Asturies can be proud to be the first autonomous region of Spain to receive Liet International

HENRIQUE G. FACURIELLA. UVIÉU/OVIEDO - 01/03/2012 A LES 12:35:27

Onno Falkena is the international coordinator of Foundation Liet International, the organisation which initiated the festival with the same name. Since the year 2002 this festivals invites eleven or twelve bands, which sing in a minority language from all over Europe. This year Gijón is the city which receives the festival. Falkena was in Gijón for the Asturian songcontest Premiu al Meyor Cantar. Since 2009 the winner of this festival represents Asturias at Liet International. There were also meetings in Asturias with all members of the Liet International network and meetings with the Asturian government to prepare Liet International in Gijón.

-What do you think about the five finalists of the Premiu al Meyor Cantar?

The level of the Premiu al Meyor Cantar was very good this year. The organisation of the PMC obviously manages to attract some of the best Asturian bands. This is something we envy, because in some other areas – like Fryslân – the well known bands are sometimes reluctant to participate in a song contest….

- How does the Asturian competition look like and does it differ from other
song contests in Europe, like Nos Ur or Sami Grand Prix?

The Sámi Grand Prix cannot be compared with any other event. Imagine a huge sportshall full of thousands of Sámi dressed in traditional gákti. The Sámi Grand Prix in Kautokeino is for the Sámi one of the highlights of the year. It is part of a festival week with many other concerts and other interesting events such as reindeer races and ice fishing. The Sámi Grand Prix actually consists of two contests; one for the best new yoik (the traditional Sámi way of singing) and one for the best new yoik-song.

Song contest Nos Ur does not exist at the moment. Our Scottish contact stopped with the contest because of a lack of funds. In Europa it is the reality these days that it is harder to find public financial support for festivals like ours. We realise that the crisis has hit Spain and also Asturias pretty hard. We therefore appreciate it a lot that the government of Asturias is determined to ahead with Liet International in spite of the crisis. From our point of view it is important to keep investing in the language and culture, even if the going gets tough.

About the possible collaboration with the Celtic minorities we are in touch with the Festival Interceltique and its director Lisardo Lombardia. He
already offered in the past to host Nos Ur in Brittany. This probable will not happen this year, but we are committed to keep the Celtic connection open, also because of the quality of the music scene.

– What do you think about the infrastructure that Asturias has to hold Liet International?

We are quite impressed by the huge Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura. It is a well equipped theatre with a professional staff and the Asturian television nextdoor. The only small disadvantage is that the theatre is not in the centre. We therefore consider to have some smaller concerts in other venues in the city on the day before Liet International. Xixón is a very nice and lively city. We would like to take the festival to the city and, if possible, also to other places in Asturias.

– At what point is there work to do in order to make Liet International in Xixón a success?

Liet International is a showcase festival for the most interesting contemporary music in minority languages. Asturias can be proud to be the very first region in Spain to host it, well before the Basque Country and Catalunya. If I were you I would try to promote the festival on the whole Iberian peninsula, including the national Spanish media. We will try to do the same at the European level in collaboration with the Council of Europe. Liet International is organised under the official patronage of the Council of Europe since 2008. They have a very effective press office, communicating directly with all major news agencies such as Efe and Ria Novosti in Russia.

– What possibilities for further internationalization do you see in the Asturian music scene beyond Celtic music festivals?

Sooner or later Liet International will be won by an Asturian band. Xera was pretty close in 2010. Usually the host doesn´t win at Liet International, but maybe 2012 will be an exception. There is obviously lots of interesting music in Asturias. Liet International is already a clever way to reach out to the world beyond the Celtic festivals. There are also plenty of interesting folkfestivals around Europe which are not exclusvely Celtic like the huge Dranouter festival at the border of France and Belgium. The Asturian music is interesting enough to be played also at events which are not specificly Celtic.

There are also other possibilities such as Womex and Eurosonic. The bands at these events are often selected by broadcasting companies at state level. At some points the state structures, which do not always help the minorities so much, still exist. Make sure that you get the attention that you deserve!

–Is the economic crisis is affecting the work of the Liet International Foundation?

Sometimes you loose partners, simply because they do not have the money anymore to continue. This has happened twice; once in Sweden and once in Scotland. In Sweden we have found an interesting new partner. European capital of culture Umea 2014 – 600 kilometers north of Stockholm – will host Liet International in 2014. Donostia-San Sebastian will do this in 2016. Collaborating with European capitals of culture, who embed Liet International in a larger year-long cultural programme, is one of the ways for us to move forward. Our hometown Ljouwert-Leeuwarden is one of the Dutch candidates to become European capital of culture in the year 2018; Venice/Venezia is one of the Italian candidates for 2019 and is also interested.

