DubMC

WOMEX 2010 Dates Announced

WOMEX--the annual conference for world music professionals--has announced that the 2010 event will take place Wednesday, October 27 through Sunday, October 31, 2010. WOMEX 2010 will take place for the second year in Copenhagen, Denmark. Online booking will begin in late March.

globalFEST Reviews / Live Recordings Online

If you missed, globalFEST 2010 at NYC's Webster Hall, you can still hear some of the music and read some reviews here. globalFEST is a taste-making world music festival that not only draws 1000+ attendees, but also draws 300+ performing arts and music industry professionals in conjunction with the Arts Presenters conference ("APAP" as it is called in the field), which itself has become a significant gathering for the world music field. The festival, which is produced by Bill Bragin of Acidophilus: Live and Active Cultures, Isabel Soffer of World Music Institute, and Shanta Thake of Joe's Pub and the Public Theater, and supported by The Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the French Music Export Office and, as media sponsor, WNYC Radio.

NPR's All Songs Considered has just posted their podcast special on the show. Listen here. They will be posting most of the full concerts gradually, one by one, this week. Which they did last year.

The New York Times review is also a revealing description for those who missed the festival. 

There was also a lot of pre and post festival and live tweeting during the event. Scan the Twitter action here.

Concert photos here.

Concert previews here on the rock paper scissors articles page. Reviews to be added soon.

DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., global music publicity firm (who happens to represent globalFEST).

Unofficial Guide to World Music Showcases (final ? edition)

Here is the final (?) Unofficial Guide to World Music Showcases (in Excel) happening in NYC around January 7-12, 2010. Here is a PDF version. IMPORTANT: use this document as a general guide as there are probably errors and omissions. Call agents/venues in advance to confirm times/locations. Delete any versions older than 01/04/2010 listed in the footer.

DubMC.com  is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., global music publicity firm.

WOMEX Report Back: DubMC Asks Michael Orlove of the Chicago World Music Festival and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs

Michael Orlove, senior programs director, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs

What 3-4 WOMEX showcase artist discoveries stood out for you?

My choices (in no particular order). The four below represent groups I had never seen before and I thought were simply OUTSTANDING.

1. Kouyate-Neerman
2. Staff Benda Bilili
3. Mamane Barka
4. Barbara Fortuna

What CDs did you take from WOMEX that are you most excited about?

1. Analog Africa's newest compilations (AKA  Samy Ben Redjeb). Still going through the 100 or so CDs I brought back but the early winners are below.  Samy is in his own category as a 'crate digger' and the stuff he finds in various African countries is incredible.  His latest 'discoveries' of Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou are a wonderful listen. 

2. Danyel Waro. Danyel is an artist I saw over a decade ago in Paris and he is someone I would love to present in Chicago.  He is from the Reunion Islands and one of the main purveyors of Maloya...the musical style mixing African, Madagascan and Indian origins.  If you haven't heard his music, check it out...

What else spurred your thinking while at a WOMEX?

1. Staff Benda Bilili...their story is so incredibly moving and motivational.  We should all be able to learn (and be inspired) from them.

2. Gerald Seligman's final speech.  A great champion of our field of music, he did a phenomenal job the past three years leading the WOMEX conference and a variety of satellite events.  His final speech brought a giant smile to my face reminding me of why I remain 'doing what I do'  having the luck to be a part of this wonderful community we all belong to.  A class act, Gerald left us with words to live by:

This is my last WOMEX as General Director, and I hope you'll indulge me a few final words.

It's been an honor to serve in the midst of this remarkable, international group of artists and professionals. Events production can be hell, but what makes it all worthwhile is the community we all comprise. As ends in themselves, this isn't about making money though we all need to survive. It isn't about ulterior motives, conflicts of interest, capitalizing on the
efforts, arts and good intentions of others, though, inevitably, there are
those who may view it that way.

This community is about a very special blend of international solidarity, wide-eyed, not naive, open-hearted, not close-minded.

Many in the media, in politics, in society use racial, religious or national
differences to raise tension to conflict, and conflict to clash. And on the
back of the inevitable backlash limit access to society, close doors to
those in need, isolate the immigrant communities within our own borders.

But others, bless them, will plead in the face of rising xenophobia, please
please people we must be tolerant.

But that's not what we do, is it? We, all of us, we don't tolerate
difference. We celebrate difference. It's the air we breathe, the lands we
travel, the partnerships we form, the friends we make, the music and artists
we do our daily best to nurture and support.

I must say. You are so many of the best people it is my good fortune to
know. I salute you, I salute you, I salute you.

