from across the UK and Ireland who will showcase on the Horizons stage as part of WOMEX International Showcase Festival on 24, 25 and 26 October have been announced. They are: On behalf of England: Lokkhi Terra Family Atlantica

On behalf of Ireland and Northern Ireland: WeBanjo3

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On behalf of Scotland: Fiona Hunter Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson

On behalf of Wales: Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita Georgia Ruth

Biographies for all the Horizons selected artists can be found at www.horizonsatwomex.com

The Horizon’s brand name was inspired by poet, Gwyneth Lewis’ words on the front of Wales Millennium Centre ‘In these stones horizons sing’. It expresses something about the partners’ ambition to develop and broaden thier musicians’ horizons.

Horizons members are Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Ireland, Cerdd Cymru : Music Wales (a partnership between Arts Council of Wales / Wales Arts International and Welsh Music Foundation), Creative Scotland, Scottish Music Industry Association and Culture Ireland . The Horizons partnership is also supported by British Council.

Horizons will lend its name to a variety of development and promotional activities aimed at raising the excellence and profile of home artists, and linking them to opportunities to develop international markets for their work. While WOMEX 13 is certainly a focus, it is just the beginning of the journey.

13 USEFUL LINKS Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales’ website acts as a valuable gateway to information about WOMEX 13, Cardiff, including details about delegate passes, the opening concert, past news releases and travel and accommodation contacts. www.cerddcymru.com

WOMEX’s own website has a wealth of information about the event and those showcasing and attending. www.womex.com

Angharad Wynne, 2 September 2013

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APPLICATION FOR COMPLEMENTARY MEDIA PASS

WOMEX 13 in Cardiff is being hosted by Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales. We have a small number of complementary media passes for the event for local and national media across the UK and Ireland. In order that we use these wisely to further the aims and objectives of our media plan, to raise the profile of WOMEX 13, Cardiff and the work and talents of the musicians of the British Isles and Ireland through Horizons, and our own Welsh artists and the music culture of Wales, we are asking those requesting passes to fill in this form so that we can evaluate your application. Successful applicants will be notified of their passes no later than Thursday 10 October.

Please fill in the details below:

Full Name:

Job / position:

Contact details:

Mobile telephone number:

Address:

Email:

Mobile:

Media organisation / company / freelance:

(Please tick appropriate box(es)). Are you applying as a: ☐Journalist ☐Photographer ☐Broadcaster Working in (please tick): ☐TV ☐Radio ☐ On-line/digital ☐ Print

PLEASE CONSIDER CAREFULLY WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING YOU WILL MAKE BEST USE OF WHEN MAKING THE APPLICATION, AS PASSES ARE LIMITED:

15 Are you applying for:

1) A full WOMEX Media Pass – this includes ticket to: • Opening concert (Evening of 23 October) at Wales Millennium Centre • Three days delegate pass (24-26 October) to daytime conference at Motorpoint Arena • Three evening / night passes to WOMEX 13 World Music Showcase Festival at Wales Millennium Centre in the Bay (24-26 October) and access to DJ nights on Friday and Saturday (25 and 26 October). • Access to WOMEX 14 Award Ceremony on Sunday morning (27 October) at Wales Millennium Centre.

☐FULL WOMEX MEDIA DELEGATE PASS

☐WITH FILMING / BROADCAST PERMISSIONS

☐WITH PHOTOGRAPHY PERMISSIONS*

*Please note that WOMEX have their own bank of freelance photographers accredited to work at the event and imaged may be bought through these or they may be commissioned for specific work, see www.womex.com/realwomex/main.php?id_headings=110&id_realwomex=12&subheading= 131 for information about and contact details for these photographers.

Please note that a full WOMEX Media Pass does not enable pass holders to access Virtual WOMEX. This is limited to paying delegates only.

2) A day delegate pass which provides access to both the daytime conference activities at WOMEX 13 in Motorpoint Arena and the WOMEX 12 World Music Showcase Festival at Wales Millennium Centre. Friday and Saturday delegate passes also provide access to the DJ nights in Cardiff Bay

Please note that WOMEX Media Day Passes do not enable pass holders to access Virtual WOMEX. This is limited to paying delegates only.

☐THURSDAY 24 October ☐FRIDAY 25 October ☐SATURDAY 26 October ☐ACCESS TO AWARD CEREMONY, morning SUNDAY 27 Oct.

Do you require a day pass with any of the following:

☐WITH FILMING / BROADCAST PERMISSIONS

☐WITH PHOTOGRAPHY PERMISSIONS*

16 3) A ticket to the Opening Concert ‘Land of Song’ at Wales Millennium Centre on the evening of 23 October. This concert, led and curated by Cerys Matthews tells the story of Wales’ music, culture and music traditions.

☐TICKET TO OPENING CONCERT*

*Due to existing media partnerships and the nature of the event, no filming by media other than partner media for the Concert will be allowed during this event. Accredited photographers able to photograph the event will be strictly limited.

OUTPUTS / CONFIRMED COMMISSIONS

What agreed commissions / outputs do you have / will you deliver from your time at WOMEX13, Cardiff. Please give rough note on nature of output and full details of media and an estimate of media value.

17 Reference contact from commissioning editor or example of previous work with link:

Please return your completed application by FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER to:

Angharad Wynne Media and Communications Manager Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales for WOMEX 13

Email: [email protected] Mobile: 07786256722 By Post: Church House, Llanharan Road, Llanharry, Pontyclun, CF729LH

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