[FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings

[Marco Werman]

Musings on World Music at SXSW:  A Minority Report


I've been curating the All Music Is World Music showcase now for three
years at SXSW.  A few years ago, I had the idea of roping off an evening
with a few international acts that fell under the "world music" banner,
along with a few that didn't, but which were global in spirit.  After
seeing all the international artists who showed up at SXSW, I felt that
many of the rock and pop acts shared a similar guerilla/DIY ethos of
many world music artists.  Despite the genre heading and language they
sing in, all these musicians have something to say and what they all
make is, after all, music.  And the enormous fringe benefit for the
audience would be discovery.

This year's showcase featured Ana Laan, Eliza Carthy, NOMO, Tita Lima,
and Mexican Institute of Sound.  The turnout was not huge, but probably
above average for a SXSW showcase, with the room at its fullest for
NOMO, a crowd intent on dancing.  Ana Laan seemed to attract the most
professional attention, and from what I hear, she enjoyed her SXSW
experience.

The day after the showcase, I was pestered by doubt.  I come to this
showcase production thing not as a booker or music programmer, but as a
journalist who wants to extend the musical experience I aim to create on
the radio to a live setting.  I also believe that SXSW and Austin offer
a unique and receptive setting for performance of world music.  And
infiltration into these unexpected locales seems like a good way to
acquire new converts to music in foreign languages with groovy rhythms
(think Bonnaroo and Coachella -- esp this year).

The All Music Is World Music showcase is co-sponsored by Austin's
beloved public radio station KUT.  They have a lot of world music in
rotation, and PRI's The World has the city's highest market share in its
7pm time slot.  KUT did a lot of promotion this year with all the
artists in the showcase (with the exception of MIS).  And not
surprisingly (like last year), many of those in attendance at the venue
were locals.  They did not have badges or wristbands.  They bought
tickets to the show.  That's a good thing.

But how much does this showcase do for the artists?  I don't know the
faces, but I didn't get a sense that any labels (major or minor) were in
the room trolling for unsigned talent.

Then again, according to many I spoke with at SXSW, that may not really
be the MO of SXSW any more.  This is a time when the music business is
working over numerous scenarios over where the industry is headed.  So
the notion of going to Austin to find the next unknown big thing and
putting them on a CD is looking quaint at best.  For artists who have to
play for what amounts to nothing, it's an even more pointed question.
That's what bounced around in my head:  what's the point of coaxing an
Eliza Carthy to shell out a bunch of her own money to make a stop in
Austin?  Is the proper venue for this kind of thing GlobalFest or
Bonnaroo?  Does it make sense to continue this kind of event at SXSW?

These questions are linked to a discussion that happened at Saturday's
"World Music Roundtable" panel session.  Leigh Ann Hahn rightly asked
whether we in the room represented the choir preaching to the choir.
There were no major players in the room.  And the panel did not have a
David Byrne for example who could fill the room and bring in a bunch of
non-believers and/or people from outside the world music community.  The
lesson the room concluded is that we all need to be more clever in how
we bring those people to this music.

My conundrum that I'm still dealing with:  is getting world music
artists to SXSW a clever thing, or a waste of time?


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