To Take Risks, To Reinvent, and To Be in Your Element: Words of Wisdom Before the Arts Presenters Conference

Many in the performing arts and global music fields are preparing for the annual Arts Presenters Conference, January 8-12, 2010 in NYC. The conference theme is "Risk. Opportunity. Now." A speech by Bill Bragin (director of public programs at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; co-director of globalFEST) made a compelling case for the theme at another recent conference. Bragin gave the keynote at September's Performance Arts Exchange entitled "Live and Active Cultures for Healthy Balance." Read the full transcript (PDF) or an excerpt here:

Recently, I saw a talk by Sir Ken Robinson who has written and spoken widely
about diverse forms of creative intelligences. In his latest book The Elements, he describes the point in which natural talent meets personal passion. When people arrive at the element he says they feel most themselves and most inspired and achieve at their highest levels. During these difficult recessionary times, as we all go forward in our work in the performing arts community, we all feel an increasing pressure to be careful, to be conservative and to go with the tried and true. To choose the touring revival of a Broadway hit show from 30 years ago rather than supporting the work of an important new theatrical voice. To bring back the same jazz icon who has been featured successfully in so many previous seasons rather than nurturing the musician who may become the next icon.

To make sure we are getting butts in seats, of course it is essential that we serve our institutions, that we follow sound business practices, and that we make sure we are looking after the interests of the organization that employs us. That said, I want to encourage you all to think about the mission which lies at the center of our work, the mission that inspired me to change my tax return status from music business to arts presenter. In my experience, you can best serve your institution if you look at it as only one of several masters, while also asking other questions: How can my work serve the artists that I collaborate with? How can it serve my audiences? To enlighten, to inspire, to provoke, to entertain, to challenge, to build community? How can it serve the field as a whole? To help it grow or to aid in the evolution of the art form? How can it engage in the world around us and serve the larger social good?

[SNIP] I encourage you to think about these questions and to be bold in your thinking. In your conversations with one another, move beyond asking how we can get through the different times we are facing, and talk instead about how to be creative, to take risks, to reinvent, and to be in your element. Follow the passion and remember what called you into this field in the first place. Full transcript here.

DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., global music publicity firm.

WOMEX Report Back: DubMC Asks Bill Bragin of Lincoln Center and globalFEST for His Highlights

Bill Bragin, director, public programming, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, NYC; co-director, globalFEST

What WOMEX showcase artist discoveries stood out for you?

1. Staff Benda Bilili – I’d been a fan of their record and their personal stories are so compelling, but the sets at the Awards ceremony and at Global night club completely transcended expectations. They are a kick-ass dance band and infectious performers. I loved their homemade instruments, especially the heavily distorted, single-string, tin can lead “Santonge.”

2. Bomba Estereo – off-off-WOMEX, also at Global – This was my second time seeing this Colombian band, and they were even better this time, adding a layer of psychedelic fuzz over the digital cumbia and champeta, flipping rhythms effortlessly. Liliana is an incredibly charismatic frontperson.

3. Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole – Also not a brand new discovery – I had seen him at Festival International in Lafayette, and we selected him to showcase at globalFEST, but it was very impressive to see him playing in front of a non-hometown crowd. He’s a terrific accordionist, and even better fiddler, with a cool, slightly sly stage presence that is balanced by the heat of his rubboard player, Zydeco Mike. One of the only sets I watched more or less in its entirety.

4. Chocquibtown – Colombian music made a strong impression for the second year in a row. I was impressed by the confidence of their stagecraft – they had the crowd in their hands from note one, exuding star-power.

What CDs did you take from WOMEX that are you most excited about?

I generally come home with about 100 Cd’s, so it’s hard to pick which I’m most excited about, since it takes a while to go through them all. But here are a few early standouts:

1. Analog Africa’s Legends of Benin compilation, as well as Orchestre Poly-rythmo de Cotonou…Analog Africa’s closing night Dj set was also a revelation – incredibly funky vintage grooves, and these two records show off their taste and the success of their global crate-digging.

2. King Coya – Cumbias de Villadonde – I was introduced to Buenos Aires’ ZZK Records at the previous WOMEX and have been loving the King Coya remix of Petrona Martinez from an earlier label compilation. The full album is strong with a mix of electro cumbia, hip-hop and roots influences.

What else spurred your thinking while at a WOMEX?

Cultivating the fan relationships is really the key to emerging artists becoming successful.

Unofficial Guide to World Music Showcases (early edition)

Here is the Unofficial Guide to World Music Showcases (early edition updated on 01/05/2010 at 5:10 pm in Excel) happening in NYC around January 7-12, 2010. Here is a PDF version. Check back on January 5 for the final version. IMPORTANT: use this document as a general guide as there are probably errors and omissions. Call agents/venues in advance to confirm times/locations. To submit corrections or additions, read this.

