[FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings

Tue Mar 20 00:32:54 EST 2007

We have been working on combining these two forms at !Globalquerque! This
year will be our second affiliated "Foreign Cinema" series in conjunction
with and leading up to the music festival.  Interestingly in my other
business life, running the City Of Albuquerque's Music Office,  I see a
growing link in city governments from an economic development perspective to
foster film and music (albeit perhaps in a more commercial way, but many
cities like Albuquerque do have an inherent interest to cultivate both arts
culturally as well and while always interested in the "big film" coming to
town, do nurture many indie projects).  We had a few city and state offices
represented at SxSW (Albuquerque, San Francisco, Austin, Texas, Louisiana)
and the film/music connection was always present.  Perhaps there are things
to be learned here that are transferrable to our discussion.

Carlos - what do you see as particular practical issues?  It seems to me
that economics - in its entire representative shades - would be one thing
that should be addressed on that end as well as collaborations both from an
artistic and marketing perspective.

Peace,
tom

-----Original Message-----
From: fa-worldmusic-bounces+tom=avokado.net at folk.org
[mailto:fa-worldmusic-bounces+tom=avokado.net at folk.org]On Behalf Of Carlos
A. Gutierrez
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 10:19 PM
To: FAworld music list
Subject: Re: [FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings

More than an interesting alliance Dimitri, I feel more and more becoming a
needed alliance. I've been busy lately trying to articulate and deconstruct
notions of otherness in our culture through cinema, and more and more I
believe film and music have a lot to learn from each to overcome the big
cultural barrier of the 'other.' We'll always be others in relate to someone
else, but the human experience will ultimately always the same.
I see it rather as a philosophical issue that we need to pose it as a
cultural and practical question. It is, I believe, a new era. However, as I
see many opportunities in the horizon, I also see the multiple risks and
challenges.
I like the title 'World Music | Foreign Cinema' for a possible panel
discussion, let's work on it.
Carlos

On 3/19/07 10:41 PM, "Dmitri Vietze" <music at rockpaperscissors.biz> wrote:

> Re: [FA Worldmusic] SXSW musingsWow, in several years of being on this
> listserv, this is the first time I remember someone making the parallel
> struggle of these two non-"genres." An interesting alliance! It's a
compelling
> position to be promoting arts from "other" cultures within a "mainstream"
> culture that promotes monoculture and does not recognize its own cultural
> diversity (nor the inherent multiculturalism in most cultures). The
marketing
> use of the term "world music" (and I assume "foreign cinema") was a
reaction
> to xenophobia (or at least apathy to "other cultures"). There was no space
for
> these categories before. But now maybe we are seeing these forms of music
and
> film have outlived these  reactionary categories. Is it a new era? How do
you
> promote these forms of art in a society that, as a whole, still does not
value
> basic cultural differences. Yet clumping together the "other" also does
not
> show value of these cultural differences, nor does it allow each piece of
art
> or music or film to stand on its own aesthetically; nor does it allow for
the
> (multi)cultural influences on compositions/performances that would
otherwise
> not be considered "other," world," or "foreign."
>
> Thanks for adding wood to the fire, Carlos.
>
> Much respect,
>
> Dmitri
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Carlos A. Gutiirrez
> To: Dmitri Vietze ; FAworld music list
> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 9:19 PM
> Subject: Re: [FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings
>
>
> Dear Dimitri et al,
> Just a quick note to say that a conference/symposium/seminar on the labels
> of "World Music" and "Foreign Cinema" is largely due. We have to overcome
that
> pigeonholing particular to American culture that affects all over the
world.
> Beyond the field divisions (music vs. films vs. theater, etc) I see the
> fracture among the cultural lines. I'm totally game to explore and discuss
> these topics to further extend.
> Cordially,
> Carlos
>
> ___________________
>
> Carlos A. Gutiirrez | co-founder + co-director | Cinema Tropical
> 611 Broadway Suite 836, NY, NY 10012 | ph&fax: 212/254-5474
> http://www.cinematropical.com | carlos at cinematropical.com
>
>
>
> On 3/19/07 9:57 PM, "Dmitri Vietze" <music at rockpaperscissors.biz> wrote:
>
>> Maybe at an event like SXSW, instead of having a world music panel,
>> potential speakers from the global music realm should infiltrate panels
on
>> other general topics (online, A&R, DIY, media, booking, etc.)
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Tom Frouge" <tom at avokado.net>
>> To: "Marco Werman" <marco.werman at bbc.co.uk>; "FAworld music list"
>> <fa-worldmusic at folk.org>
>> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 4:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings
>>
>>
>>> Just a quick response Marco -
>>>
>>> I think that getting world music artists to SxSW is a good thing, I am
> not
>>> sure lumping them together is, although I myself do like the idea.
> There
>>> was quite a bit of world or world-ish music that happened around town
> this
>>> year, in fact it seemed more than in past years.  The Pistolera,
> Charanga
>>> Cakewalk, Upground and Antibalas showcases were pretty packed and none
> of
>>> them with just globalistas, but then none of those bands seem to be
>>> presenting themselves as simply "world" music acts (nor, interestingly,
>>> does
>>> NOMO).
>>>
>>> The "MO" of SxSW has not been A&R for YEARS. It turned into a label
>>> showcase
>>> event and the past decade or more has really been a press junket.
> However
>>> that too seems to be shifting, as it is harder and harder to get Press
>>> Credentials unless you are covering something specifically.  On the
> other
>>> hand, I did go see bands with my Globalquerque hat on, ie: as a
> presenter.
>>>
>>> As to the panel, I was unable to stay very long at it as I had a booth
> at
>>> the trade show so I can't really comment on it except for the beginning
> of
>>> it, but have done many panels at SxSW including a few of the World
> panels
>>> and I think they do tend to be choir to choir or very rudimentary.  The
>>> former being just a conversation amongst "us"; the later potentially
> dull
>>> except to those just getting invloved (although I do think there is a
>>> place
>>> for this - in fact the world music "primer" I put together a couple of
>>> years
>>> ago had a pretty strong attendence).  I also think, with all due respect
>>> to
>>> John Kertzer, who moderated, that we SHOULD tackle the questions and
>>> issues
>>> that he dismissed as "those we can't do anything about'" like visas, an
>>> issue that affects more than just the world music community and could
> draw
>>> others both on and off the panel. It may be that the panel itself needs
> to
>>> be topic specific and not an "all encompassing" roundtable.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: fa-worldmusic-bounces+tom=avokado.net at folk.org
>>> [mailto:fa-worldmusic-bounces+tom=avokado.net at folk.org]On Behalf Of
> Marco
>>> Werman
>>> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 11:06 AM
>>> To: FAworld music list
>>> Subject: [FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings
>>>
>>> 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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