International Newsletter Number 19 • October 2008 1 Zertod – Viljandi Folk Music Festival 2008 2 Sidi Goma – Roskilde Festival 2008 (Photo by Klavs Bo Christensen Rockphoto) 3 Buika – Sud à Arles 2008 (Photo by Stéphane Barbier) introduction content Dear friends of worldwide music, Many of us hold a special place in our We need to stand up and unite against hearts for music that belongs some- attitudes towards the arts based on where – whether that ’somewhere’ ignorance, xenophobia, and conceit. 3 Introduction be the local villages of Romania, the Luckily several initiatives have been mountains of Nepal, the sami regions started as a counterweight to these 4 efwmf members meeting of Norway or the many musical worrying tendencies, and we encour- Jerusalem melting pots of Paris, Dakar, Rio or age people to support ”The rainbow Calcutta. It is truly a joy to be a part of platform – civil society platform for 5 Folkelarm this environment, to be able to cooper- intercultural dialogue”, ”Freemuse ate with people with such a strong – the world forum on music and 6 commitment, so highly knowledgeable censorship” and other initiatives that Via del Mondo 1 2 with such open minds and love for promote equality, respect and intercul- 7 this music – or rather musical expres- tural dialogue. 3 Two Times Brazil sions – from so many countries and The European Forum of Worldwide cultures. We are many, and we make 8 Music Festivals is also an important Members info up or can be a force that may not be actor within this field. It is a joy and fully evident to us. The power, and 9 an honour to chair such a strong importance, of art is easily underesti- efwmf professional network encompassing Members List 2008 mated, perhaps more so by those of us more than 50 festivals and profes- working in the midst of it, yet at the 13 sionals within world music in Europe. Montreal, New York, same time it is so powerful that artists The Forum represents a professional Memphis, … are among the first to be censored in resource that is both important and totalitarian regimes. 14 useful for its members and other Polyphonia in Corsica A lot of musicians, producers, radio actors around us. And we would like 15 stations, record companies and other to include more people in our ranks. Mawazine actors within the field of world and Visit our web pages, drop by our stand 16 traditional music in Europe today at Womex and other trade fairs, or The Music of Korea today experience an increasing degree of re- contact the secretariat in Belgium to 17 sistance, often taking the form of xeno- find out more. Welcome! Events to come phobic attitudes, practical difficulties 19 with regards to entry visas, a decrease Hilde Bjørkum Colophon in financial support, and an increasing President level of competition and rising costs. 2 3 efwmf members meeting Folkelarm 2008 By Elisabeth Vatn Jerusalem By Patrick De Groote Jerusalem and Ramallah Oslo, Norway 1 2 – 4 October 2008 25 – 28 September 2008 The European Forum of World Music Festival Palestine. Many contacts were made, and the need For four days Oslo was bustling with activity, bring- Next year’s Folkelarm will run from 17th to 20th gathers over 40 European festivals that network to find concert possibilities in Europe was stressed. ing to the fore the cream of Norwegian folk music. September 2009. Welcome to a great Norwegian on artistic issues. Regular meetings facilitate Professional artist have very few options at home and Nordic music experience! Folkelarm (folk-clamour) 2008, has grown consider- collaborations and give an inside on programming and therefore depend greatly on tours abroad. ably since its inaugural event four years ago, and and trends. The last meeting was organised by Norwegian Folk Music Awards The efwmf meeting furthermore discussed various is now considered by many as being Scandinavia’s Yabous, the efwmf-member in Jerusalem, focusing The winners of this year’s Norwegian Folk Music topics linked to the situation of worldmusic most important event for the traditional/ world/ on Palestinian culture. Yabous is a non for profit awards (The Folkelarm Prize), were announced at a anno 2008, set the calendar for next meetings crossover music industry. For four days, from 25th organisation aiming to revive cultural life in the ceremony in Gamle Logen Saturday 27th September. and started preparations for the efwmf’s 20th to 28th September, Oslo was bustling with activity, city, and organising music festivals as well as anniversary events that will start in 2010. bringing to the fore the cream of Norwegian folk events on poetry, dance and cinema. The Jerusalem The full list of prizewinners for all categories: Festivals reports were also given, and members music. Festival, held yearly in the least week of July, is started exchanging on their 2009 programming. their main project, programming Palestinian, Arab Folkelarm is both a folk-music convention and Solo album of