My friends of Vigüela always trusted that I would get me an airplane to fly them wherever was needed. So, I did! But it might not last until September with this travels schedule. For the dates not listed, the place is Spain and in front of the computer or attending concerts of our bands, you can check the concerts schedule in Mapamundi Música’s events page at www.mapamundimusica.com:

• Ostrava (Czech Republic). Czeck Music Crossroads and Colours of Ostrava. 15th to 18th July. As speaker, panel about touring in different countries and listening and comment session. Almost there!
• Koblenz (Germany). Horizonte Weltmusikfestival. 19th July. What a pleasure to attend this festival for which I will travel with Vigüela. Also other of our collaborators, Monsieur Doumani and Don Kipper, are programmed in this festival. What a good taste.
• Bled (Slovenia). Festival Okarina Bled. 23th July. My first time at the country and it will be also with Vigüela.
• Bielsk Podlaski & Białystok (Poland). Podlaska Oktawa Kultur 2019. 27th and 28 July, also with Vigüela and thanks to the agency Wodzirej PL ??
• Evora (Portugal). 1st to 4th August. Series Transiberia Mundi, part of the program @artes_a_rua_evora by the municipality of the city. In collaboration with Transiberia Productions. Didn´t you receive the email with the info and program? Ask me!
• Lublin (Poland… my second country). 16th August, Warsaw, 17th August Lublin for Jarmark Jagielloński w Lublinie. How could I miss the concert by Rodopi Ensemble and the night of dance directed by Janusz Prusinowski Kompania in the same city the same day. Top masters of their traditional music! ?
• Spain, but I must include it as it will be the premiere of Wowakin Trio in Spain 🙂 23rd August.
• Samarkand (Uzbekistán). Last week of August. Yes, I wanna cry of joy. More, soon.
• Perth (Scotland). 16th – 20th September. The Visit (event produced for Showcase Scotland Expo by Active Events). Really looking forward it!

I never imagined that such a surrealist conversation could ever happen! Some days ago, while I was in Norway for Førdefestivalen (that has been awesome, as usual), a message arrived to me by WhatsApp, that produced this conversation. Reed and we will talk more below:

ORIGINAL	TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH. THE PUNCTUATION MARKS ARE LIKE IN THE ORIGINAL: He: Hello. He: Good day pleased He: I think you are manager of artists? Me: http://www.mapamundimusica.com/en/unirte/ He: ??? He: I want to talk with you I don´t want to enter in the link Me: You have everything explained there. He: I will check
	He: Done He: The true is that I’d like… He: your support He: giving me an advice. Me: Request an online session at info@mundimapa.com He: But I have you here. He: Are you bussy? He: ? Me: You don´t have me. I don´t work for you for free. Do you understand? He: If you don´t have time I understand. He: You are a successful woman.
	He: I appreciate that I just wanted a couple of words Me: Do you think I can be giving advices to anybody that I don´t even know who he/she is, just because he/she sends me a wasap? He: Thank you. He: No I understand. He: Don´t worry. He: I admire your work. He: Greetings ? Me: If you want anything, I tell you to request an appointment for an online session. Thank you, greetings. He: So pretty and so embittered. He: ??
	Me: Go to hell, I don´t know who you are but you are an asshole. See you never, piece of machista bullshit. He: Your eyes are wonderful. He: You are really beautiful. He: ?? He: I say it with respect. He: I am not machista or anything like that. He: I see in you a special woman what kind of music do you like? He: My name is XXXXX He: XXXX (surname) He: I am a singer and composer from XXXX (country) He: I just wanted to know if you have any contact that works as Manager of artists of contemporary romantic music.
	He: To send him/her my songs and for him/her to advice me on how to make my music known. He: And we might work together with that contact and develope a project. He: I share you one of my songs in case you want to listen written and sang by me. He: deleted message (it was removed automatically when I banned him later) He: Well thank you for ignoring me. He: I just thought that someone like you would pay me attention ? He: Anyway have a nice day.

It really looks almost incredible but it is like that, copied and pasted from WhatsApp. I would not be able to imagine such a shameful conversation. It seems that this person is not the sharpest tool in the box to treat like this someone from who you want to get some help, but let’s make some more reflections:

1. Do you think that he would have treated a man like that, as considering that he must dedicate his time, just for the sake of it and without a doubt? Machismo is that we are beaten and violated, but it is also machismo the fact that it is considered that we are available for the others, without considering the same for men.
2. Do you think it makes sense to use WhatsApp to search for collaboration and help, without even adding a profile picture?
3. Do you think it makes sense to start a conversation like this and to introduce yourself only after the other person has told you to go to hell because of your impertinences?
4. Do you think it makes sense to adulate the eyes of a woman that you don´t know and who doesn´t know you, and with who you are suppossed to be willing to collaborate professionally? Machismo is also that get are reified as if we were objects of decoration.
5. Do you think it makes sense to ask a person with who you want to collaborate about music, and who you are suppossed to admire so much, and who has explained everywhere in the Internet what is the music she works with, that what music does she like?

I am sure that you are not a calf like this but, nevertheless, if you want us to analyse together how are you communicating with the people with you want to collaborate with or from who you want to get their attention, as well as to avoid some common mistakes, ask me for an online appointment at info@mundimapa.com. Thanks for your attention 🙂

The last Summer, at Folk Holidays, after the concert by Vigüela, Janusz Prusinowski Kompania and Maria Siwiec, the Czeck journalist Milan Tesař interviewed me about Vigüela. I am very thanksful and I want to share it with you.

It is in Czeck and you can listen to it HERE.

Hi, folks! ? In the next weeks, find me at:

· Førde (Norway). Førdefestivalen’s 30th edition!!! Happy birthday! I am so blessed for attending this edition, as media in this occasion.

· Ostrava (Czech Republic). Czech Music Crossroads + Colors of Ostrava. 15th to 18th July. As speaker. I am super eager to be there!

After a long trip from Warsaw, Poland, I reached Toronto for the Canadian Music Week and, as soon as I logged in the wifi of the airport I read a message from a referential person about world music, not just for North America, but for all the community of world music. He has even his entry at Wikipedia. He is Dan Rosenberg and, between many many things he has done, he is the compilator of dozens of The Rough Guides, CDs released by World Music Network. In one hour I will meet him here in Toronto. Yeah!

I am hosted in Chinatown and here you are just a little glanze of what I saw yesterday in the way from Union Station. More news, soon!

Next July I will attend the meeting Crossroads Ostrava and I will make a speech that I think will be quite useful for emerging musicians, about how to approach professionals to get you their attention. We’ll review some usual mistakes and how to position ourselves when preparing texts, emails and other materials if we want to call to action to different profiles of people.

At the picture, you see me sorrounded by some of the distinguised experts with who I will enjoy those days sharing ideas and concerts. Check the complete list, here.

This year I will be again in the meeting Sol Madrid, that will take place from 6th to 8th of June. From Mapamundi Música we have proposed the band from Salamanca Entavía, that will play in the meeting of Saturday 8. I am very happy of sharing with them the first steps towards their internationalization. Thanks for the trust, guys!

I could have chosen any of the great videos I got from their concert in Madrid some weeks ago but I decided to insert this one. I have always loved the more austere and grieving flamenco palos and in this piece they combine a martinete approach with a blues feeling.