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Review: WOMAD 2024 – ‘People come to discover more about the world’
Phew – what a scorcher! Ok, only a fool would go to a UK summer festival without wellies – but what kind of person wears them when it’s 30 degrees with no sign of a cloud? As this year’s WOMAD basked in relentless sunshine it was amusing to see quite how many people stomped across the site in clammy rubber footwear. And stomp we did between the six stages until Bristol 247 had managed to catch all or some of 26 acts ranging from acoustic duo The Breath to Dan Inzani’s eponymous eleven-piece ensemble.
Bixiga 70’s Simone Sou (Pic: Tony Benjamin)
With the whole world to choose from there’s never a particular theme to the WOMAD line-up – other than quality, of course – but this year saw a number of feisty females fronting up great projects, with the ever irrepressible Tank and her Bangas rivalled by R’n’B newcomer Brittany Davis and Mestizo front woman Shanteh for both vocal power and chutzpah. Drummer Simone Sou’s evident enjoyment and powerhouse energy drove Brazilian brass monsters Bixiga 70 into top gear – all four of those acts were entertainingly full on and groovy.
t l k (Pic: Tony Benjamin)
By contrast The Breath’s Rioghnach Connolly channelled deep feelings into perfectly controlled vocal delivery, all set to Stuart McCallum’s dextrous acoustic guitar. It was an intimate and engaging performance, appropriately followed later by Bristol’s t l k who similarly used her flawless voice to convey the intricacies of life experience in a troubled world. Laura Misch was a third spell-binding singer, her more abstract songs benefitting, like t l k’s, from electronic production but with the introspective interjection of her alto sax, as well as the processed harp of Marysia Osu.
is needed now More than ever
Sangjaru (Pic: Tony Benjamin)
But what of the boys? Well, South Korean trio Sangjaru were an unexpected treat, veering from K-pop into drivingly heavy rock, then Shamanistic rituals before ending up with cafe swing – all conjured from traditional Korean instruments plus bass guitar. It was truly awesome, literally topped off with enormous hats. Similarly original sounds came from Nana Benz de Togo, the three (female) vocalists backed by a man playing an instrument made from plastic drainpipes hit with flip flops. Their upbeat songs about women’s rights were also eminently danceable, but searing afternoon sunlight kept most people sitting down – unlike the later reception for TC and The Groove Family. They kept a rammed Soundscape tent deliriously on their feet later that evening with a well-chosen mish-mash of grooves and virtuosos jazz soloing.
Ghana Special: Pat Thomas singing, watched by Charles Amoah and K.O.G. (Pic: Tony Benjamin)
As ever at WOMAD the challenge is to balance discovery and diversity with the magnetic pull of big name headliners – thus only the last few numbers of Gogol Bordello’s thrashing gypsy-punk set were caught – but the Ghana Special highlife showcase was a great afternoon treat, not least for veteran pioneer of the sound Pat Thomas, still ‘Mr Golden Voice’ some 50 years after being awarded the title. Similar respect was due for Baaba Maal, the Senegalese legend and longstanding WOMAD favourite, whose voice may not have the powerful purity of earlier years but whose showmanship and commitment to the music remain undimmed.
Young Fathers (Pic: Tony Benjamin)
But it was a younger and more local act that stormed the main stage and crowned the festival weekend for the many thousands who crammed around to witness the onslaught of Edinburgh band Young Fathers’ remarkable and invigorating performance. It was quite unlike any other set – a constant flux of music and movement, light and sound, with the core three vocalists and Kim Mandindo in ever-changing combinations. Some bits felt like unfinished sketches, others structured and dynamic, driven by industrial beats and electro-clashes. In a world music festival it certainly represented the cream of creativity in the UK scene.
And all this happened at WOMAD, a festival justly renowned as much for the genuine niceness of the experience as the quality of the musical entertainment on offer. Maybe it’s something about a festival where people come to discover more about the world, maybe it’s the easy layout of the site … but probably it’s that everyone goes there to have a nice time and the festival crew make sure they get it. Whatever – yet again, it was a very nice WOMAD.
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