[FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings

[Dmitri Vietze]

It is an interesting challenge for me as a publicist working with music that 
crosses cultures (from musician to musician or from musician to audience)...

On one hand, it is often the "other" factor that intrigues many listeners--a 
chance to hear something new to their ears, something different from their 
status quo--that sparks their interest. And I think some "consumers" of this 
"other" music are (1) seeking to understand their own place in the world or 
(2) to identify with people from cultures outside of their own or with 
people who use music to bridge cultures as a socio-political statement or 
contribution. Other "consumers" are simply moved by the music and can 
side-step or overlook any ethnocentrism they were raised with simply 'cause 
the music moves them.

On the other hand, for many "mainstream" audiences any music that is seen as 
"other" is too "foreign" to digest.

So how do we speak to both audiences in a way that is accessible to each? 
It's an issue of core audience and expanded or new audiences. (Yet the core 
audience is not a static substance, as it is made up of different 
overlapping groups of expatriots, freaks and geeks, hipsters, globalistas, 
and people just caught at the right place and time.)

Our (rock paper scissors, inc., that is) core approach to pitching the media 
is playing up the cultural context and personal anecdotes. It works great 
with certain media, but we have to switch to other methods when pitching 
mainstream media. With Seu Jorge, his Life Aquatic film created major press 
interest. With Ladysmith Black Mambazo, in more recent years, their 
collaboration with Natalie Merchant and Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, 
Melissa Etheridge, Emmylou Harris, etc. sparked mainstream press interest. 
But not every world music act -- even great ones -- can leverage Hollywood 
or celebrity power (and sometimes that backfires anyway). Pitching "human 
experience" regardless of culture finds road blocks when crossing cultural 
barriers. Mainstream journalists do not call it that. They call it "we need 
to focus on more recognized names" or "we have to consider our ratings in 
this critical season" or "Our audience does not respond to that kind of 
thing" or "we are not focusing on that genre at this time." So they are 
putting the burden of demand for non-Western/American culture on the 
audience. So now as a publicist my job is to change the views of mainstream 
America to embrace the music of all cultures so that mainstream media 
outlets will say "our audience wants to hear more about this music."

Which came first: the chicken or the egg?

Much respect,

Dmitri
rock paper scissors,. inc.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carlos A. Gutiirrez" <carlos at cinematropical.com>
To: "FAworld music list" <fa-worldmusic at folk.org>
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 11:19 PM
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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