Berlin, Germany - The WOMEX website is online with its new 2004 design and all information about Registration and Showcases, Conference Sessions and Award proposals. The deadline for all proposals is Friday, May 28, 2004. On the website, you can either download the pdf forms or use the online forms to avoid misspellings. The Showcase Proposal Form is only available as pdf file and has to be filled in and sent to WOMEX together with the material requested. Award proposals have no form and are accepted in free style at award@womex.com.

This Year's Jury

All Showcases, Conference sessions and the Award winner will be selected from the proposals received by the WOMEX Jury. The so called 7 Samurai of 2004 are Jenny Adlington (UNESCO Consultant/UK), Francis Gay (WDR Funkhaus Europa/France/Germany), Uli Lemke (Blue Rhythm/Jazzthing/Germany), Artemi Troitsky (Moscow State University/ Ren-TV/Russia), Ahmet Ulug (Doublemoon Records/Pozitif/Turkey), Marion von Gaudecker (Griot/Germany) and Michel Winter (Divano Production/France/Belgium). Check out their biographies on the updated website at http://www.womex.com/special/realwomex/framwom7.html. Keep in mind that all proposals plus material should be sent directly to the WOMEX office only.

Essen Calling

Following the two-yearly rhythm of one year at home and one year abroad for a last time, WOMEX this year returns to Essen, Germany. In cooperation with Projekt Ruhr, Stadt Essen and Kulturbuero Essen, Entwicklungsgesellschaft Zollverein EGZ, Stiftung Zollverein, Essen Marketing EMG and Funkhaus Europa, the WOrld Music EXpo ties in with its successful Essen debut in 2002 to add yet another color to Gerard Mortier's dazzling Ruhr-Triennale in the heart of the Ruhr area. The WOMEX venue once more is Zeche Zollverein in Essen, which is included in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites,  the shut down colliery gone cultural centre perplexes its visitors with its "Metropolis" dreams come true scenery by existence alone.