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“In the selection, we reflect current issues in Latvian ethnic music, especially highlighting what would be interesting for foreign music publishers, concert organizers and music journalists. They can bring our musicians together with listeners on a larger scale,” says ethnomusicologist Lauma, author of this year’s Native Music concept. Birch. “The music of our region is loved and understood by people all over the world, so there is a desire to make it more accessible to them. As always, the selection includes ethnic styles of various styles – from traditional polyphony to ambient improvisation with folk instruments – a total of 12 performers. The edition was made during social distancing, reminds Auļi’s composition “Alšvanga bagpipe melody”, which was recorded online by 43 Latvian bagpipers and drummers. It is music in large ensembles that is one of the features that foreign people observe in our music. “
This year’s selection “Native Music. Traditional / Folk / World-music Latvia” includes the groups “ZeMe”, “Tautumeitas”, “Laiksne”, “Auļi” (in cooperation with the groups “Suitu wives”, “Suiti men”, “Suitu dūdenieki “,” Vilkači “,” Tarkšķi “,” Vilkači “,” Dūdinieki un drumziņi “),” Iļģi “,” Dārdi “,” Saucējas “,” Jauno Jāņu orchestra “,” Sventava ” , as well as recordings by musicians Ansis Jansons and Kārlis Rudras Jirgens. The artist of the album is Vadims Kožins and its design uses photographs by Gata Indrēvics and Mārtiņš Milevskis. The sample was released with the support of the State Culture Capital.
“Every year LMIC, with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation, creates a Latvian stand at the WOMEX forum, where we present the selection” Native Music “. This year, due to the pandemic, the forum will be held online only from October 21-25, and our selection will be widely represented on digital music sites. This year, the album is being released by the national record company “Skani”, which will ensure that the album will be widely available to other interested parties, not only WOMEX visitors, “emphasizes Egīls Šēfers, LMIC director and Skani executive producer.
WOMEX is the most important international forum for music professionals around the world – almost 3,000 musicians, publishers, producers, festival organizers and other music industry professionals from around the world.
Musicians of many traditional, folk, ethnic and other similar genres have participated in the Latvian stand since 2006, who have gained cooperation partners and the opportunity to perform. Last year, at the WOMEX forum in Tampere, Finland, the group “Saucējas” performed, introducing a wide community of world music professionals to Latvian traditional singing and attracting the organizers of several international festivals and music publishers.
Kaspars Bārbals, the leader of the drum and bagpipe group “Auļi”, says: “The contacts gained by WOMEX gave us the opportunity to participate in at least ten important festivals in Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Italy, Spain, France and other countries.” Daina Zalal, the head of the Cultural Management Center “Lauska”, also admits that the contacts made there allow to establish various collaborations, for example, with the German music publishing house “CPL Music”, as well as to bring groups seen in WOMEX concerts to Latvian festivals – ethno-festival “Butter” and world music festival “Porta”.
In the 26-year history of WOMEX, kokle performer Laima Jansone (2011), the group “Iļģi” (2015) and the traditional singing group “Saucējas” (2019) of the Latvian Academy of Culture have performed at the forum.
You can apply for participation in this year’s WOMEX digital forum on the festival website.
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