[FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings

[Dmitri Vietze]

The rural model is very cool. Harder to do that here in the USA without a
council subsidizing it. The Fall world music festivals are starting to fill in
some non-urban gaps here, but it would be great if we could double or triple
the number of festivals during that period as stepping stones from coast to
coast. Arts Presenters has talked about having a workshop for smaller
communities that want to replicate the community world music festival model,
in conjunction with Ismael at Concert of Colors. I hope that happens.

I am curious to hear what others here think about the "new categories" idea...
and what categories might add traction to increased visibility with larger
audiences. It seems to me that if this is not done carefully, it would
actually make things worse off. And then there will be some here who say
categories should be eliminated altogether... but this is really about the
filtering process. There is so much music out there. How do we create
entry-points for the non-core audience to listen openly... give themselves a
chance to dig it.

Others?

Much respect,

===> Dmitri!
music at rockpaperscissors.biz
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Chelima Fade
  To: 'Dmitri Vietze' ; 'FAworld music list'
  Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 8:03 AM
  Subject: RE: [FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings


  Hey Dimitri, thanks for that. Re the various categories, I like your titles,
although we need to check that they engage with most of the artists from the
actual "world music sector"



  How it could work?  One of the ways could be: when agreeing the various
categories, the whole sector should agree to define their acts according to
these new categories. The coup would be to convince "mainstream" artists to
use those categories: like Bjork, Manu Chao, Peter Gabriel, Johnny Clegg or
the like Robert Plant (Global rock!!). The term world music would slowly
disappear for those new categories. If those categories are embraced by some
of those artists between world and mainstream, it could certainly make those
new categories more fashionable and engage a more mainstream press/media and
audiences. But hey, you are the PR wizard here, you might have better
suggestions.



  Re the rural touring, it is very developed here. There are many rural
touring operators here. They work at County level and often managed 3 or 4
different counties. They usually can fit about 4/5 dates per county. It
becomes worthwhile when you have 3 to 5 counties involved. Then you can end up
with a 20 + dates and you have a tour worthwhile. Travelling is fine because
the gigs are 20 to 50 miles apart. Fabulous hospitality with healthy meals
(that is such a plus when touring!!!) . Financially those schemes are
subsidised by Arts Council, the local authorities and the local promoters are
voluntary.

  Those rural touring operators have to diversify their work due to their
funding package. They are being quite clever in promoting world music as
international act. It just sounds better!!!

  This is not the tour that will change your profile nationally but it will
certainly makes a more mainstream audience, experience various other genres
and slowly become more interested in the" other music". You can easily get
between #800-1000 ($1600- $2000) per gig -  So artists can actually make money
from gigging (as long as you have a small 3-5 piece band). Plus interesting
sales where no percentage is taking by venues (we sold 650 Cds in 20
venues).They also take theatre and dance companies. And international acts
could get extra support to cover their international expenses via the Arts
Council (|The application has no deadline and should be coming from either a
UK or European individual/company. Rural touring operators could help raising
the funds - It only take 6 weeks to get up to #5000/$10000)

  More info on www.nrtf.org.uk where you will find the list of all rural
touring operators and arts council website for the grants
ww.artscouncil.org.uk.

  They are desperate for international music.

  Take care

  Chelima







  -----Original Message-----
  From: Dmitri Vietze [mailto:music at rockpaperscissors.biz]
  Sent: 27 March 2007 12:06
  To: info at worldartventures.com; 'FAworld music list'
  Subject: Re: [FA Worldmusic] SXSW musings



  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