WELCOME AND SUMMARY
Welcome to the new edition of this communication and outreach initiative of the EFN. Feel free to forward it to your friends and colleagues. Receiving this newsletter is open to anyone for free, here. Read to the end to find out how to submit content for future editions.
This is what you'll find below: 🔸Meet us at WOMEX (our informal meeting is on Saturday at 12.45) 🔸Just a reminder of our recent annual conference and visit to EFEx 🔸EFN welcomes two new members: from Iberian peninsule, EXIB Música, and from Latvia, Skaņumāja. 🔸We share news from our members Le Nouveau Pavillon and VI.BE. 🔸Our next featured member is the Mike Kamp. 🔸Our next featured artist is the Breton singer-songwriter and harpist Alan Stivell. ✍️ Do you want to participate? At the end of the newsletter you will find how you can contribute to future editions, whether you are an EFN member or not. And of course EFN is always looking for new members and at the end of this newsletter there is a note about how and why to join, with links to the membership pages of the website and the application form. Thanks for your attention, have a fruitful reading.
News from EFN
MEET US AT WOMEX 2022 EFN doesn’t have a stand at WOMEX this year but we will be there throughout the event and we will host an informal EFN meeting at 12.45 -13.45 on Saturday 22nd in the Mentoring Room (courtesy of the WOMEX team). Absolutely everyone is welcome - come and meet EFN members and others and find out more about the only pan-European network for folk/traditional music, dance and storytelling. EFN’s Administrator Nod Knowles and Board members Araceli Tzigane, Daina Zalane, Linda Dyrnes, Danny KilBride, Angela Hont and Eric van Monckhoven will be there at the meeting – and at WOMEX throughout – to greet you and talk about the continued growth of EFN. You can contact Nod Knowles on info@europeanfolknetwork.com and +44 7880 703518
EFN CONFERENCE AND EFEx 2022 As we write this we are in the middle of an incredibly busy October and we'll write properly about the results of our travels in next month's newsletter. Last week we were in Manchester, for English Folk Expo (EFEx) and getting ready to make arrangements for our 2023 conference in partnership with the brilliant EFEx team. And at the beginning of the month we were hosted by another great team - the superb Fira Mediterrania - for our third annual EFN conference in the beautiful old Catalonian city of Manresa. Alongside enjoying the spectacular performances of the Fira showcases, around 60 members of EFN together with invited speakers and panellists spent valuable time concentrating on and discussing issues of critical importance to the traditional scene - and to the future development of EFN as an active network. The ideas and wisdom from the various conference sessions will be encapsulated in a full report to be published later in the year (when our Board and Administrator have time back at their desks after this October whirlwind of events ending with WOMEX in Lisbon!).
EFN WELCOMES TWO NEW MEMBERS By EFN editors
The latest members to join EFN are from the Iberian peninsula and from Latvia!
🔸EXIB Música
EXIB Música is legally established in the Basque Country (specifically in Sondika) but their main gathering is taking place for several years in Portugal (the latest ones in Setubal). That's why we say the are from the Iberian peninsule. And this is what they told us about themselves:
"EXIB Música has been created to make possible the diffusion and circulation of Ibero American music in Europe. Every year, professionals from the music industry live this experience in a sunny city on the Iberian coast to share the richness of root sounds and celebrate human connections with potential collaborators and friends. Both, people from the city and visitors are part of this encounter."
They say that their reason for joining EFN is:
“We seek collaboration between different music professionals for the circulation and collaboration of different musical projects throughout Europe, focusing on their diversity and sustainability.”
For more information, check their website.
🔸Skaņumāja
Association “Skaņumāja” is settled in Ogre Municipality, in Latvia. And this is what they told us about themselves:
"Association “Skaņumāja” (House of Sounds) is a non-government, non-profit organization. Takes action to support instrumental folk/traditional music processes. This includes collection and documenting of information; educational events for children and adults; popularization with lectures, music events and musical instrument exposition, musical instrument making workshop. Annual traditional music festival "Dzīvā mūzika", group of traditional music “Skaņumājas muzikanti".
They say that their reason for joining EFN is:
““Skaņumāja” can share the experience accumulated over a long period of time about the revitalization of instrument playing traditions, non-formal education methods, the use of traditional music in the modern cultural environment.
We are interested in exchange of ideas, the cooperation for creation of meaningful musical and educational projects, especially the exchange of experience in connection with the making of musical instruments and the diverse work of the small museum. An opportunity to attract participants – musicians and lecturers – to the traditional music festival.”
For more information, check their website.
