London Folk Magazine and News
World´s Largest Online Musical Collaboration
Following the colossal success of the debut Global Music Match in 2020, the worldwide matchmaking programme returns from June 7, featuring 78 artists from 17 countries and four continents.
Artists from Australia, Brittany in France, Canada, Catalonia in Spain, Chile, Denmark, England, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Taiwan, USA and Wales are set to collaborate over the coming three months, in what is thought to be the world’s largest online musical matchmaking programme.
This year’s iteration follows 2020’s world-first collaboration, which was created by founding partners Sounds Australia, Showcase Scotland Expo and Canada’s East Coast Music Association (ECMA) in a bid to continue developing profiles for folk-based artists in international music markets within the challenging and unprecedented parameters of COVID-19.
Artists from around the world have been grouped into international teams of six, from different countries, and over the coming 12 weeks will collaborate with each other across social media. Each act has an assigned two-week Featured Artist period, during which time their five team-mates will introduce them to five new audiences around the globe - rotated amongst all artists, up to the end of August.
With 78 artists, 13 teams of six will operate simultaneously, across borders, countries and timezones, introducing audiences to three months of new music, whilst artists largely remain unable to tour internationally.
Each team is also led by an international coach - all of whom are leading festival directors and publicity managers from around the world, within the folk/roots genres. Artists will be coached throughout the project by influential figureheads from Cambridge Folk Festival (England), Gooikorts International Folk Festival (Belgium), Killer Inc. (Norway), Knockengorroch Festival (Scotland), Manchester Folk Festival (England), Montelago Celtic Festival (Italy), New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (USA), Philadelphia Folk Festival (USA), Port Fairy Folk Festival (Australia), AmericanaFest UK (England), Vancouver Island Music Fest (Canada), Westport Music & Arts Festival (Ireland), Woodford Folk Festival (Australia) and World Music Festival (Chile).
Six artists have been selected from England and will be placed into groups, comprising five other acts from different countries. Those chosen for the 2021 instalment of Global Music Match are: Chris Cleverley, Dan Whitehouse, Eliza Marshall, Jack Rutter, Lucy Farrell and Lunatraktors.
Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and created as a unique and direct response to the sudden limitations imposed on the worldwide music industry - and in particular, international showcasing - Global Music Match seeks to enhance and develop artists’ international fanbases, presence and peer connections in global markets.
Not only that, but the 2020 edition established lifelong working partnerships, market development, substantially enhanced international networks, and collaborations across the globe - all during the most challenging year the live music industry has ever known.
Global Music Match 2020 ran throughout August to October 2020, and officially wrapped with a four-hour showcase of the project and its collaborations at Folk Unlocked, the acclaimed digital edition of the Folk Alliance International (USA) conference in February 2021. On top of the strategic aims central to Global Music Match, February’s Global Music Marathon illustrates just one example of the international music industry taking serious note of the project - as well as the calibre and export-readiness of participating artists - presenting them to hundreds of leading buyers, bookers, programmers and presenters at the world’s largest folk-based music conference.
English Folk Expo returns in an export capacity in 2021, fielding artists from England. They join the three founding partners, alongside returning export music offices (EMOs); Spectacle vivante Bretagne (Brittany), Catalan Arts (Catalonia, Spain), English Folk Expo, Music Finland, Iceland Music, Music Norway, LUCfest (Taiwan), Folk Alliance International (USA) and FOCUS Wales.
Additionally, six new EMOs have joined Global Music Match in 2021: the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), Tempi (Denmark), Chile Musica, Culture Ireland, Italia Music Export (Italy) and Export Music Sweden.
Global Music Match begins next Monday, June 7, running until August 29.
Showcase Scotland Expo Executive Producer, Lisa Whytock said:
“We’re really excited to see Global Music Match kick off again next week. The idea came about on a Zoom call between myself and Millie Millgate of Sounds Australia early on in the pandemic last year, and we have since seen it grow to include so many export organisations and artists - all of whom continue to amaze us with their positive outlook and enthusiasm for the opportunities it presents.
“Over the last year, everyone has been connecting through social media - yet Global Music Match really harnesses the power of collective markets, and ultimately the goodwill and supporting nature of the worldwide music community. We are really looking forward to seeing how all the artists work together this time round. With so many from around the world, most of the musicians won’t have met in person - let alone toured in their respective countries - so once again it really is going to establish new and lasting international connections”
For further information, head to www.globalmusicmatch.com, or search for the hashtag #GlobalMusicMatch to check out the worldwide introductions to new artists.
TEAM ENGLAND 2021
Global Music Match is supported by the following music export organisations: Canadian Independent Music Association - CIMA, Catalan Arts (Spain), Chile Musica, Culture Ireland, East Coast Music Association - ECMA (Canada), English Folk Expo, Export Music Sweden, FOCUS Wales, Folk Alliance International (USA), Iceland Music, Italia Music Export (Italy), LUCfest Taiwan, Music Finland, Music Norway, Showcase Scotland Expo, Sounds Australia, Spectacle vivant Bretagne (Brittany, France), Tempi (Denmark).
English Folk Expo (EFEx) is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation which supports the English folk, roots and acoustic music sector through a variety of projects and initiatives including the annual Manchester Folk Festival and its parallel industry showcase attracting music buyers and programmers from across the world and generating over £2m spend on artist live bookings from each event (source: the hub). It also runs an annual artist mentoring programme, hosts an online platform of resources for fans, artists and industry, collaborates with export organisations across the world on initiatives including the current Global Music Match and more. www.englishfolkexpo.com