FolkWorld #54 07/2014
© WOMEX

Expos and Initiatives

Womex 2014

Santiago de Compostela

22-26 October 2014


www.womex.com

WOMEX will this year hit a huge anniversary with the 2014 edition, taking place in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain from Wednesday, 22 - Sunday, 26 October, marking 20 Years of WOMEX.

The steps towards WOMEX were taken in October 1991 within the 'Worldwide Music Days at the BID' in Berlin, Germany as part of the Berlin Independence Days annual indie music convention. The first edition of WOMEX, boldly stand-alone after the closure of the BID, then took place in Berlin in 1994. Back then, the aim was to host an event that would bring together all the key players within world music and, collaboratively, provide a platform to map out a future for the industry, a principle that continues to inform and guide all WOMEX editions to this day.

Founding director, Ben Mandelson, reflects on a format that, so far, has stood the test of time:

"Twenty years ago I wrote the introduction to the first WOMEX Guide. 'WOMEX boldly leaps into the future and proclaims itself the foremost meeting place for roots, folk, ethnic, and traditional music, and come on, let's say it, 'world music'...it's work-in-progress shaped by all participants' I stated. The article was headlined 'We are Traffickers in Extreme Repertoires', referring to an internal-use-only term at Dutch Radio for all of that 'other stuff'. Well, here we are again, twenty editions along the world road – that other stuff in which we traffic hasn't gone away; the WOMEX that we share is still work-in-progress shaped by all participants, more of us, in fact. Music sounds great, is great. Let's keep meeting. Next update in 2034."

Custódio Castelo

Artist Video Custódio Castelo @ FolkWorld:
FW#46, #50

www.custodiocastelo.com

More than 25 acts performed at the inaugural edition of WOMEX including Baaba Maal (Senegal) and Cesária Évora (Cabo Verde). Reflecting how all things eventually come full circle, the musicians who accompanied Cesária Évora (who passed away in 2011) onstage throughout her career will perform at this year's event as the Césaria Évora Orchestra, playing the songs and melodies that elevated the singer to international fame.

Since then, WOMEX has been travelling all across Europe via Brussels (1995), Marseille (1997), Stockholm (1998), Berlin (1999 + 2000), Rotterdam (2001), Essen (2002 + 2004), Newcastle (2005), Sevilla (2003 + 2006 - 2008), Copenhagen (2009-2011), Thessaloniki (2012) to Cardiff (2013).

Over the past two decades, WOMEX has indeed grown: a Trade Fair; a Conference programme; the Showcase Festival; the WOMEX Awards; an Opening ceremony; Mentoring; DJ Summit; and Film Screenings. Major global networks have formed at WOMEX while a number of artists have launched international careers as result of showcasing at the event.

While harking back to its roots, WOMEX will this year simultaneously be looking to its future. Söndörgö (Hungary) will perform this year as part of the Jury-Selected Showcases and provide a taste of what is to come next year when WOMEX travels to Budapest, Hungary, while this year's conference programme will highlight WOMEX's past, present and future role within the global music community.

This year's local stage extends the showcase invitation to Ibero-American artists, reflecting the Galician cultural and linguistic connections through the musical diversity of Iberian Peninsula and Latin America and highlighting a mixture of american and peninsular artists, genres and styles, intimate, traditional and electronic music.

WOMEX 14 OPENING CONCERT: COMPOSTELA - THE ROOTS, THE WAY

The WOMEX 14 Opening concert, 'Compostela - The Roots, The Way', combines select, outstanding Galician music with extraordinary artists from the Iberian peninsula and Canary Islands to reflect the diversity of Galicia's musical influences.

Directed by Xose Manuel Budiño and supported by well-known Galicians Mercedes Peon and Xabier Díaz, the opening concert will gather Flamenco-jazz artist Jorge Pardo, Fado singer Antonio Zambujo, Basque Oreka TX as well as young timple virtuoso German Lopez.

The Opening concert will be held on the evening of Wednesday, 22 October at 19:30 in the Auditorio de Galicia.



Photo Credits: (1) Womex, (2) Custódio Castelo (unknown/website).


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