News from EFN members
EUROFONIK FESTIVAL, SELECTED FOR MOST MUSIC
By Aurélie Caudron
Le Nouveau Pavillon is glad to announce that Eurofonik festival application has been selected further to the European call for projects MOST Music. The mission of MOST is to connect cultural institutions, event venues and festivals in Western Europe, in the field of world and traditional music, with their Balkan counterparts. This program includes mutual visits, learning best practices and international performance opportunitie. Great projects on the horizon!
BELGIUM BOOMS @ WOMEX
By Lize Colson
Under the banner of Belgium Booms, VI.BE and Wallonie-Bruxelles Musiques are once again heading out to support Belgian artists and their entourage abroad. The upcoming edition of WOMEX will take place from 19 to 23 October 2022 in Lisbon (Portugal). Unfortunately, no Belgian showcasing artists to promote this year, but... Belgium Booms will be present with many exciting initiatives:
We have our own booth (156). It’s really worth stopping by this cozy hotspot and meet our 100 Belgian delegates!
A beautiful booklet starring the attending Belgian delegation.
Of course the legendary Belgium Booms drink. Mark your calendars (Friday October 21 at 4 pm). See you there? RSVP here!
Don’t be shy and say hi to one (or more) of our Belgium Booms representatives Lize Colson, Laura Van Meel, Liliana Graziani or Julien Fournier! Want to know more about Belgium Booms and where we’re heading next? Check out Belgiumbooms.be.
Featured Member: Mike Kamp
For over 45 years, Mike Kamp has been the Editor-in-Chief of the only professional German roots-magazine Folker, recipient of German roots-award RUTH, Showcase Scotland music ambassador for Germany, jury-member of the German records critics awards (Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik). Various radio programs - mainly for WDR and award-winning internet radio byte.fm, for the last 20 years host of the music-talk-show „Ungeschminkt“ at Rudolstadt Festival, vice-president of local folk club FiF in Bad Honnef and various other activities but too numerous to mention.Remember: the Featured Artist section is open to the contributions of the members of the EFN. If you want to talk about someone contact efneditors@gmail.com.
Featured Artist: Alan Stivell By Araceli Tzigane
Alan Stivell, whose official name is Alan Cochevelou, is one of the most important figures in European folk music, perhaps the most famous of the featured artists who have so far appeared in this newsletter.
Stivell's stage history began at the age of 10 when, in 1953, he played the first Celtic harp that his father, the musician and luthier Jord Cochevelou, had built. It was to be the beginning of the Celtic harp revival.
Perhaps Alan Stivell's greatest success was the double album Symphonie Celtique ("Celtic Symphony"), released in 1980. The artist himself is the author of all the pieces, arrangements and production.
According to Discogs, from where the portrait above is taken, "as of 2014, Stivell have released more than 25 LPs and his music is still alive, it has transposed into what is today known as World Music. He played with various artists such as Kate Bush, The Pogues, Doudou N'Diaye Rose...". Check the link for further information about the biography of Alan Stivell and about the process of reintroducing the Celtic harp in Brittany and its popularitation.
One of Alan Stivell's best-known pieces is Tri Martolod, three sailors, a Breton piece from the 18th century. He popularised it in the 1970s and for sure you have listened to it on several versions. Find some here and enjoy Stivell's one here below:
Apart from the aforementioned one, the info included on this text is widely spreaded on the Internet in many sources.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS NEWSLETTER Are you already a member? Then, remember that you can submit contents for this monthly newsletter. Email your content to efneditors@gmail.com, for these sections:
· News from EFN Members. Brief announcements – of around 100 words and a link.
· Featured artist. A profile with around 200 words, an embedded video and one link. Members are invited to submit profiles, considering solo and ensemble living or not living artists who have achieved lifelong artistic and technical quality or historical significance in the field of folk art from or developed in or settled in Europe. If you have any artists in mind that you'd like to feature, please ask in advance, just to be sure there is no other member already doing it.
And whether you are a member or not, you can participate in this section:
· Special sections. For instance, an interview with someone from an institution that is not a member or a thematic article by a guest writer or anything that can appear and be considered as interesting. This section can also host guest writers that are not members. If you'd like to share any content, contact us in advance to schedule it by emailing efneditors@gmail.com
Of course, self promotional articles lacking interest won't be accepted. In case of doubt, the EFN board will be consulted and will decide.
BECOMING A MEMBER? EFN membership is growing rapidly – why not join the network of traditional arts organisers and artists that stretches across Europe from the Irish Sea to the Baltic, the Mediterranean to the Black Sea? Find out more about membership and download an application form from www.europeanfolknetwork.com/membership.
DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THE EFN MORE? The EFN welcomes donations. We do a lot with little money. Imagine what we can do with a little more :) Let us know how much do you want to donate and we'll issue an invoice for your organization.
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