folk holidays

The “From Folklore to World Music” Colloquy takes place traditionally at the end of July, within a week-long Folk Music Holiday festival in Náměšť nad Oslavou, Czech Republic. The colloquy was launched in 2003, was repeated after a year-gap in 2005, and since 2007 it has been organized each year. Over the years, the colloquy has become a household name within the festival: not only because of its structured programme, but also for the core of its regular presenters and even for regularly attending visitors, though their number keeps increasing every year. The colloquy scope is quite wide; it invites presentations and discussion on ethnic music, traditional folk music, contemporary folk music, and world music. The speakers come both from a scholarly environment, and from music media: they are ethnologists, ethnomusicologists, ethno choreologists, musicologists, and aestheticians, as well as editors and writers, and quite often musicians as well. In fact, the meeting in one room of professionals from two opposite sides of the music field was the original intention of the colloquy founders. The theme of the colloquy differs each year (because it is related to the theme of the festival), but the attendees are united in their aim to discover all possible aspects of music “from folklore to world music”, to discuss it and to present their own special interest within the theme. Each year, presentations from the colloquy are published in a reviewed volume, which is available both in paper and electronic forms.

 The 14th  international colloquy on folk music, modern folk music, ethnic music and world music 

From Folklore to World Music: Reflections

Náměšť nad Oslavou, July 25 – 26, 2017

Call for paper / call for attendance

The Municipal Culture Centre in Náměšť nad Oslavou and organizers of the 32nd Annual Folk Holidays Festival (Folkové prázdniny) are pleased to announce the fourteenth international colloquy on folk music, modern folk music, ethnic music and world music. The colloquy will take place on July 25 - 26, 2017, on the premises of the new town hall in Náměšť nad Oslavou as part of the week-long Folk Holidays Festival (folk music and world music). The colloquy is made possible with a financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.

The title of 2017 From Folkore to World Music colloquy is: Reflections.

Thinking about and perceiving music represents an endless stream of questions, characteristics, definitions, and impressions, which may intersect on certain occasions, or, on the contrary, be quite distant. When we looked for a topic, which would best provide a metaphorical expression of what music might represent for the world in which it exists and which surrounds it, we came to the term reflection. Music always provides the reflection of the soul of its author, his or her thinking, opinions, expertise, as well as pragmatism or calculations.
At the same time, music is the reflection of culture and society: traditional music of various ethnic groups emerged within a specific space and accepted canon; quite often it gradually absorbed outside influences. Music of different social levels developed in a similar way: often in connection with the period and artistic styles, as well as ideologies and mass culture.
Both the reflection of music and reflection within music are quite typical for today´s world and its crossings of music boundaries of genres, ethnicity, and more. An inspiration may rise out of local and foreign cultures; personal creative ability may carry or change contexts and meanings, bridge geographical and historical distances, and result in unique authorial accounts. Music may also inspire non-musical reflections, values and manifestations, which are likely or even unlikely to be in harmony with universally proclaimed social rules. And finally, the reflections may include scholarly reflections, which do not create music, but through its cognition can help capture music phenomena over time, which is not always favourable to human activities.

The organizers of the colloquy are looking forward to proposals from scholars, musicians, ensemble members, organizers, journalists, and others, who are close to folk music, modern folk music, ethnic music, and world music. The colloquy will be held in two languages: Czech and English. Presentations are limited with time (15 minutes) and space (5 pages, or 9.000 characters). Selected presentations will be published.

Send your applications and proposals (about 200 words) in English to the address below by May 31, 2017. 
Your application should include:
- the title of your presentation
- a summary of your presentation in about 200 words
- your requirements on equipment
- your name (your academic titles)
- the name of the organization or institution you represent
- your mail address
- your e-mail
- your phone number (your fax number)