WOMEX 09: Alive and Kicking

A big thank you to this year's delegates for making WOMEX 09 another successful event. There have now been 15 editions of WOMEX, the World Music Expo, that began with about 200 delegates and has now expanded to over 2700.

During that time, this fledgling movement has expanded to become a diverse, multicultural, increasingly
popular expression of interest in world culture. And, in the process, WOMEX has become the premier professional event in the international world music calendar.

With the recorded music industry crisis surpassed by the overall world
economic crisis, we were indeed surprised - and grateful - to see our
WOMEX 09 numbers:

There were over 2700 delegates and 650 exhibiting companies from 92
countries in 280 Trade Fair Stand Units. And WOMEX presented 57 acts
including 340 artists on 6 stages and 23 Conference Sessions, having
inaugurated a new structure. Each Conference day highlighted a
different key issue: Digital Myths, Markets and Mayhem; The Economy of
Music; and Advocating for Change each presented special sessions
designed to update, innovate or stimulate.

2009 brought a new city and a new partnership. Many of the city's key
cultural players banded together to make the invitation, and then
created WorldMusicFair Copenhagen (WMF CPH) to become the local
production partner. First and foremost Roskilde Festival, Copenhagen
Jazz Festival and Wonderful Copenhagen. The other principal members
comprise the Danish Center for Culture and Development (CKU/DCCD),
Global Copenhagen and World Music Denmark in cooperation with Welcome
Meeting Management.

In honour of our new city location, WOMEX hosted a special Opening and
added a new stage this year. An all-star Nordic band took to the stage
with artists from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, the Faroe
Islands, Greenland and Samiland. Danish fiddler Harald Haugaard
created and directed this once-in-a-lifetime concert experience. The
stage, called the Nordic Club, highlighted talent from all the Nordic
countries and edged our Showcase numbers up to almost 60. These
concerts were held in DR-Danish Broadcasting's new studios and concert
halls, offering some of the best conditions ever at a WOMEX.

This year's WOMEX Artist Award for World Music went to DR Congo's
Staff Benda Bilili. The WOMEX Award for Professional Excellence was
given to Christian Mousset from France.

Staff Benda Bilili: We are used to honouring great artists at the end
of long illustrious careers. This time, however, it might appear like
we're lionising mere beginners. Therein lies a humbling lesson.
"So often, by the time many groups play their first note on a European
stage, they have already lived, struggled and suffered a tale of epic
proportions," says Andy Morgan. And no group could possibly illustrate
this truism more effectively than Staff Benda Bilili."

Christian Mousset: As Yorrick Benoist of Run Productions notes,
"For almost 35 years Christian Mousset and his 'Musiques Métisses'
Festival has kicked off the careers of greats such as Cesaria Évora,
Salif Keita, the Mahotella Queens, the Super Rail Band, Danyel Waro,
Johnny Clegg, and many others. His was arguably the first festival
dedicated primarily to African music, starting a trend that many
followed and few could match." Add to that his work first for Label
Bleu and now for his own Marabi label, and this is a popular choice
indeed.

Each year, in partnership with the World Music Charts Europe, WOMEX
also awards a Top Label, based upon the releases of that label which
the Charts DJs have voted highest during the previous 12 months. This
year's winner is Crammed Discs from Belgium.

And, finally, WOMEX hosted the presentation of a new award this year,
one created by one of our partners, the Roskilde Foundation. Presented
during the Sunday Award ceremony by the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Ritt
Bjerregaard, Roskilde honoured Malian artist Rokia Traoré and her
newly inaugurated Foundation Passarelle. The prize included 30,000
euros. (For more information contact Peter Hvalkov of Roskilde,
mailto:peter.hvalkof@roskilde-festival.dk).