I also would like to stress that our network also has plenty of economic opportunities to offer. The city of Udine in Italy, which hosted Liet International last year, has invited both Asturias and Friesland to participate at the huge slowfood and culinary fair FriuliDoc in september this year. At this open air fair some 500.000 people taste and buy interesting culinary products of high standarts from all over Italy. They would love to welcome an Asturian presence with cider, Asturian cheeses and sausages and other products like the pote and the fabada. The Italians do not know the Asturian cuisine at all, but our Friulian friends are confident that it will be a huge success. The invitation has been forwarded to the Asturian administration, and I hope that Asturias will indeed be present in Udine in September to promote Asturian products.

It is one thing which I learned from our Italian friends: culinary diversity is just as interesting and important as cultural, linguistic and musical diversity. If you manage to link culture with culinary economic activities you have a very strong formula. In order to become economically stronger you have to try to do these things. A festival who is managing this very well is the huge Festival Interceltique of Lorient in Brittany. A real source of inspiration, but still more Breton than Asturian cider.

–Liet International Festival was created, among other reasons, for the promotion and defense of minority languages. Do you think this objective
is being met?

Liet International is the largest event for the promotion of minority languages in Europe. The event is on purpose created for big audiences, both majority and minority language speakers. Even if you don’t know a thing about minority languages, you can still appreciate it the music. Liet International helps people discover that languages such as Asturian, Frisian, Udmurtian and Vepsian exist.

Over the years Liet International has generated lots of positive interest for minority languages in mainstream media such as the Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung, Le Monde, BBC, CNN, The Sunday Times. We consciously present the languages as an asset, as something enjoyable in stead of something problematic.

It is also significant that Liet International closely collaborates with the secretariat of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (ECRML) of the Council of Europe. The Charter is currently the main defense mechanism on behalf of minority languages in Europe. However, the hard work of the experts of the council usually gets very limited media attention.That’s precisely why we collaborate. Raising awareness that the minorities exist and even create and present contemporary music like e.g. Xera or Alfredo Gonzalez is our job.

We have a very fruitfull relation with the Council of Europe. Thanks to them we recently acquired a partner in the Russian Federation. They would like to develop a song contest for all 180 linguistic minorities of the Russian Federation, which is quite a challenge. In the future they would like to host Liet International itself as well. But this year they will start by sending one interesting band to Liet International in Xixón/Gijón.

–How the development of new communication technologies is promoting the knowledge of minority languages and its art forms?

Liet International has always been a media event since its very first edition when, unexpectedly, both BBC World and CNN made reports, which were broadcasted globally. The internet is obviously equally important for us. Last year the internet structure of our Italian partner and ourselves was unable to cope with the huge interest of the audience. We will seriously invest in this this year. With the help of RTPA we would like to offer a stream of professional standart of Liet International 2012.

Being on-line also obliges you to interact with the audience. It is therefore important to give them a role and let them vote for the public award of Liet. I think it could also be a nice addition to the Premiu al Meyor Cantar. Let the audience vote for the public award, and you’ll have two winners in stead of one, because juries and audiences often have a different taste.

(Translated from Asturian)

Link to the original article in Lesnoticies.com

Liet 2012 in December in Gijón, Liet 2013 goes to Corsica

The next edition of Liet International 2012 be held in the Asturian city of Gijon/Xixon on the 1st of December 2012. The government of the autonomous region of Asturias announced the date at the Asturian songcontest Premiu al Meyor Cantar in February. Asturias is the first autonomous region in the Spanish state to host Liet International.

The contest for the best new song in a European minority language will take place in the theatre of the huge Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura, a little bit outside Gijon/Xixon. The Premiu al Meyor Cantar, which was broadcasted live by the Asturian public television, was held in the same theatre. The Asturian songcontest was won by the Asturiana Mining Company with the tonada Si nun conoces Val.Louta. A tonada is a song in the traditional Asturian style, which starts a capella or just with a drum. 2012 will be the first time that a tonada will be played in the final of Liet International.

The tonada which won is, surprisingly enough, written by the American musician and songwriter Michael Lee Wolfe, who already lives and works in Asturias for 27 years. The tonada was awarded by the jury because of the quality of the song and the excellent live performance, which caused enthousiasm among the Asturian audience. The level of the Premiu al meyor cantar was high. Among the five finalists there were two former participants of Liet International: Alfredo Gonzalez and Xera. The jury however selected the Asturiana Mining Company for the first edition of Liet International on the Iberian Peninsula. The fact that Liet International is in Asturias does not mean that the Mining Company cannot travel elsewhere. The large Corsican delegation at the Premiu al Meyor Cantar invited the band to a Corsican music festival, which will take place in the ancient Corsican capital of Corte on the 19th of May.

