Concert of Faciti Rota – European Folk Network Conference

The UAL’s European Documentation Centre is collaborating with Clasijazz in Almería to organise the closing concert of the European Folk Network Conference. The concert will be performed by the Sicilian folk music group Faciti Rota on 14 November from 10.30 pm to 11.30 pm in the Sala Industrial at Clasijazz.

This joint initiative aims to highlight the richness, diversity and musical heritage of European folk music, as well as to promote the dissemination of European popular culture, linking the CDE’s activities with Clasijazz’s musical programme. The concert will serve as the closing event to a series of meetings and exchanges amongst professionals in the sector.

More about Faciti Rota

Faciti Rota is a Sicilian folk music group from the Ragusa area, in south-eastern Sicily (Italy). Founded around 2011, the group is dedicated to preserving and revitalising the island’s rich musical heritage, combining traditional Sicilian folk songs and dances with musical traditions from southern Italy and across the Mediterranean basin.

The group’s name, Faciti Rota, means ‘form a circle’ in the Sicilian dialect, reflecting its philosophy of bringing people together through music and dance. Their lively performances feature traditional acoustic instruments, such as the marranzano (Sicilian Jewish harp), the chitarra battente, the mandolin, the violin and tambourines, accompanied by energetic rhythms and traditional dances.

Combining historical research, folk songs and captivating live performances, Faciti Rota creates an interactive musical experience in which the audience becomes part of the celebration. Since its inception, the ensemble has performed at numerous folk festivals and cultural events in Sicily and beyond, helping to keep the island’s musical traditions alive for new generations.

More about the European Folk Network Conference

Two days of ideas, discussion and planning with colleagues working in the field of traditional music and dance from across Europe.

Our keynote speaker for 2026, the renowned traditional musician and educator from the north-east of England, Alistair Anderson, will open the conference with a reflection on the values upheld by the traditional arts and why they are important. Next, a panel of experts with similar experience — including the German author and organiser of the Rudolstadt Festival, Bernhard Hanneken, and Miklos Both, director of the Hungarian Heritage House in Budapest—will analyse how traditional arts and their values can be safeguarded against appropriation by political and nationalist extremism.

Education in the traditional arts – and the different ways in which it can be organised and made effective – is another key theme. The round-table discussions and debate sessions on education will feature three highly experienced European specialists: Vilma Timonen, head of the Department of Folk Music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki; Fiona Dalgetty, director of Feis Rois in the Scottish Highlands; and Filip Verneert, educator, author and director of Muziekmozaiek in Flanders.

Other topics on the conference programme will include ‘Cultural fusion’: how does traditional music blend with other genres (such as jazz or classical music)? Does this combination work? In addition, the conference will feature exclusive ‘open mic’ sessions, during which any delegate can take the opportunity to give a short talk on any topic of their choice.

For further information: Clasijazz