PRESS RELEASE, 8 June 2007
The Tenth European World of Bluegrass (EWOB) Festival took place on 17–19 May in Voorthuizen, the Netherlands, its permanent location, under the auspices of the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA). The winners of this year's professional band awards, voted for by their fellow musicians among the thirty-eight European bands at the EWOB Festival, are:
#1 European Bluegrass Band 2007: G2 Bluegrass Band (Sweden)
#3: Kreni (Czech Republic)
The G2 Bluegrass Band will bear the title of #1 European Bluegrass Band for the next twelve months. The Mideando String Quintet (Italy), who were voted #1 last year, will represent Europe at the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World of Bluegrass Business Conference, Awards Show, and Fan Fest at Nashville TN, in October 2007.
The European World of Bluegrass embraces bluegrass events taking place every spring throughout Europe. Twenty-one festivals — three more than in 2006—took part in EWOB 2007, and scores of other bluegrass and old-time music events took place during the EWOB 2007 period in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. Ticket sales at the EBMA's EWOB Festival at Voorthuizen rose by over 20 per cent over 2006; at the Spring Festival at Willisau, Switzerland, they rose by 20 per cent; Germany’s main festival at Bühl had a new record attendance; and the Bluegrass Fest 2007 in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, expanded to three days and drew nearly four times as many people as last year’s one-day event.
Sponsors for the EBMA’s EWOB Festival include the major US companies D’Addario (www.daddariostrings.com), Deering (www.deeringbanjos.com), and Gibson (www.gibson.com), and the Czech luthier Lebeda (www.lebedainstruments.cz), whose products were among those displayed at the Festival’s fully sold-out Trade Show. A Deering Vega Little Wonder banjo is being raffled, and the draw will take place on 7 July. A Lebeda F5 Premium Plus mandolin is also on auction. This year the Festival's schedule of workshops added a Carter Family singalong, a bass workshop, a clawhammer banjo workshop, a banjo-building workshop, and a workshop on presenting bluegrass programs in schools, hosted by Nancy Cardwell of the IBMA staff. The EBMA also welcomed IBMA representatives Jon Weisberger, who hosted a seminar on ‘IBMA for bands’, and Fred Bartenstein, who compered the Friday and Saturday night concerts.
US artists performing at the EWOB Festival included Dan Paisley & the Southern Grass, Andy Owens (with the Czech band Druha Trava), Suzanne & Jim, Si Kahn, and Kristen Grainger & Dan Wetzel of the Oregon band True North. Bill Keith, living legend of bluegrass banjo, was again present, and performed with the Belgian band Rawhide. US artists performing in EWOB events elsewhere in Europe included all the above and the Claire Lynch Band, the Wilders, Hugh & Katy Moffatt, and Still on the Hill.
Among the European bands at Voorthuizen, this year's Audience Popularity Awards were:
#1 Four Wheel Drive (Netherlands)
#2 G2 Bluegrass Band (Sweden)
#3 Rawhide (Belgium)
Rawhide also received a special award as the only band to have performed at all ten European World of Bluegrass Festivals.
Other festivals taking part in EWOB 2007 were:
Belgium: Hamawé Roots Festival, Ethe/Virton
Czech Republic: Sazava Bluegrass Minifestival, Jilove u Prahy; Jamboree 2007, Strakonice
Denmark: 5th Bluegrass Festival, Fredericia
Germany: 5th International Bluegrass Festival, Bühl; Venner Folk Frühling, Venne; Karl May Festival, Radebeul; Looping Brothers Festival, Bramsche; Banjoree, Hagen
The Netherlands: Boet'n Deure Festival, Odoorn; Fortress Village Bluegrass Festival, Oudeschans; Bluegrass Festival Hoofddorp; 9th Midwob Minifestival, Zoeterwoude; 25th Big Bear Festival, Zuidlaren
Slovakia: Bluegrass Fest 2007, Bratislava; 16th Country za Mestskou Stodolou, Brezno; Dobrofest 2007, Trnava
Switzerland: TriRhena Bluegrass, ; 8th Spring Bluegrass Festival, Willisau; 2nd Bluegrass in Festival, Basel
EWOB 2008 will be celebrated throughout Europe during May next year. The 11th EWOB Festival will be held at Voorthuizen, the Netherlands, from Thursday 1 May to Saturday 3 May.
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