Womadelaide 2020 was the last major event in Australia prior to pandemic lockdowns. In 2021, a series of seated evening concerts presented local acts at a different outdoor venue. 2022 saw a return to the vast and lush event home of Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla. Acts featured were again local with international flavor from the global diaspora. This year, the iconic 4-day gathering returned in full force with international artists and guests. Record crowds illustrate the passion music-lovers hold for live performance and the joy of communal celebration.
In its 31st year, Womadelaide provided another feast for the ears, eyes and soul. [Not to mention the stomach. The food village was a cornucopia of felafel, biryani, paella, satay, gelati…. Mmmmm.]
Patrons can listen to a myriad of music selections lying under shady trees or strolling by stalls selling exotic crafts or promoting ethical causes. But live music is about the whole sensory package. You may enjoy the sound of an unfamiliar instrument or songline from a distance. “Not bad,” you think to yourself. But moving in closer to the stage, you see the musicians’ expressions, their interactions with each other and the audience. Suddenly, it’s the greatest show on Earth. Costumes dazzle, fingers fly across strings, drummers sweat and celebrate while dancers invite everyone to bust a move. Newcomers always comment on the welcoming ‘vibe’. Punters here seem universally happy, friendly, both relaxed and excited. If you’re curious about recommendations after Day 1, just ask the next person you pass. You’re aware of the headliners, but everyone has a hot tip about a lesser-known buzz act.
Romania’s Gheorghe ‘Caliu’ Anghel with his latest project Taraf de Caliu (formerly Taraf de Haidouks) must be seen as well as heard. I can’t recall watching a violinist play (and play around) with as much jubilance as Anghel. Young and old alike reveled in the veteran’s electrifying performance as he made his instrument sing. Teasing loose strings between his fingers, he drew contrasting sounds – from sweet to discordant – punk style. Accompanied by cimbalom and rhythm section, the group took many by surprise and by storm.
Nephews of Pakistan’s Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rizwan and Muazzam Mujahid Ali Khan continue 700 years of Qawwali tradition. The seated ensemble of Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali rekindled the magic of 1992 when their late legendary uncle appeared at the first Womadelaide. Devotional compositions were spellbinding, slowly evolving from somber to soaring.
It was a bittersweet affair for fans of the Kronos Quartet (USA). On their farewell tour of Australia, they left none in doubt that the show could go on. After 50 years and 70 recordings, the sultans of strings were as thrilling as ever, sounding for all the world like a full orchestra. Iranian vocalist Mahsa Vahdat performed at Womadelaide in 2016 with sister Marjan. She joined the KQ on the album Placeless and her 2023 guest appearance on Stage 2 with them was icing on the delicious cake.
It’s said that every culture has its version of ‘the Blues’. Two acts brought the fusion of influences together in different ways. The band name Bab L’Bluz (Morocco/France) means ‘the gate to the blues’. The quartet’s Moroccan psychedelia wove ancient rhythm and melody into a modern transglobal trance-inducing set.
Saharan desert blues has been a highlight of several Womadelaide line-ups. Western-influenced guitar has been showcased in the past by acts including Tinariwen and Bombino. From Niger, Mdou Moctar (aka Mahamadou Souleymane) is a Tuareg guitarist, citing early inspiration from YouTube clips of Eddie Van Halen. While fellow band members remain relatively poker-faced, Moctar cajoles and shreds riffs with full ‘guitar face’ on show. All the while, bringing messages of peace, equality and human rights to listeners.
A generous smattering of alt-folk, pop/rock, soul/funk fusion and jazz likely boosted youth numbers among the record attendance. Americans Florence & The Machine, Fantastic Negrito, Angel Olsen, Madeleine Peyroux, Bon Ivor, Norwegian Aurora, the UK’s Soul II Soul and Scotland’s The Proclaimers drew massive numbers in front of the largest stages as did late night DJs at the other end of the site. All worthy but lacking the surprise discovery factor that sets a World Music festival apart.
Melbourne-based Dili Allstars (Timor Leste/Australia) provided a chilled alternative to the crowded Foundation Stage frenzy on Saturday night, where Florence et al. staged their one mega-gig. The Allstars were formed in 1992 to record a song protesting the capture of East Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmão by Indonesian armed forces. Favorites from their repertoire were warmly received, including ‘Liberdade’ and ‘Freedom’, with the audience singing along. Frontman Paolo Almeida introduced ‘Hau Hakerek Surat Ida’ (in Tetum language) noting its similarity to the traditional NZ (Aotearoa) Maōri love song ‘Pōkarekare Ana’. He has found, in fact, up to six other nations with a version tied to each culture. Another pointer to the legacy of trade and migration across the waves.
Gunditjmara elder Richard J Frankland is a musician, filmmaker, activist, writer, community leader, and academic. His rootsy tunes got the crowds rocking with fellow Australian Indigenous musicians Lee Sonnyboy Morgan (guitar) and Scott Darlow (didgeridoo and percussion). Frankland – resplendent in black and bling – enlightened listeners to the full gamut of First Nations experience, past and present. His personal stories were delivered with edgy, self-deprecating humor; accounts of the historic suffering of his colonized people were related with care and in the context of hope for the future.
Ripple Effect Band hail from Maningrida in Australia’s Northern Territory. The all-women rock’n’roll band are pioneers. Despite my long-term love of Indigenous ‘saltwater rock’ /’desert reggae’, I’d never realized there were no such groups recording in the genre. The band sing in four different Aboriginal languages and in English. And they really rock! Empowered, energized and appreciated, they had young and old on their feet beneath the Moreton Bay figs (Australian Banyans).
