About EWOB...
SHORT HISTORY ABOUT EWOB
For over forty years, Europeans in all parts of the Continent have been playing bluegrass music. Individual countries have produced many individual musicians, bands, and luthiers to match US standards, and American artists are increasingly coming to this bluegrass-friendly environment. Concerts and festivals take place throughout the year. In the last ten years, with the encouragement of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), two major steps have been taken towards a unified European scene.
First: since 1998 the European World of Bluegrass (EWOB) month has been held every May, comprising over 100 concerts and festivals throughout Europe. The highlight is the EWOB Festival in Voorthuizen, the Netherlands, which showcases the best European bluegrass talent as well as presenting US guests.
Secondly: in 2001 the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) was formed as a coordinating body, with a magazine, BLUEGRASS EUROPE, and a website, www.ebma.org.
The EWOB Festival, which in 2003 won the IBMA award for Bluegrass Event of the Year, is held under the auspices of the EBMA. For further information, contact the EBMA, Steinenweg 8, CH-4133 Pratteln, Switzerland, e-mail paolo@ebma.org.