WOMEX 2005, Largest World Music Conference a Winner

Bi Kidude receiving the WOMEX award in 2005 – Photo by Peter Bennett

Newcastle, UK – With the ceremonial granting of the WOMEX Award 2005 to Zanzibar’s legendary Bi Kidude, the world’s biggest expo for World Music and global sounds came to
an end at The Sage Gateshead in Newcastle (UK) on Sunday, October 30. The singer, well in her nineties yet still sporting a bonecrushing handshake, received the honors in recognition of her more than 80 years of singing and serving as a cultural mediator and advisor of the younger generations, including on matters of sex and marriage, which make her a proper symbol of World Music’s
liberating and strengthening powers in general.

This year’s edition of the leading international networking trade show of global music at the Norman Foster designed music center The Sage Gateshead in Newcastle Gateshead featured more than 2100 international professionals 500 musicians and a sold out Showcase festival for regional music lovers and delegates alike. The
air of excitement sparked by the Festive Opening featuring legendary singer Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin fame continued with singers Natacha Atlas, Mariem Hassan and many more.

During daytime, the WOMEX professionals among them more than 400 journalists met with exhibitors on more than Trade Fair stands (booths). The decision makers of labels, concert promoters,
agents, cultural institutions, the media and other sectors gathered from countries to spread the sound tracks of antiglobalization. Showcased during the five days of the fair were 55 concerts
presenting artists from 36 countries on 4 stages 35 speakers in 27 Conference sessions and 12 films in the fourth WOMEX Film Market/IMZ Film Screenings.

WOMEX’s media partner Mondomix put together WOMEX TV and provided for the first time instant coverage of many things happening during WOMEX on the plasma screens in The Sage Gateshead.

This year’s official WOMEX photographer, Koh Okabe (Tokyo, Japan), has a digital exhibition available at his own homepage
http://www.koh-okabe.jp/womex.htm.

The next WOMEX, in 2006, will be held in Seville (Sevilla in Spanish), Spain.

Author: World Music Central News Room

World music news from the editors at World Music Central
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