Successful Debut for Canada’s First Annual World Music Conference

Mundial Montreal, Canada’s first annual world music conference, had a triumphant debut according to organizers. Mundial Montreal was held last week and brought together some of Canada’s most influential and established professionals in world music. “The spirit of Mundial Montreal number one was very positive,” said Mundial Montreal Artistic Director Derek Andrews. “Over and over we heard from delegates that they welcomed our initiative.”

“This is exactly the focused conference on world music that was much needed in the conference landscape in Canada. For a first-time conference, it was amazingly well-thought out and executed,” said Fiona Black, Director of Programming, Centre for the Performing Arts, Capilano University, British Columbia.

The event saw a huge turn-out for networking activities, meetings, and the 1st ever World Music Forum as Mundial Montreal laid the foundation for bridges to be built and a network to forge between not just artists and programmers, but between presenters locally and across the country.

The well-attended World Music Forum gave the opportunity to participants to voice their opinions on a range of issues and create a dialogue both stimulating and necessary to establishing better cooperation between organizations.

Another first for many veterans in the field, the Speed Shmoozing was a huge hit both fun and effective. Andrews noted the experience to be like a “frantically productive series of effective first dates.”

Mundial Montreal, produced by GALAXIE, succeeded in forging unprecedented links between presenters in Quebec and beyond with representatives from Western Roots Artistic Directors (WRAD), Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (OCFF), Jazz Festivals Canada, CAPACOA, CINARS, Bourse RIDEAU, Montréal Jazz Festival, Les Productions Nuits d’Afrique, Musique Multi-Montréal, FolQuébec, Rythmes du monde de Chicoutimi, Festival des Traditions du Monde, Festival Musique du Bout du Monde and more.

Sebastien Nasra producer of Mundial Montreal notes: “I never expected such a number of participants in year one this response clearly illustrates the need for these isolated organizations to come together as a community” adding “Derek’s (Andrews) programming was fantastic. I made musical discoveries that inspire me to explore the influences of World music on rock alternative and emerging music, such as what we feature at M for Montreal...”

“I’m very confident that we’ll see positive results in the very near future in both, the networking opportunities among festivals and presenters, as well as, many of these artists traveling across the country,” said Alfredo Caxaj, Sunfest, Ontario.

Mundial Montreal is scheduled to return November 12-16, 2012.