At the initiative of the Corsican singer Jacques Culioli, a former winner of Liet International, a large delegation from the Ile de Beauté presented their plans to host Liet International 2013 in the city of Bastia. These plans are supported by the city of Bastia and the Corsican autonomous parliament. Corsica also confirmed that they will endorse Foundation Liet International financially. Foundation Liet International is very pleased with the Corsican decision and is looking forward to collaborate with Corsica next year.

This year Foundation Liet International intends to publish its annual call for new songs in minority languages in the first week of May. More details about Liet International 2012 will be published later this year.

LINK FLICKR

From the Friulian and the Italian perspective the author writes about the rise and succes of minority language rock music since the ’70’s of the last century in regions such as the Basque Country, Brittany, Friesland, Sardegna and many other places in Europe, from Asturias in Spain to Sápmi at the polar circle. The book includes a cd with music from well knows artists such as Mitili FLK, Arbe Garbe, R-esistence in Dub and the Albanian Peppa Mariti band.

Apart from his own experiences the author based the book also on lenghty interviews with important minority language music pioneers such as Fermin Muguruza (Basque Country) and Alain Stivell (Brittany).
Onno Falkena of the Liet Foundation also contributed to the book and received one of its first copies.

According to Marco Stolfo the rock movement in minority languages is a sign of the vitality of those languages and the rise of consciousness. One of the conclusions in his book is: La musica fa bene a la lingua, la lingua fa bene a la musica. (Music is good for the language, the language is good for the music.) Or: Il futura e da scrivere, da cantare, da suonare. Who writes, sings and plays has a future. As far as the Liet Foundation knows it is the very first time that such an overview of rock music in minority languages all over Europe has been published.

Apart from the Friulian capital of Udin(e), the book was also presented at the Babel Filmfestival in Casteddu/Cagliari, Sardegna. Marco Stolfo is currently investigating the possibility to make an English language version of his book. Marco Stolfo was also involved in the development of minority languague songcontest Liet International since its very first edition in 2002.

1. Germany:
   * Deutsche Welle

   Eire/Ireland:
   * Newstalk radio (Tom Dunne show):

   Italy:
   * Il Friuli 1:
   * Il Friuli 2

   The Netherlands/Fryslân:
   * Feannet.nl:
   * Heerenveense Courant:
   * It Nijs
   * Leeuwarder Courant
   * NOS Nieuws (radio):
   * Omrop Fryslân 1 (radionews):
   * Omrop Fryslân 1 (news):
   * Omrop Fryslân 2 (K-rûte report):
   * Onze Taal
   * De Woudklank

   Norway:
   * NRK Oddasat (TV):

   Russian Federation:
   * Karelian TV

   Spain:
   * Les Noticies (Asturias):
   * RTPA (Asturias):

   Sweden:
   * SVT/Sámiradio 1
   * SVT/Sámiradio 2

   Switzerland:
   * RTR TV
   * World Radio Switzerland

   UK:
   * The Independent
   * Sunday Telegraph

   USA:
   * National Public Radio

   ]]> http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/int_need2know/media-liet-int-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/overzicht-nummers-deelnemer-2011/ http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/overzicht-nummers-deelnemer-2011/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:45:08 +0000 jens http://www.liet.nl/?p=3185 Overview contestants Liet International 2011

   LIET INTERNATIONAL by leo virgili

   ]]> http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/overzicht-nummers-deelnemer-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/liet-international-speerpunt-voor-culturele-hoofdstad-umea-2014/ http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/liet-international-speerpunt-voor-culturele-hoofdstad-umea-2014/#comments Mon, 23 May 2011 12:59:15 +0000 jens http://www.liet.nl/?p=2877  

   Liet International key event for European capitals of culture Umeå 2014 and Donostia 2016

   Song contest Liet International or Liet-Lavlut, as it is called in Sweden, should become one of the key events in the programme of European capital of Culture Umeå in the north of Sweden. The municipality of Umeå, the Sámiid Riikkasearvi and Foundation Liet International made an intentional agreement about this in May 2011.  The agreement needs to be confirmed in the year 2012. The Liet Foundation usually decides about the location of future editions of Liet International two years beforehand, but is very interested in the possibility to collaborate with Umeå 2014.

   Umeå 2014 is the northernmost European capital of culture until now. The programma for 2014 is largely inspired upon the Sámi-culture and the eight Sámi seasons.  The city intends to invite a reindeer herder from the Rans sameby to walk right through the city center with a group of tame reindeer during the opening ceremony. 

   Umeå is a multilingual city with Swedes, Sámi, Fins and students from many different countries.  Umeå is also a fast growing city, but the countryside of the surrounding province Västerbotten is losing inhabitants, just like some parts of the Frisian countryside.

   2014 is presumably the first time that Liet International will be organised in a European capital of culture.  Foundation International applauds this development. The growing cultural network of Liet International has made the songcontest interesting for those capitals of culture, where minority languages are being spoken. Liet International has also established contacts with Donostia/San Sebastian, the European capital of culture 2016. They already put Liet International in their programme for 2016. Udine, the Italian city which hosts Liet International this autumn is candidate European capital of culture 2019, while Friesland/Ljouwert/Leeuwarden is candidate for 2018.  

