Roskilde Festival World Music Award

From 2009 to 2011, Roskilde Festival presents the Roskilde Festival World Music Award (RFWMA) worth 30,000 euro. In 2009, Malian musician Rokia Traoré won the RFWMA. She has founded La Fondation Passarelle which works on professionalizing the Malian music culture. The foundation has created training facilities, a studio as well as training projects, among these kônoya, a singing technique project attended by 16 young singers selected from 60 candidates. And Traoré is very aware of the way music can make a difference  for young people : “They just need opportunities, and perspectives to show how amazing they can be”, says Rokia Traoré.

2500 Malians attended the premiere

The purpose of La Fondation Passarelle is to train and make practical experience possible in artistic and cultural activities in Mali. And the Malian diva has no doubts about the benefit of the project:” I think there is no word to describe what happened in 2010 with these youngsters,” says Traoré. "Through a premiere of the show that was created at the end of training, we are pleased to have introduced La Fondation Passerelle and its work to over 2500 people on the bank at Palais de la Culture of Bamako," says Rokia Traoré.

Making a difference

RFWMA can be presented to societies or organisations that work with creating musical development in locally based music genres – to ensure a cultural stepping-stone for children and young people in third world countries. The award is presented by Roskilde Festival Charity Society on the background of recommendations from Roskilde Festival, Womex and EFWMF. "We’re very pleased to see that last year’s award winner has spent the money well on exciting projects that really make a difference," says Peter Hvalkof from Roskilde Festival.

This year, the RFWMA will be presented on Sunday 31 October on the closing day of WOMEX 2011.