On Thursday, October 22, 20220 I attended my first day of the digital edition of WOMEX, the annual gathering of world music professionals.
I was impressed with the way the organizers pulled it off. WOMEX set up a virtual chat system called Mattermost that allows participants to network. There is a main channel called Town Square where everyone can introduce themselves and chime in on the showcases and other events. There are also channels for specific topics like Colombian, Italian, Cuban music, etc. Users can also contact any participant privately and start up a conversation; and there are private channels as channels. It’s a fantastic way to communicate with colleagues across the globe.
The WOMEX Mattermost chat community is a tool that should be considered for future events, even if people are attending in person.
The showcases were virtual, as announced. The Stage Left highlights were young South Korean trio Dongyang Gozupa and Urban Village from South Africa.
Dongyang Gozupa play instrumental music using a traditional Korean hammered dulcimer called the yanggeum along with powerful electric bass and drum kit. It is an innovative combination of progressive rock, post rock and Korean traditional music.
Yanggeum player Yun Eun Hwa has modified and improved her musical instrument, making it larger, allowing for speedier playing. The band was scheduled to play in the United States, but the tour was cancelled due to the corona virus. The rest of the group includes Choi Woo Young on bass and Jang Do Hyuk on drums. The group released Surface in 2019.
Soweto band Urban Village played a tasteful mix of traditional South African music, Zulu jam rock and funk. Band members include Lerato Lichaba on guitar; Simangaliso Dlamini on bass; Xolani Mtshali on drums; and Tubatsi Mpho Moloi on lead vocals, flute and mbira.
Urban Village released the ‘Ubaba‘ EP on French label Nø Førmat! in 2020. A full album titled ‘Udondolo’ is scheduled for release on January 22, 2021.
Bára Zmeková, from the Czech Republic, has a fine voice and performed enjoyable songs with piano and various other instruments.
I didn’t find any interest in MC Yallah & Debmaster, a Ugandan rapper based in Germany.
Watch the whole set here:
The Stage Right had some of the strongest showcases. One of the high points was Madalitso Band, playing a stripped down acoustic concert from the streets of Ligongwe, the capital city of Malawi. The duo plays a unique form on Malawian roots music the babatone or babatoni, a home-made one-stringed bass instrument that is very popular in Malawi and the four-string guitar.
Band members are Yobu Maligwa on lead vocals and babatoni and Yosefe Kalekeni on four-string guitar and backing vocals and homemade foot drum. Bongo Joe Records released their album Wasalala.
Another impressive act that attracted a lot of attention evidenced by numerous comments in the Town Square was Mexican band Son Rompe Pera. The group plays a groundbreaking form of Mexican marimba music by mixing traditional music with cumbia, rock and retro rockabilly guitar. Son Rompe Pera is led by two marimba-playing brothers, Jesús Ángel Gama (Kacho) and Allan Gama (Mongo). The group released Batuco (a tribute to their late father) on February 28, 2020.
More great stuff: Hugar, from Iceland, delivered dreamy ambient synth drones, electric piano, soaring and spacey electric guitar. It was a mesmerizing display of ethereal post rock. Band members are Bergur Þórisson and Pétur Jónsson. Their discography includes Hugar (2014) and Varða (Sony Masterworks, 2019)
The final showcase presented Bashavel from Slovakia. The ensemble performed a captivating mix of jazz with Slovak music, delivering finely crafted interplay between the piano, cimbalom and fiddle. Line-up: Klaudius Kovac on piano; Marcel Comendant on cimbalom; Peter Solarik on drums; Robert Ragan on double bass; and Stanislav Paluch on violin. Bashavel released Hoorhay in 2016.
Watch the Stage right:
More about WOMEX
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.