   Omrop Fryslân radio about Umea 2014

   

   It logo fan Umea 2014 hat in soad fan it Fryske pompeblêd

   ]]> http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/liet-international-speerpunt-voor-culturele-hoofdstad-umea-2014/feed/ 0 http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/english-music/ http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/english-music/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:33:30 +0000 jens http://www.liet.nl/internationaal/english-music/

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   ]]> http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/english-music/feed/ 0 http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/sattuma/ http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/sattuma/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:03:22 +0000 jens http://www.liet.nl/internationaal/sattuma/ Bandleden Arto Rinne Dmitri "Dima" Demin Eila Rinne jouhikko Vladislav Demin

   Sattuma

   is a folk music quartet from Petrozavodsk in Russian Karelia. Sattuma is a “family quartet” based on the idea “from the fathers to the children” and also “from the children to the fathers”. “Sattuma” means happenstance or chance, but it also means “hit the mark”. The program developed long and slowly, somewhere back in the mind, but came about by chance. Within a short time, it brought forth great results within the family circle as well as on stage. Sattuma concerts have been met with great enthusiasm in Russia, USA, and Finland.

   Impression

   Lyrics

   Sattuma- Marjanini – Darjaini

   Marjaninin Duarjainani!
   Moamosh kuccuu kylyzeh!

   Enpäs lähe — kylyzeh
   Kylyn piha pimieccaini
   Kylyn doroga kaijaccaini
   Kylyn kynnysh korgiani

   Kylyn vezi vilukkaini
   Kylyn löyly kipakkaini
   Kylyn muila karccakkaini
   Kylyn lauvat korgiezet
   Kylyn vashta ruagaccaini
   Enpäs lähe –kylyzeh!

   Marjaini-Duarjaini!
   Shulhosh kuccuu kylyzeh!

   Kyllä lähen –kylyzeh!
   D’o on päivä —-valgieni
   D’o on doroga — levieni

   Kylyn vezi mieluhini
   D’o on löyly– magieni
   D’o on lauccazet madalat
   D’o on vashta pehmieni
   Kyllä lähen — kylyzeh!

   Sattuma – My Darling, Daria

   My darling, Daria
   Father is calling you to sauna

   I don’t want to go to sauna
   Sauna yard is dark
   Sauna road is narrow
   Sauna doorstep is highy

   My darling, Daria
   Mother is calling you to sauna

   I don’t want to go to sauna
   Sauna yard is dark
   Sauna road is narrow
   Sauna doorstep is high

   Sauna water is cold
   Sauna steam is hot
   Sauna soap is rough
   Sauna bench is high
   Sauna birch whisk with no leaves
   I don’t want to go to sauna

   My darling , Daria
   Your groom is calling you to sauna

   Yes, I go to sauna
   The day is bright
   The road is large
   Sauna doorstep is low

   Sauna water is pleasant
   Sauna soap is smooth
   The steam is sweet
   Benches are low

   Birch whisk is soft
   Yes, I go to sauna!

   ]]> http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/sattuma/feed/ 0 http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/call-for-new-songs/ http://www.liet.nl/en/internationaal/call-for-new-songs/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:36:38 +0000 jens http://www.liet.nl/?p=1589 Call for new songs

   Want to participate? Sign up now!

   Download this Form for entry Liet international 2010 and fill it out.
   Upload the form and your song in our contact form below.

   Contact form

   Your name (required)
   

   Your email (required)
   

   Upload your .mp3 song here (required)
   
   Upload 'Form for entry to Liet International 2010.doc' here (required)
   
   Upload technical rider (optional)
   

   
   Bands or artists are invited to send in newly composed music and lyrics until September 1st 2010. Liet International 2010 aims to announce the selection of the songs no later than the 8th of September.

   The Asturian, Frisian and Sámi languages are already represented at Liet International. Suns, an open air festival on the 28th of August, will send two participants of the minority languages of Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and Corsica to Liet International 2010. There are six open places for all other minority languages of Europe. One of those will go to Breizh. The selection is done by a small and completely independent selection jury in the first week of September. The lyrics and music should be new or newly written and composed, so called traditional songs are not accepted.
   The singers/groups chosen will be invited to take part in the contest. Liet International encourages participants to seek financial support for the travel expenses from the nation they represent. We take care of hotel and living expenses. Read the whole article here.
   

   If this contact form doesn’t work, you can submit the song and the form at the following e-mailadress: lietint@gmail.com
   You can also send your song by mail:
   Liet International 2010
   c.o. Onno Falkena
   Huzum Doarp 65
   NL 8934 BS LJOUWERT
   The Netherlands

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