DubMC.com  is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., global music publicity firm.

A Victory for World Music Touring Artists: USCIS Reinstates Multi-Employer Petitioning Process

In response to concerns expressed by the national performing arts community, the USCIS (Immigration Services) has reinstated the ability of a petitioner to file a single petition for artists coming to the U.S. for an itinerary of events with multiple arts organizations. A November 20, 2009 USCIS memo offers some clarification for petitioners.

When seeking visa approval for an itinerary involving multiple employers or venues, the petitioner does not have to demonstrate that it normally serves as "an agent" outside of the petition process.

Find the the latest visa petition requirements here.

Hillary Clinton: Arts Better Than Any Government Policy

On Monday, December 14, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton highlighted the importance of the arts and artists in her remarks at Georgetown University  on the Human Rights Agenda for the 21st Century.  During a question and answer session, Secretary of State Clinton was asked about the importance of the arts and artists in helping to promote human rights.  In her reply, Clinton stated:   

"I remember some years ago seeing a play about women in Bosnia during the conflict there.  It was so gripping.   I still see the faces of those women who were pulled from their homes, separated from their husbands, often raped and left just as garbage on the side of the road.  So I think that artists both individually and through their works can illustrate better than any speech I can give or any government policy we can promulgate that the spirit that lives within each of us, the right to think and dream and expand our boundaries, is not confined, no matter how hard they try, by any regime anywhere in the world.   There is no way that you can deprive people from feeling those stirrings inside their soul.  And artists can give voice to that.  They can give shape and movement to it.   And it is so important in places where people feel forgotten and marginalized and depressed and hopeless to have that glimmer that there is a better future, that there is a better way that they just have to hold onto."

World Music Sessions at APAP, Friday, Jan. 8, 2010

Each year a network of world music presenters/agents and outdoor festivals team up for some pre-conference sessions at the annual Arts Presenters conference. While conference registration is strongly encouraged, this is a great way to get a sample of the conference value even if  you don't have a badge.

These sessions take place in the second floor conference rooms of the Hilton New York (53rd/6th Ave. NYC). Here are the sessions for 2010:

Joint Sessions of the World Music Interest Group and Outdoor Festivals & Programs Presenters: Engaging Audiences, Developing Community
Co-hosts: Alison Loerke (ALIA Productions) and Mario Garcia Durham (National Endowment for the Arts)
 
Friday, January 8
 
Session I
 
9:00 - 10:20am
Engaging and Sustaining Audiences
How do we face the challenge of continually developing new audiences, and continually engaging the audiences we already have? What role does education play in the marketing of our events to new audiences? Our invited guests will speak about models and innovative practices that are working for them. We are also interested in collecting examples from the field, so come prepared to not only listen, but contribute your knowledge and expertise.
Moderator: Michael Alexander, Executive Director, Grand Performances; Discussants:  Jennifer Pickering, Executive Director, Lake Eden Arts Festival; James Early, Director, Cultural Heritage Policy, Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian Institute; Catrina Boisson, VP Marketing, New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Room: Hilton Hotel, Sutton Parlor.
 
Session II
 
10:30 - 12noon
Artists and Music From Latin America
As the diversity of artists touring continues to expand, we are seeing musicians from traditionally lesser known or perhaps less well-represented cultures looking to gain a foothold in the North American market. But who are these artists? And what are the cultures that they represent? This session will give a brief overview of the diverse cultures represented in Latin America, then we’ll hear from presenters with years of expertise in presenting artists from south of the border, and finally from the artists themselves who will address the question of authenticity versus ethnicity.
Moderator:  Olga Garay, Executive Director, Los Angeles Dept of Cultural Affairs; Discussants: Joe Randel, Director, Artes Americas, UT-Austin; Claudia Toni, Music Advisor to Secretariat of Culture, Sao Paolo, Brazil; Claudia Norman, President, CN Management. Room: Hilton Hotel, Sutton Parlor.

In addition, Dmitri Vietze of rock paper scissors, inc. and DubMC has organized an additional special interest session for independent world music artists:

RENEGADE SESSION

4:00-5:00 pm
Independent World Music Artists Networking Session
More and more independent world music artists are emerging in North America and attending APAP. This session gives them as well as presenters and other performing arts field professionals a chance to discuss the challenges of the independent world music artist, brainstorm solutions, and share tools and strategies for carving out a career as an independent musician  in the world music sphere. While past and current sessions at APAP address the field, this creates an entry-point specifically for the artist who is managing their own career, a growing segment of the world music field. Different room for this session: Hilton NY, Concourse G

We hope to see you there!

DubMC is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze, founder of rock paper scissors, inc., a publicity firm for "music of global significiance."