[FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings

[Dmitri Vietze]

Chelima, this is such a thought-provoking post... thank you!

I would like to hear more about:

<<My suggestion would be to create 3/4 new main categories(or further link to
existing ones). >>

Are you saying global music may benefit from either advocating for a few
"world music" categories... like maybe global roots, global classical, global
electronica?  (Or catchier names, I assume.) How would this break "world
music" into the mainstream?

Also, tell us more about this tour you did in smaller villages. Is this not
common in the UK? Did your artist expect/accept not making money on the tour?
How did you get the word out about the concerts?  Are you saying more people
came out than you expected?

Much respect,

===> Dmitri!
music at rockpaperscissors.biz


----- Original Message -----
From: "Chelima Fade" <info at worldartventures.com>
To: "'Stephanie P Ledgin'" <ledgin at fiddlingwithwords.com>; "'Dmitri Vietze'"
<music at rockpaperscissors.biz>; "'FAworld music list'"
<fa-worldmusic at folk.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 11:29 AM
Subject: RE: [FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings


Well it seems there is a great debate happening on the other side of the
Atlantic... thanks so much for bringing in this discussion (although I
won't be able to talk about the SXSW conference itself as I have never
been yet..)

I could not agree more with Stephanie's point. We need to win the media
in order for sector to grow. The question is how. There is certainly
some hard and creative work from us to do-  such as changing the way we
describe our "products", whether film, live acts, albums, digitals..

The mainstream sector has for long monopolised the marketing strategies
where pre-digested and pre-consumed products are de rigueur.. leaving
very little space to cultural references- which are a must in world
music promotion (or maybe not??)

The world music sector has grown massively over the last 30 years thanks
to hard work and passion from artists and small companies behind them.
We have also benefited from a change in policy where it is now
politically correct to celebrate cultural diversity.. which means many
festivals or venues publicly funded have an obligations to present and
promote "culturally diverse work".. That has allowed people like me to
extend the work of artists.

But I guess the sector is at a point of no return now... it has to grow
out of itself. There are 2 ways, either we manage to rehabilitate the
sector to the mainstream or we have to have the ambition to be a real
concurrent to the mainstream.. (and maybe then become the mainstream
itself..)

Problem of course is the practicality of it.
90% of the sector is made up of small entities or individuals who are
too busy working on their next projects... so who can do this long term
planning and thinking of a more sustainable world..
Also, I don't think we have a big entity/ powerful body representing the
sector(s) that could influence policies and media..
My feeling is that the sector is so diverse that it can not be under one
umbrella anymore (or can it?). That was the beauty and practicality of
the use of world music, It is now is weakness.

My suggestion would be to create 3/4 new main categories(or further link
to existing ones). We have to be careful and extremely creative about
it. And of course we have to gain the support and following from all the
"world music community". This is the way we can then take that back to
the media and stop them from sending us to the marginal programme that
nobody listen entirely dedicated to world music... If we can have
powerful figures to help us in this venture, even better.

The great news is: if the media does not want to hear about it now, it
will, once we have conquered the world with multimedia... The web is our
chance to redefine ourselves and access mass market. This is where we
have to be very careful by not selling the location before the
product... marketing is crucial to make it successful.. cultural
awareness will follow.. in any case, it is not for cultural awareness
that we are in this business (anyhow not me) but for the beauty of the
music!!! It just happens to come from all corners of the world!!!
I can guarantee you that if we stop being too precious about where the
music come from, the market will grow... A recent personal experience
really confirmed my feeling. I recently toured Seckou Keita Quartet in
20 villages across the UK. Gigs were attended by villages and neighbours
villagers. Only 10% of the audience could be qualified as "world music
audience". They would have never paid to see the band in the city. It
sold out of course because there was nothing else to do. But we sold
huge amount of CD (about 40% of attending audience bought 1 CD and 10%
bought a second one) and we had 3 offers for investment in the band..
our mailing list has of course increased and we keep receiving emails
from people that have been charmed by the band..  I bet you a large
percentage of the audience would go to another "African gig" in the
memory of this night!!!

Anyway, enough blah blah for me. It would be very good to take this to
Womex and other conferences next year. Maybe also find a way to pay for
a research to give us clues as to where to go, using the experience of
the "world music community"...
If there is enough support behind, I am happy to help fundraise the
money needed for this work..

Chilima Fadi
Manager
World ArtVentures
+ 44 7940 266 773