The bagpiper - painting by Hendrick ter Brugghen, 1624

Welcome to the website of the Mokum Folk foundation!

Throughout the centuries, Amsterdam has always been a bustling meeting place for cultures from all over the world. In a way, this has characterized the city. Yet, up to today, there has been only one Amsterdam-based foundation devoted exclusively to folk and traditional music: Stichting Mokum Folk (the Mokum Folk foundation). Run by a handful of enthousiastic volunteers and folk lovers, and encouraged by a large 'family' of faithful supporters, the foundation has managed to be around for more than 30 years, practically without any funds from outside. Indeed, the foundation is pretty much fuelled by our love for music!

Mokum Folk was founded in Amsterdam in August 1979. 'Mokum' is the Yiddish slang name by which the inhabitants of Amsterdam referred to their beloved city in the old days. The original goals of the foundation were:

• to provide the population of Amsterdam with opportunities to listen to folk music;
• to create the proper environment and working atmosphere for musicians engaged in folk music;
• to preserve the traditional Amsterdamse songs; and
• to protect and preserve traditional musical instruments.

Over the past few decades, these goals have gradually been replaced by the foundation's general aim to win the people's hearts for folk, roots and traditional music in the widest possible sense, from every culture. And to bring lovers of folk music, musicians and listeners alike, together. To do so, we organize for instance afternoon jam sessions for musicians every first Sunday of the month, on the Zeedijk in Amsterdam (venue: Brazilian restaurant Orizio, Zeedijk 28a). So the next session will be on Sunday 5 September 2010. Of course, non-musicians and passers-by are also welcome to these highly entertaining and inspiring afternoons. In addition, Mokum Folk organizes the so-called Mokum Folk Podium ('podium' means 'stage'), a series of gigs at fixed locations in or near the capital.

Last but not least, Mokum Folk also publishes the Amsterdamse Folkagenda, a monthly Dutch-language magazine listing all folk gigs and concerts in the wider Amsterdam area. It also gives information about workshops and festivals, and background information, reviews, etcetera. Readers are also invited to send in articles. The Amsterdamse Folkagenda is an indispensable guide to anyone interested in folk, and in fact also the only Amsterdam-based magazine exclusively devoted to folk and world music.

The Folkagenda is sent to all supporters of the foundation and not distributed or on sale in any other way. Residents of the Netherlands can support Mokum Folk, and so receive the Amsterdamse Folkagenda every month, by paying a minimum contribution of only € 17.50 per year. If you wish to become a supporter, which we hope you do, please see the box Word donateur on the right hand side of this page. On the page Folkagenda you find our Archive, a selection of articles and reviews recently published in the Folkagenda, and an overview of the current month's folk events.

PS: Are you an experienced folk musician or band and would you like to perform on Mokum Folk Podium? Please contact us.