WOMEX is the largest world music conference, attended by thousands of industry professionals. Mike Orlove, a Jury member from Chicago, has this to say: "I have to say for me the biggest joy is being floored by an artist you never heard of before… and there are many… It always amazes me that there continues to be so much quality music (of all types) being created every day. I can’t wait to see some of these groups live… Now, how in the hell are we going to narrow this pool down to double digits?"
"I’ve been going through it all myself. It’s one of the perks of the job," continues Seligman. "Each year I get to hear many hundreds of CDs, many from artists I, too, have never heard before. It’s quite an ideal perch from which to view what is out there. Like Mike Orlove, it never ceases to amaze me how much good music is being made year after year after year. And how many new artists deserve a wide, international audience. We wish all of you luck who applied. The Jury meets mid-May and by early June all proposing artists will be notified of the Jury selection. Public announcements will only come after we get solid confirmations. In past years this has been sometime in July."
