Noura Mint Seymali at the Williamsburg Grange Hall, March 23, 2019
Photo: Julian Parker-Burns
La Perla at Cityspace, Easthampton MA
October 6, 2023
Photo: Mariam HabibBORDERLESS MUSIC IN WESTERN MASS
Hi. I’m Edo. I’ve been presenting live music for a good little while in the Valley — about six years, give or take a pandemic — up until now with the talented and inspiring crew at Laudable Productions.
We had an incredible run, and I’m excited to continue working on curation in future events at Bombyx and the 2024 edition of Millpond.Live.
But I’ve had to shuffle things around to keep things in balance in my life, to support my other job and my family.
I do think that in the complex music ecology of Western Mass, I’ve found this small, essential role in diversifying what folks listen to and dance to, who we meet, and what we’re exposed to.
So I’ve been scratching my head about how to keep doing this in a smarter, more manageable way. And this is what i came up with: it’s a collaboration with you — the music share/owner. And with some of the coolest music people I know in the Northeast…
Here’s a secret…
Secret Planet goes beyond Western Mass. The name and concept is based on an annual decade-long NYC mini-fest of the same name, curated by Olivier Conan (of Barbès) and Jim Thompson (Electric Cowbell Records).
In 2023, we’re forming a regional collaboration between presenter-friends across the North-East: to help route artists, trade ideas, and develop an underground network for taste-based, borderless sounds.
Things may work a bit differently in each city… Western Mass is trying out the music-share model, while in Brooklyn or DC it might look more like a special music series.
