51 f A ’Case Of You
There’s a little bit more Britfolk showcasing at Womex this year, what with it being in Cardiff and all that. Sarah Coxson asks some of them why they’re doing it.
proclaims “In These Stones Horizons Sing.” Cardiff is a city with its eyes on the horizon, a seaward port(al) to the wider world. The capital of a proud nation with its own ancient language and culture, which shapes and strength- ens it unique identity, it is no stranger to cultural diversity.
A
Horizon-expansion and song are guar- anteed as the venue plays host to some of 60-plus showcasing artists from around the world at delegate-based world music expo Womex. With its 2500-plus industry professionals, the event offers opportuni- ties for established artists to find new audiences in new territories as well as introducing new names. Proof in the pud- ding comes in many and various forms: Cesária Évora, Mariza, Baaba Maal, Tinari- wen, Ojos de Brujo, Staff Benda Bilili and Sam Lee being just some of those who could cite Womex as a career changer.
As well as the official Womex show- case selections, made by the famous ‘Seven Samurai’ jury, this year an extra showcase and touring platform, Horizons, offers up “the best world music talent” in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The remit for Horizons is broad and inclusive, steering clear of the political pitfalls of cul- tural divides, and based more on ‘poetry’ than national boundaries.
Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson
t the entrance of the Millenni- um Centre in Cardiff there are two lines of poetry: one Welsh, one English and both unique in meaning. The latter
So I thought I’d look at a few ‘case studies’ of some of this year’s featured artists who draw on the traditions of the British Isles in their music: 9 Bach, Emily Portman Trio, Kan, Lau, Ross Ainslie & Jar- lath Henderson. How do those inspired by the indigenous music and landscapes of these nations fit on the global stage? How do they approach the daunting task of playing to a room of potentially ‘useful’ festival organisers, record labels and media types? What do they hope to achieve from their Womex showcases in terms of career development?
Traditionally, the music of Scotland and Ireland has always fared better on an international stage than that of England and Wales, though as national arts coun- cils and development bodies see the bene- fits of celebrating diverse cultural identi- ties, this may be in the process of change. In the weekend prior to Womex, English Folk Expo was launched to give English folk music, as a genre distinct from Celtic traditions, its very own platform. At Womex, it’s a joy to see Welsh culture take centre stage; with the lion’s share of the Horizons opportunities as well as a major Land Of Song opening concert. And last year, Sam Lee was heralded as one of the great showcasing success stories of Womex in Thessaloniki.
Ben Mandelson, one of the founding
directors of Womex, considers what it was that Sam did right and offers some consid- ered advice about the art of showcasing: “Basically every opportunity is offered to
9 Bach
showcasing artists. Your showcase is your trade stand, your business card, your live performance, all rolled into one. The key to the presentation is poise. Sam Lee’s show at Womex last year was exemplary. He took his time on stage. He was poised. He thought a lot beforehand about the attention span of the professional public.”
Ben further expands on the nature of these professionals: “At the showcase, they may only stay for ten minutes. Less hardy artists can be put off by that. If a professional comes in and leaves after ten minutes it doesn’t mean that he or she didn’t like it. They took the time to see it! You have to see the showcase as part of a long-term investment. It might take months or a year to see the rewards. As they say, if you go fishing, you might catch a fish. If you don’t go fishing, you won’t catch a fish!”
There’s little doubt that Perthshire piper Ross Ainslie and uilleann piper Jar- lath Henderson will hook themselves some fish with their energising union of Irish and Scottish traditions. For them, as Ross reflects, “this couldn’t have happened at a better time,” as Womex provides the per- fect platform for a relaunch of their duo career after a break. They come equipped with a new own-label release and an eye on new markets.
With some serious ‘trad’ credentials, the duo show what can be done when boundaries and preconceptions are stripped away from traditional music. Ross explains: “What I quite like to do with the
Emily Portman Trio (photo: Judith Burrows)
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92