DubMC

Palm Pictures Downsized with No New World Music Releases In Sight

Sources have reported to DubMC that Palm Pictures has let go of most of their remaining staff today with "only a few accountants still walking around the office" and a couple of marketing staff. Approximately fifty staff members have been let go in the past month or so. This is not a total surprise since Palm has not released much if any physical product in several months. This follows on the heels of Triloka Records getting absorbed by Artemis and Narada getting fully absorbed by its parent company Virgin/EMI, with neither label continuing to release product under their world music imprints, and neither of Triloka's and Narada's founders still with the companies.

(UPDATE RE: NARADA ON 10/01/2006, click here.)

globalFEST 2007 Date and Venue Announced

The Fourth Annual globalFEST will take place on Sunday January 21, 2007, as part of the annual Arts Presenters Conference (APAP).

The 2007 edition of globalFEST has moved to NYC's historic Webster Hall, which enables the festival to increase capacity and to continue to have globalFEST on three simultaneous stages. The theater spaces at the 2007 globalFEST will range in size from 200-1400 with the same capacity in one night as the festival had in two nights last year. Once again, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy to the U.S. is the presenting sponsor with additional support from the French Music Export Office and Cultures France. globalFEST is presented in association with Bowery Presents.

ARTISTS/AGENTS:

Actor Martin Sheen Debuts as World Music DJ

Many world music professionals keep mental score of celebrities who give a nod to global music.

NEA National Heritage Fellowships: October 2 Deadline for $20,000 Awards to Master Folk/Traditional Artists

To honor and preserve the U.S.A.'s diverse cultural heritage, the National Endowment for the Arts annually awards one-time-only NEA National Heritage Fellowships to master folk and traditional artists. The fellowships recognize lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage. Previous winners a Cuatro maker, a Finnish kantele (lap-harp) player, a Cajun fiddler, a Tamburitza musician, a Yiddish singer, a Hawaiian chanter, an Irish-American button accordionist, a Cambodian musician, and many more.

DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., world music publicity firm.

World Music and Downloads, A Survey of World Music Record Labels

National Geographic has jumped headfirst into the music realm with a far-reaching download site, and NPR has just announced an upcoming digital download service, not to mention all the other existing players in the legal MP3 realm. We asked a handful of world music record label execs to weigh in on how things are coming for the "genre" and which download service is the frontrunner out of the gate specifically for world music sales.

Mel Puljic, Label Manager, Wrasse Records, USA:

Digital sales are growing, and will continue to grow. iTunes is the first company to understand it and make it pay. It might be more true for world music marketing than for other 'genres' or market segments but touring plays a huge role in sales for us. When local market marketing of world music and localized sales (especially) becomes a reality on a mainstream level in the digital realm - as in at the performing venues themselves - then I believe we're at the end of the road in terms of investing in physical product.

Free Listening Tool on CalabashMusic.com

CalabashMusic.com has  launched a new tool on their website. The "Search and Listen" feature allows music fans to instantly create their own world music playlist by typing in a search term (such as artist name, country, region or music genre) and then clicking on a blue 'search and listen' button. The Calabash music player will load with a playlist based on your search. Or you can just hit the blue "Search and Listen" button without entering any search term and generate a random
playlist from their entire catalog.

DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., world music publicity firm.

Working in America’s Romani Communities: A Q & A with Sani Rifati (Bridging Gaps, Vol. 2)

Rom activist Sani Rifati, president of Voice of Roma, is a dance teacher, international human rights monitor, and educator. DubMC.com asked Rifati to bring us up to speed on Romani communities in America as they relate to the world music scene.

1. With what ethnic group or cultural population are you most familiar?

Of course with Romani culture, given that I am Rom. I am familiar with many ethnic groups in the Balkans. Coming from Kosovo, in the former Yugoslavia, you get to interact with a lot of other ethnic groups, learn their languages, music, and culture too.

2. What North American cities/regions have the greatest population of this group?

The Dominoes of Influence: How Artist Buzz Transfers from Presenter to Presenter

What venues/presenters do you keep an eye on to help you keep apprised of possible acts for you to book?

This is the question we asked concert presenters in various regions. DubMC.com will periodically post a round-up of responses from presenters on this and other questions that might be of interest to other professionals in the world music field. Read on to see how the dominoes of influence fall.

Dugg Simpson, Artistic Director, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, BC:

The Shambala Festival, the Dhamaal Festival, Celtic Connections, Calgary Folk Festival, Hillside Festival, Atlantic Jazz, Victoriaville, Guelph Jazz Festival, Celtic Colours, Cambridge Folk Festival, Vancouver Island Music Festival.

North American Networking Meeting Set for WOMEX

North Americans attending WOMEX (world music expo) in Seville, Spain should mark their calendars: the annual North American Networking Meeting has been scheduled for Friday, October 27, 2006 at 12:30 - 2:00 pm in the Ronda Room at FIBES (the conference site, pictured). The N.A. Networking meeting is organized by the North American World Music Coalition.

World Music Showcases at Performing Arts Exchange 2006 (Sept 27-30; Baltimore, MD)

In its 30th year, the Performing Arts Exchange -- a conference for artists, artist managers, and presenters -- includes several world music performances as part of their annual juried showcases on September 28 and 29. Spearheaded by the Southern Arts Federation, this year the PAE has teamed up with the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation and the Maryland State Arts Council and serves the  Southern, Mid-Atlantic, and New England states.

DubMC.com is the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze and is sponsored by rock paper scissors, inc., world music publicity firm.