WOMEX & III World Flamenco Festival

WOMEX, the world’s biggest Music Festival, to be held in the Seville Exhibition and Conference Centre from 22 to 26 October in conjunction with the III World Flamenco Festival
OVER 1,100 PROFESSIONALS ALREADY ACCREDITED AND 170 STANDS HIRED AT WOMEX

From 22 to 26 October 2003, Seville and FIBES, the Seville Exhibition and Conference Centre will once more break new ground to bring together the third edition of the World Flamenco Festival and WOMEX, the World Music Expo, the biggest music festival in the world.
To date, over 1,100 music professionals from all over the world have been accredited for the WOMEX event in Seville. According to the organisers, at the current rate of registration, this edition could see a total of 1,800 accreditations in the three remaining registration periods defined by the festival organisers. Stand hire has also progressed strongly, with 170 stands already hired. This is 30% more than in either of the previous editions three months before the event.
For its part, the World Flamenco Festival, organised by FIBES, the Seville Exhibition and Conference Centre, in collaboration with the Seville Flamenco Biennial and sponsored by the regional tourist board Turismo Andaluz, is to be held at FIBES from 23 to 26 October 2003 in Hall 2. This will be the Festival’s third edition. So far, over 75% of the space has already been taken up, and a total of some 120 exhibitors are expected. For this reason, the fair organisers have, for the second year running, had to restructure the layout of the exhibition zone to afford more space to exhibiting companies.
In the first two editions of the World Flamenco Festival, inaugurated in October 2001, over 30,000 visitors were received, generating an extraordinary repercussion in the leading specialised and mass media throughout the world. It is not difficult to imagine the impact of the upcoming edition, especially with the joint celebration with WOMEX.
For its part, Turismo de Andalucía, the Fair’s sponsor, has set up an international contracting pool, with over 50 promoters and tour operators from different countries visiting the event. The 2002 Fair brought together over a hundred exhibitors, a twenty per cent increase on the first edition, among them, manufacturers, record labels, instrument makers, managers, lighting and sound companies, fashion and accessory companies, musical instruments, academies, management agencies, etc.
Integrating all of the flamenco impresarios and institutions in a large-scale trade fair is, therefore, a reflection of the world of flamenco in all its vitality, and of the competitiveness of the business and commercial activity surrounding the great art of flamenco.
A major meeting between professionals covering the different activities of national and international promoters supporting the distribution and marketing of flamenco. Seville will be the epicentre of World Ethnic Music for four days.

SPANISH ARTISTS TO PARTICIPATE
Bebo Valdés & Diego «El Cigala» (Cuba/Spain)
The new voice of Flamenco, Diego «El Cigala» joins forces with Cuban pianist, Bebo Valdés, to revisit and reshape classic Boleros from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
El Bicho (Spain)
El Bicho’s notorious live acts fuse flamenco with progressive rock, rap, African rhythms and a touch of jazz to an irresistible cocktail that is powerful and yearning, moving hearts and feet alike.
L’Ham de Foc (Spain)
With Mediterranean roots, L’Ham de Foc create songs mixed with oriental an antique music, and are one of the most outstanding acts in the new folk panorama, bringing to life a sense of the past while suggesting the future.
Javier Ruibal (Andalusia/Spain)
The singer-songwriter Javier Ruibal, dubbed as the man with «the most amazing soul,» explores love, life and beauty from his Mediterranean watchtower over Andalusian, African and Arabian nights.