FOMAT Organizing Committee says FOMAT XIX on for next year
Minimum Country Commitment Achieved after a decade of effortKaliburg, Ananto
May 1, 5081Organizing Committee chairwoman Monique Xavier announces FOMAT XIX at GMHoF in LuxonMeeting the minimum requirement for organizing a new FOMAT in Kalistan has been a tough sell over the years. Many countries boycotted the last few events of the legendary music contest, and the contest has not been held in 112 years. But FOMAT Organizing Committee Chairwoman Monique Xavier, who is currently curator of Collections at the Global Music Hall of Fame in Luxon Ananto, announced last week that more than five nations besides Kalistan had committed to sending musicians to a new FOMAT to be held in Kalistan.
"We are happy to announce that we have firm commitments from at least five nations to send music to FOMAT, and Kalistan has therefore volunteered to host the event," said Xavier at a Press Conference. "FOMAT XIX's theme is 'A New Day', and this theme, which is reflected in the Festival's official logo, aims at restarting the beloved festival to encourage music arts in the World."
FOMAT XIX Logo: "A New Day"Xavier announced several changes to the format of the festival. "First off, we decided that the festival should be a cooperative event rather than one which features competition as its centerpiece. While that did drive the event to focus on the competition, it also lead to national boycotts, bad feelings, and diminution of the spirit of the event, which is to showcase the World's best music." In addition, the Committee announced that instead of just being one night, FOMAT XIX would be a week long festival designed to attract music fans from all over the world to get together, meet one another, and listen to music they might not always have access to. "The name is festival of musical arts. It should be a festival. And if Kalistan knows one thing, it is how to put on a huge music festival."
This festival format also fulfills one long term Kalistani ambition, which is to host an international music festival along the lines of the GanJam. "The good thing about using the FOMAT festival is that we can attract countries that do not show our attitudes on drugs to Kalistan to play music here. It is reasonable that countries should come to the center of popular music and play their music for the whole world to hear."
The week long festival will feature national pavilions where countries can showcase their national music scenes. "We hope festival goers will tour the different pavilions, learn about styles, history, and flavors of music from around the world, and listen to great bands playing." said Xavier. "Exposing everyone to the music of the world will be a benefit not only to the Kalistani music scene, but will cross pollinate and lead to sharing of music styles and palates for everyone in attendance." The pavilions will also feature vendor stalls where bands can sell their records and merchandise, and promote themselves. "And of course there will also be food," said Xavier with a laugh. The entire event will culminate in a show on the main GMHoF stage, where each country will nominate a band to perform a sample of the popular music from their country. "This will be the first time in over one hundred years artists from so many different countries shared the same stage. It is a real treat to even think of."
Committee fundraising has adequately covered the entire cost of the festival as well as the cost of transportation for the band and its road crew, as well as a plane load of fans who will travel to the event free of charge. "We also will make the entire event free admission and will provide lodging for the entire week in and around Luxon. We also encourage people to take time out from the Festival and tour Kalistan with inexpensive charter flights going from Luxon to Kaliburg and Sulari." The goal is to boost attendance, both domestic and foreign.
"We know that the show will seem kind of weird without the competition aspect," said Xavier, "But I think we have enough to do around the festival that the final event will be a nice chill way to kick back, relax and enjoy some music one final time before heading back home again. Hopefully our festival, which eschews the competition and the controversy, and relaxes rules on submission of contestants, will inspire more non-competitive FOMATS in the future, and more countries will seek to volunteer to host FOMATS in the future."
The festival is expected to draw more than 50,000 music fans from around the world.