Published: 17 Oct 2023
Innovators of Trad music fusion, Elephant Sessions and Matt Carmichael have secured showcasing slots at the prestigious World Music Expo, WOMEX, taking place in A Coruña, Spain from 25 - 29 October 2023.
WOMEX is the renowned global cultural hotspot for the music industry, connecting over 2,600 professionals including 260 artists from 90 countries to nurture and promote diversity, creativity and international recording, touring and promotional music opportunities.
Celebrating the 10th year of Horizons, the partnership between Creative Scotland and its UK & Ireland counterparts specialist staff will be presenting a stand to support delegates in coordinating, networking and finding opportunities.
The Scottish artists selected to showcase at the biggest music conference in the world are Elephant Sessions and Matt Carmichael. Hailing from the Highlands, Elephant Sessions blend traditional instruments with funk and electronica in a unique sound best experienced in a bouncing live atmosphere. This has made them popular at some of the biggest festivals across UK, Europe and Australia as well as winning the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Award for Album of the Year in 2022.
The band said: “We’re hoping that we can gain a lot by showcasing at this year’s event, using the opportunity to hopefully open up doors for us to play internationally in new territories, as well as building our careers in countries we have played before. It’s great for Scottish music to have representation at events like WOMEX and we’re excited that there’s a whole host of people going across as team Scotland.”
Matt Carmichael, a saxophonist and composer based in Glasgow, exploded into the Jazz scene with his critically acclaimed debut album Where Will The River Flow, a powerful fusion of Jazz and Folk music. His distinctive style has taken him touring throughout Europe as well as collaborating with iconic musicians such as Fergus McCreadie, WDR Big Band, Brìghde Chaimbeul and more.
He said: “Having released my first few albums in the past few years we’ve seen clear interest from press, promoters and venues so WOMEX is a great chance to build on this momentum. The Scottish Jazz and Folk scene is very inter-connected so the contacts and opportunities from WOMEX can lead to exploration of connections throughout the wider scene and more awareness of the amazing music happening in Scotland.”
As well as showcasing artists, Creative Scotland is providing bursaries for Scottish delegates to attend WOMEX to secure bookings for the Scottish music scene. Returning for a second time, Rosie Munro, Founder of Venn Music Management in Glasgow, is hoping to build on the success of last year.
She said: “As a new booking agent, this bursary plays a pivotal role in ensuring representation of the Scottish music sector. The connections made and the knowledge acquired from attending WOMEX can lead to international collaborations, tours, and festivals that can significantly benefit our artists and the broader industry. By extending our reach to global audiences, we can ensure that Scottish culture continues to resonate and evolve within the global music market.”
Also attending is Blair Parham, Founder and Director of Scotia Arts, producers of music & creative events in Scotland and beyond, specialising in Trad, Folk, Celtic and Roots music. Having recently returned from China coordinating a Scottish Music Week involving 5 Scottish artists performing to thousands in world class venues, he’s keen to seek similar opportunities at WOMEX.
Previous bursary recipient, Douglas Robertson of Soundhouse, comments on the positive results delegates can expect: “Apart from countless fascinating insights into the music industry, I was able to successfully propose a Scottish Jazz band (the Brian Molley Quartet) to perform at a festival in Korea, make contacts with a good number of musicians and specifically book two acts – Fredy Clue from Sweden and Alicia Edelweiss from Austria – to appear at Edinburgh Tradfest 2023. Alicia returns later this year to perform again. I found WOMEX greatly increased my understanding of the live music scene beyond UK borders.”
The momentum built from a legacy of success from WOMEX drives us into next year’s event which is being held in Manchester, UK.
Speaking to the transformative power of WOMEX, Music Officer at Creative Scotland, Siobhan Anderson said: “Having two official showcasing artists as part of the WOMEX 2023 conference highlights the stellar talent and high quality that the Scottish music sector is currently generating. Elephant Sessions and Matt Carmichael have worked incredibly hard to get to this point and will definitely dazzle the delegates, and Scotland will be represented by a host of delegates from across traditional music. Prominent Scottish artists such as Talisk, Ryan Young and Brìghde Chaimbeul have gained a great deal since showcasing as part of the event in previous years, and even more artists and areas of the sector are likely to benefit when WOMEX comes to Manchester in 2024.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Scotland at WOMEX 2023
Elephant Sessions will be performing on the Parrote Stage of WOMEX at 23:15 on Thursday 26 October.
Matt Carmichael will be performing on Teatro Colón, Theatre Stage of WOMEX at 21:30 on Saturday 28 October.
The Horizons reception will be held at stand no 83-86, located downstairs at the Palexco Exhibition Centre in A Coruña. The Horizons meeting area held at stand no 215-218, on the mezzanine level of the Palexco Exhibition Centre, will provide a comfortable space to hold meetings.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
Horizons is a partnership between Arts Council England, Culture Ireland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland, Wales Arts International, Music Wales, Arts Council of Wales, British Council and British Underground.
Media contact:
Jacqueline Munro, Media Relations & PR Coordinator
Jacqueline.Munro@creativescotland.com+44 (0) 7967 822 266