Any performance of the Ailan Songs Project feels like time spent with family. The group share songs and stories from the little-known history of the Torre Strait. Backing singers included the glorious ‘Aunties’ (respected elder Indigenous women) with Auntie Nazareth Assisi playing warup drum. (An hourglass-shaped drum covered with stretched snake or goanna skin, tuned with beeswax.) As a storyteller, Indigenous bandleader Jessie Lloyd sets a benchmark. Relating tales from her own family and ground-breaking research, Lloyd is a natural educator. Her humor, warmth and wonder gently invite listeners to learn. The average Australian knows little of the influence of trade and migration on indigenous culture in the Far North. [See my World Music Central album review on this site.] Where some stars arrived in prima donna privacy-prioritized style, Lloyd invited patrons to ‘come and have a yarn’ with her mob after the show.
Yungchen Lhamo from Tibet now lives in Australia. Introducing her performance, she told us of her first hilarious attempts at learning the English language and Aussie etiquette. She shared her Buddhist philosophy of universal love creating a bubble of bliss at the intimate Zoo Stage. Under the giant trees, her vocal delivery was spellbinding. Accompaniment featured a drummer who formerly played with Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Lhamo likewise enchanted fans earlier in a Taste The World cooking demonstration.
Of Moroccan and Australian heritage, Julian Belbachir is an acclaimed player of the ngoni. With brilliant instrumental backing (including kora), his group brought North and West African musical traditions to life with a measured contemporary feel.
I almost didn’t check out South Korea’s nine-piece ADG7 (Aka Dan Gwang Chil) fearing a K-Pop assault. But there’s something about South Korean enthusiasm and energy that is hard to resist. Yes, the young women vocalists were dressed for MTV, but their stagecraft and unabashed delight proved a huge hit with the people. Traditional Korean instruments, including the saenghwang and gayaguem, gave the music the ‘cred’ required. When they invited the crowd to ‘Jump!’ the response was instant. Boundless joy.
You get what you’d expect from English troubadour Billy Bragg, and that’s a good thing. With keyboard player Neil Anderson, he sang from the heart and spoke from the conscience. Between well-known songs ‘Shirley’, ‘Sexuality’ and ‘Solidarity Forever’, he addressed issues from transgender rights to Australia’s upcoming referendum on establishing a long-overdue Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Art installations, KidZone, dance, quirky roving circus-esque performers and Planet Talks sessions all add to the dilemma of how to plan your days. France’s Gratte Ciel performed their Place des Anges spectacle each night with a stunning soundtrack. Returning from their 2018 inclusion on the bill, it made for wondrous fun – but was controversial among many for its use of about a bazillion duck feathers.
German techno marching band, a crowd favorite? You better believe it. The 11-piece goliath that is MEUTE combined horns of every variety – including sousaphone – with marimba, drums, and funky moves. Their first stage appearance whipped the audience into a frenzy. By Day 4, their pop-up roving set saw a population explosion joining in at ground level, mid-village.
The spiritual muse is evident in the trio concerts (and workshop) of Pandit Ronu Majumdar and Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh. Multi award-winning Majumdar is one of India’s most renowned flutists with roots in Hindustani classical music. Specializing on bansuri flute, his credentials are as extensive as they are impressive. Dr Kumaresh is a superstar of the Sarawathi veena. Together they led audiences across a hypnotic, often breathtaking, musical journey from North to Southern India. From Bangalore, percussionist Arjun Kumar defied the laws of time and space on mridangam. How do they all make the playing look so easy?
Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour made his fourth Womadelaide appearance. With Le Super Étoile de Dakar, he showed no sign of losing his vocal magnificence. Truly a voice like no other, it rang out across the night drawing all within earshot to the main stage. Hit song ‘7-Seconds’ was a highly anticipated stand-out, albeit lacking the accompaniment of Neneh Cherry when both were on the bill at his previous visit to the festival.
Dance party vibe sreached euphoric heights at shows by Cuba’s Cimafunk and his La Tribu band, Genesis Owusu & The Black Dog Band (Ghanaia-Australia), sensational Sampa The Great (Zambia/Aus)) and crowd invaders Tarabeat x MzRizk (Lebanon/Aus). London-based eight-piece Kokoroko also got punters up and dancing, with their uplifting Afrobeat style. South African Nakhane combined updated Soweto’s goom and kwaito dance music with fresh electro grooves. The percussive line-up of San Salvador (France) built a fan following across the weekend. Taiaha (NZ/Aus) likewise charmed one and all. Despite his name meaning ‘The Weapon’, he speaks of social and personal healing with his folk/reggae dub mix. Balaklava Blues (Ukraine) combined music with confronting screen imagery and spoken word perspectives of resilience despite their nation’s ongoing crisis.
The Garifuna Collective (Belize) represented a Central American creole cultural blend, infectious and celebratory. Kefaya and Elaha Soroor (Afghanistan/UK/Italy) spoke of ‘Afghan psychedelia’ at their workshop. Kokoroko (UK), featuring trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey, warmed up from sizzling retro-soul to scorching Afro-beat. PNG rising star Danielle, Indigenous Australian Kee’ahn and Tiana Khasi (Samoa/India/Australia) individually brought young solo female voices into the spotlight. The Lachy Doley Group proved the Hammond organ (accompanied by soulful harmonies) is alive and kicking. Their audiences built to epic proportions day by day.
Banjo skeptics need look no further for conversion than American duo Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn. Their refined picking and rolling, with Washburn’s vocals, spanned genres from the Appalachian to a Sichuan-inspired outing. The consummate professionals were barely fazed by a nearby cacophony of bats (predominantly grey-headed flying foxes) dangling in the park’s tall timbers. Now that’s grassroots.
Author: Chris Lambie
