Diez grupos catalanes programados en la Fira Mediterrània, invitados al Showcase Scotland y a la Kulturbörse de Freiburg

Catalonia is guest country at both these European fairs
Fundació Fira Mediterrània de Manresa kicks off 2012 with two events that will see well-known Catalan folk artists playing on international stages. Later this month they'll be travelling to Glasgow to take part in Showcase Scotland, and to the German town of Freiburg for the Internationale Kulturbörse Freiburg. A total of ten leading artists from the Catalan music scene are expected to be at these two events.  Their performances are a great chance to put the Catalan culture and arts industry in the spotlight, and to promote the country's artists to international audiences. Representatives from Fira Mediterrània will be attending both events.

Showcase Scotland is part of the Celtic Connections festival and is one of the United Kingdom's biggest folk and world music fairs. This year's festival is due to be held from 25 to 29 January with Catalonia as this year's guest country. Jordi Molina and Pere Pau Jimènez, Sol i Serena, Las Migas, Lídia Pujol, La Carrau and Domini Màgic are all performing at the festival. Showcase Scotland is a meeting place for professionals working in the culture industry and is part of Celtic Connections, the Celtic and world music festival held every year in Glasgow and attended by more than 200 delegates from over 20 countries. To secure themselves a ticket for next year's event, delegates are required to hire a minimum number of the groups they see performing at the festival. This ensures that the international exposure gained by artists at Showcase Scotland leads to record deals and overseas touring contracts.

In November 2010, the proposed collaboration between Catalan! Music and Celtic Connection-Showcase Scotland was presented at the 13th Fira Mediterrània. During that session, Catalan artists who were keen to take part had the opportunity of showing their latest projects to the Scottish delegation in the Llotja at Fira Mediterrània. A number of Catalan groups and solo artists were selected from that initial contact and subsequent discussions secured their place at Showcase Scotland.

The Internationale Kulturboörse Freiburg is being held in Germany from 23 to 26 January and is one of Europe's leading musical and performing arts fairs. This year, the event is putting the spotlight on Catalonia, with a group of 12 Catalan artists playing different styles of music and 30 organisations representing the Catalan culture industry.

Fira Mediterrània has agreed with the fair organisers that two of the groups who performed at last year's Fira will be playing at the 2012 Freiburg event: Jordi Molina and Pere Pau Jiménez, and Las Migas. The other Catalan groups performing in Germany who have made past appearances on the stage at Fira Mediterrània are Fadunito, Karam (with their show Residual Gurús), Banda del Surdo and Ne Me Títere Pas.

Running parallel to the Freiburg fair is Forum Expertise, with seminars, talks, product demonstrations and a busy programme of special performances, exhibitions and prizes. Fira Mediterrània will sharing a stand with FiraTàrrega and the Mercat de Música Viva Vic in the Trade Fair area.

 

The press meeting to explain the international projects