[FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings

Tue Mar 20 07:59:32 EST 2007

Very insightful Carlos.  I've often thought in the back of my mind that the analogy "foreign cinema: hollywood = world music:  major label pop".  Maybe there's something that can happen at WOMEX or SXSW in this regard:  both of these forums have film components, and a small discussion between a few people who have feet in both worlds of foreign cinema and world music (Gustavo Santaolalla comes immediately to mind) might make for some fruitful points of departure for greater things.

-----Original Message-----
From: fa-worldmusic-bounces+marco.werman=bbc.co.uk at folk.org [mailto:fa-worldmusic-bounces+marco.werman=bbc.co.uk at folk.org] On Behalf Of Carlos A. Gutiirrez
Sent: 19 March 2007 22:20
To: Dmitri Vietze; FAworld music list
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. I9m 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?
>>
>>
>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/
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