Image: Rosie Munro, Jen Anderson and Douglas Robertson
Scotland’s music promoters attend world’s most influential trad music market
#WOMEX22
Rising music agents Jen Anderson and Rosie Munro and concert promoter Douglas Robertson are amongst a delegation of industry professionals from Scotland to attend the world’s most influential trad music market Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX) in Lisbon, Portugal from 19 to 23 October 2022.
A booking agent for Apex Music International, Jen Anderson represents an exciting and diverse roster of contemporary traditional musicians including vibrant all female six-piece instrumental band HEISK who's punchy 2021 album of the same name has been created, performed and engineered entirely by women, highlighting the talents of under-represented professionals in the creative industries.
Jen’s full roster includes Shooglenifty, Face The West, MOXIE, Project Smok, Valtos, Eabhal, The Canny Band, Hushman, Man of the Minch and Ross Whyte. Jen also runs The Bothy Society, offering management, label, distribution and synchronisation services to an exciting roster of Scottish musicians including Findlay Napier, Adam Holmes, Eabhal, HEISK, Valtos, Alasdair Whyte and Ross Whyte. The company has a focus on the development of the Gaelic language and encouraging diversity within Scottish traditional music.
Founder of Venn Music Management, a music agency representing some of Scotland’s leading musicians, Rosie Munro is a booking agent whose roster includes the likes of Josie Duncan. Duncan’s heart-warming lyrics have impressed audiences across the globe from basements in Glasgow to stages in Australia, her recent debut album, supported by National Lottery funding through Creative Scotland, focuses on living with dyscalculia; Rosie also represents rising star Hector Shaw who released his debut EP Gravity in February 2021.
A Hit The Road graduate (funded by the Youth Music Initiative), Shaw is unafraid of tackling heavy songwriting topics like self-sabotage, mental illness, and the fabrication of social media. Rosie also represents Hannah Rarity, James Lindsay - Torus and Staran.
Jen and Rosie join Douglas Robertson as first-time attendees at WOMEX through National Lottery-funded bursaries through Creative Scotland. Douglas brings greater diversity to the folk, trad and jazz sectors through the Soundhouse Organisation’s year-round concert programming and in recent years has revitalised Edinburgh's annual traditional arts festival, Tradfest.
On heading out to WOMEX Jen Anderson said:
"The contemporary traditional music scene in Scotland is booming with artists like Talisk, Valtos, Project Smok, Niteworks and HEISK driving new audiences and delivering electric and energetic live shows. The Bothy Society and Apex Music are supporting this developing with an innovative approach to artist development and booking.
“Heading to WOMEX I'm looking forward to meeting a variety of people in live, sync and international traditional genres and attending a number of the conference events that can help with the further development of the trad genres across Scotland, the UK and the rest of the World."
Other leading figures attending WOMEX from Scotland’s trad and folk music scene include Brian Ó hEadhra, Craig Corse, Katch Holmes and Lisa Whytock. Together they will promote Scotland’s thriving traditional, gaelic, world, roots, blues & jazz music scene at the annual five-day event which attracts thousands of international delegates, leading music managers, festival and venue programmers and recording company executives from across the globe.
Creative Scotland’s Head of Music, Alan Morrison commented:
"The world has evolved since the last time Scotland attended WOMEX in 2019. So too has our music scene, and we’re pleased to be expanding the WOMEX delegation to recognise this. Jen, Rosie and the rest of the delegation are spearheading of the future of Scotland’s dynamic and diverse folk scene through the artists, festivals and labels they represent.
“Rooted in tradition, folk music is all about storytelling. Scotland’s bookers and promoters are representing musicians brimming with talent, from those at the top of their game to rising stars, painting a vibrant picture of a 21st-century Scotland taking listeners to new places.”
Background
Jen Anderson, Rosie Munro and Douglas Robertson have received National Lottery funded bursaries through Creative Scotland to attend WOMEX International Trade Fair to ensure the diversity of Scotland's music is recognised at this world music expo.
The Scottish delegation represents an impressive array of talented musicians, festivals and events including: Blazin' Fiddles, Blue Rose Code, Breabach, Capercaillie, Ciaran Ryan Band, Dallahan, Dolphin Boy, Eabhal, Esther Swift, Elephant Sessions, Gnoss, Face The West, FARA, Hannah Rarity, Hushman, Ímar, James Lindsay - Torus, Josie Duncan Jenna Reid, RURA, Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton’s Symbiosis, Mairi Campbell, Man of the Minch, MOXIE, Mec Lir, Project Smok, Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton’s Symbiosis, Saltfishforty, Siobhan Miller, Staran, Talisk, The Canny Band, The Langan Band, Tinderbox Collective, Twelfth Day, Siobhan Miller, Valtos, Yorkston/Thorne/Khan and festival, events and organisations such as Anam Communications, Ealantas, Edinburgh Tradfest, Knockengorroch Festival, Orkney Folk Festival, North Atlantic Song Community, Showcase Scotland Expo and Soundhouse Organisation.
To find out more about the Scottish delegation please visit Creative Scotland’s WOMEX page.
Creative Scotland is partnering with British Council and the other UK nations England, Ireland/Northern Ireland and Wales to present Horizons at the WOMEX International Trade Fair. Horizons celebrates and promotes the UK’s wealth of music traditions and cultures within a world music market. The partners will coordinate a presence at the Trade Fair supporting talent to reach new international markets through promotion and advocacy. Find out more at horizonsatwomex.com and @Horizons
WOMEX – Worldwide Music Expo – is the the biggest conference of the global music scene, featuring a trade fair, talks, films and showcase concerts. Find out more: womex.com, facebook.com/worldmusicexpo, @WOMEX, #WOMEX17 and YouTube.
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
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