the year: 1 The Sami singer and actor and international artists in the Tomb of Kings, a The meeting concluded with a guided tour of industry-gathering which displays an impressive Kim André Rysstad Tak hardt uti hand (Etnisk Ingor Antte Ailu Gaup and the dancer Åsa Rockberg in the major historic site in the city. Jerusalem by Albert Aghazarian, history lecturer of live line-up as well as popular seminars and event musikklubb) Aillos project. (Photo by Knut Birzeit University, giving all a very surprising and programmes tailored for the growing international Utler) The efwmf-members were treated with a concert Old-time dance music album and traditional album open-minded insight on this wo,nderfull city. delegation. This year’s event was visited by about 120 2 One of Norway’s finest folk 1 program in the Edward Said National Conservatory of the year international and Norwegian delegates. singers Jon Anders Halvorsen 2 of Music in Ramallah, giving an overview of The efwmf will next meet at Babel Med, the Vegar Vårdal og Patrik Andersson Finnskogen Brin- (Photo by Knut Utler) Palestinian music today. Worldmusic market in Marseille in March 2009. This year’s Folkelarm live-programme was without ner (Ta:lik) 3 Members of Norway’s most popular contempo- Dam, the militant hip hop group, has already doubt the festival’s strongest to date, presenting 33 Contemporary and experimental album of the year rary folk band Valkyrien All toured Europe, and raps on issues that are close different Norwegian as well as Nordic artists, playing Stars(Photo by Knut Utler) Niko Valkeapää Birrat Birra (Duippiditt) to the life of people. Their blend of hip hop beats, about 90 showcases at 8 different venues in the 4 Sami artist Ingor Antte Ailu Gaup (Photo by Knut Utler) Arabic melodies and daily life soundscapes is very heart of Oslo, and with acts such as Bruvoll/Hal- Pushing the boundaries: effective. vorsen, Valkyrien Allstars, Aillos, Skáidi, Gjermund Niko Valkeapää Birrat Birra (Duippiditt) Basel Zayed is a singer-instrumentalist that Larsen Trio, Niko Valkeapää, Camilla Granlien Band New/emerging artist of the year performs his own compositions, many of which are and Sudan Dudan. Valkyrien allstars Valkyrien allstars (Heilo, Grappa set to text by poets. He was accompanied by piano, It was in other words a great opportunity to experi- Musikkforlag AS) percussion, flute and cello, while playing various ence folk music in a plethora of forms, from the 2 stringed instruments himself. Documentary album of the year: whole of Norway. The event’s Nordic focus was also The Samaa’ ensemble revives the age-old tradition Compilation of artists Viser på vandring i Norden evident, given the appearance of such top acts as of makaam. Composed by professors of the (Songs of the Romani People in Finland, Norway Finland’s Johanna Juhola, Sweden’s Den Fule and conservatory backing two wonderful singers the and Sweden, diverse artister) (Etnisk musikklubb) 1 The old City of Jerusalem Denmark’s Valravn. ensemble did a brilliant performance. 2 the band DAM Folk musician of the year: 3 The Wailing Wall and the Dome of the Rock More info: www.folkelarm.no The members meeting also featured meetings with 4 Jaana-Maria Jukkara, Alexandra Archetti Stolen, Valkyrien Allstars professionals from the region, which gave them the Helmut Buergel, Juana Burillo possibility to have a real inside on cultural life in 3 4 4 3 4 5 Via del Mondo Two times Brazil By Benjamim Taubkin Kids festival Via del Mondo travels through the themselves. It gives Dutch children the opportunity Latin American Music Meeting Mercado Cultural, which started in 1999, is Netherlands to have a special meeting with children from Sao Paulo, Brazil probably the first event of its nature to happen other countries and cultures. Communication in 25 – 28 November 2008 in Latin America. The main goal was to create a Picture this: you are a child living in a developing a language we all speak: the language of dance, platform for the Brazilian and South American country and want to succeed in life. But how? There theatre and music. Although we live in the same continent and share independent scene – from very traditional field to is no school and there are hardly any facilities. in many ways a common heritage, Brazil had, electronic music. Children from the whole wide world Luckily you have your rich culture and traditions until recently, very little contact with the music Natalie Figueroa Perez, Marketing & Communica- It evolved in being an open festival anticipated to depend on. You can use your culture as a way scene of the other countries of Latin America. tion officer at Mundial Productions explains: “This and respected not only by an international public to develop yourself artistically through singing, Looking for new ways and strategies to create year children from Mali, India and Suriname were and professionals, but also by the locals who are dancing and theatre.