Sevilla, Spain – The final full day of WOMEX saw a sold-out trade fair, bustling conferences, another night of dazzling showcases open to delegates and the public – and the biggest and most dynamic WOMEX in its 12-year history.
“These are difficult times for the music industry,” said Number 2 Top Label Award Winner Phil Stanton of World Music Network/Riverboat, “and that is why we need WOMEX more than ever,” he added to general applause.
Totó La Momposina received the WOMEX Award 06 to a standing ovation, having treated the audience to a gracious speech in three languages and a moving a cappella performance. This Colombian treasure was recognized for a lifetime of cultural activism and sterling artistic accomplishment.2006 marked the welcome return of WOMEX to its 2003 home at FIBES in Sevilla, Spain.
Mayor Don Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín, Cultural Commissioner Juan Carlos Marset and their energetic team at ICAS (the Sevilla Insituto de la Cultura y las Artes) have, in words, warmth and deeds, made Sevilla an ideal home for a multicultural event of this size and scope. As a UNESCO City of Music and a centuries-long gateway to world cultures and world peoples, this capital of Andalucia directly led to these record-breaking results:
Statistics WOMEX 06
– Over 2.500 delegates and 1.400 companies from 97 countries.
– Over 425 national and international journalists, including over 100 radio broadcasters.
– A fully sold-out trade fair with 240 stands and over 400 exhibitors, including numerous umbrella stands of countries, regions, networks and other joint-venture structures.
– 48 showcases with 340 artists from 30 countries on 4 stages (38 WOMEX, 10 offWOMEX).
– 36 speakers in 24 conference sessions.
– The festive Opening with its special focus on new trends in Spanish music, and dazzling performances by Banda de la Maria, Son de la Frontera, Martíres del Compás and DJs Electroputas.
– The WOMEX Award, this year honoring Colombia’s incomparable Totó La Momposina, in recognition of her ground-breaking work for Afro-Caribbean music and dance. She thanked the audience in three languages saying how an artist expresses love to an audience and in the award she feels love being sent right back.
– The new WOMEX/World Music Charts Europe Top Label Award in recognition of label excellence, with top three winners:
Number 1 – World Circuit (accepting the award, Nick Gold)
Number 2 – World Music Network/Riverboat (accepting, Phil Stanton)
Number 3 – Sterns (accepting, Robert Urbanus)
– The WOMEX World Music Film Market with over 13 films, in cooperation with the International Music + Media Centre IMZ/Vienna.
– The offWOMEX program with presentations, meetings, receptions, press conferences and three nights of additional showcases.
– The new WOMEX Book Publication conference, celebrating WOMEX delegate authors and publishers. Appearing were Joe Boyd, Garth Cartwright, Mondomix, Julio Etchart and Mark Ellingham & Simon Broughton.
– virtualWOMEX and the introduction of the new version coming online by January 2007.
– The new Radio WOMEX broadcasting studio for live interviews and performances.
– The WOMEX TV, webcast and virtualShowcases, presented in cooperation with Mondomix/Paris.
WOMEX thanks the army of production staff, volunteers, enthusiasts, professionals and fans, along with its production partners at ICAS and FIBES.
Next year WOMEX happily returns to FIBES and Sevilla. And due to the exponential growth, we will be opening a second trade fair hall.
WOMEX 06 was a production of WOMEX – the world music expo, in cooperation with ICAS (the Sevilla Insituto de la Cultura y las Artes) and FIBES.
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
