This is interview is third in an ongoing series of interviews with women in the music scene in Central and Eastern Europe.

How did you become involved in the world music industry in Croatia?

I started working with projects concerning world music a year ago. I was working as an assistant producer and a media consultant for a 3D animated movie, The Gipsy Song (www.mravi.com/ciganjska), which received five awards.

Music for the movie was created by Cinkusi, the most important Croatian world music band. We organized some concerts for the band during the movie festival season. The most important concert was at the award ceremony for the 16th World Festival of Animated Films (Animafest), Zagreb, Croatia in June 2004.

I became much more involved in the scene after I was elected Secretary of the Ethno Section of the Croatian Musicians Union. In six months I have managed to reanimate and somewhat organize Croatian world music scene, get some governmental and similar funds for the production of promotional compilation CD for the promotion of the scene at the WOMEX 2004. This was the first time that the Croatian world music scene was organized like this at the WOMEX fair: to have a compilation, a stand and the communication strategy. As I see it, the goal was to create an awareness of Croatian world music scene, and I think we were successful.

You recently put together a CD of Croatian artists, which are all quite different. Some are traditional "ethno" music and others are in the electronic and rock genres. How did you go about selecting the musicians?

We published an official announcement about producing a compilation for the promotion at the WOMEX 2004, and artists sent their material to us. We also formed an editorial panel, which consisted of four Croatian world music artists who decided which of the artists would be on the compilation. The editor of the edition decided which songs and in which order each would appear on the compilation.

This release was funded by partly by the Croatian government. How is world music important to them and the general public?

Unfortunately, the situation is not really good concerning general awareness and understanding of the idea of world music in the general public. However, the money we got from the Croatian government is signaling that some things are changing. We still have a lot of work to do until some things become as they should be. The world music scene in Croatia is in some ways confined to certain frames, which at the same time could be dubbed as elite, and also as marginal. Political and cultural institutions in the country are definitely not aware of the fact the Croatian world music scene is a phenomenal tool for producing a brand for the country.

How was this year's World Music Expo? What are your plans for future Expos?

My opinion is that we made a good start at the WOMEX 2004 and that we have to keep up the good work. We made some connections, created an awareness of the Croatian world music scene, made some alliances with our neighbors from Eastern Europe and other places. The plan is to appear at the next Strictly Mundial Fair (2005) with the same compilation and to be present at all future world music fairs with good programs and ideas.

What is your next project as the Secretary of the Ethno Section of the Croatian Musicians Union?

Several months ago I made a strategy for the development of the Ethno Section over the next couple of years. We applied for a substantial sum of money from governmental institutions for next year. Programs for which we pursue the money consist of around ten projects. Some of them are: production of a Croatian world music compilation, promotion of that compilation with concerts, workshops etc., participation in all world music expos and also MIDEM, creation of serious Croatian world music web and database, production of two documentaries about the Croatian heritage and world music scene, a television show about world music, and some more. So, there is a lot work to be done.

Rachel Mackow