Arts Projects Australia. Botanic Park. 7 Mar 2015
Most people recognise this month as ‘Mad March’. It has certainly been the case for me, though not for the obvious festival reasons; rather than seeing shows, like the rest of Adelaide, I’ve been off travelling around the northern hemisphere for work! Having left the day after Soundwave, it was fitting that I return in time for WOMADelaide! Unfortunately, my flight got in too late for Friday’s festivities, but I did make it back in time to kick off my WOMAD on Saturday, which also marks my tenth anniversary at the festival!
Since I’d missed Friday, I decided to do a bit of catch-up by seeing as many acts as I could. Chopping and changing between stages is quite a bit of fun. First cab off the rank is the Tijntu Desert Band, hailing form Ikuntji a few hundred kilometres from Alice. These guys are on fire, really rousing up the afternoon crowd, and playing a bunch of bluesy, funky and reggae tinged tunes, singing in the band’s native tongue, Lurtija. Definitely an impressive set!
I swing around to stage three and catch the end of Hi-Tops Brass Band Featuring Shazza T. These guys also worked the crowd into a frenzy, and with only brass (sax being an honorary brass!) and drums, they have a truly massive sound! Visiting from Sydney, they are masters of their craft, with my only criticism being Shazza T, the singer’s, incessant use of auto tune. I’m really not a fan of the funnelled, tinny electronic induced so-called assistance device. Its presence started to grate a little, tarnishing what is otherwise a great act.
Starting to get a little peckish (lets blame it on the jet lag) I figured a bit of Taste The World was in order, especially since Spanish/Colombian/Argentinean act Che Sudaka was in the kitchen. On my way, I caught a couple of tunes from Spain’s Depedro, and was duly impressed. Looking forward to seeing more of him tomorrow!
At the Taste The World tent, is a band who fuses different sounds from different countries, so it isn’t so surprising to find that they were cooking a Thai curry with some subtle Latin influences. These guys are great, and do an entertaining session, including playing a few tunes. I only wish the Argentineans had shared the maté with me!
It is a bit of a trek back to stage three to see South Korea’s Jambinai, but well worth it. Another fusion set, bringing together elements of traditional Korean music with traditional instruments; the oboe-like piri, stringed haegum and zither-like gomungo, mixed in with hardcore metal. This group would fit equally well in at Soundwave. It is a great mix, and my mind is blown; traditional sounds with head-banging, amazing!
Maximising my exercise time after my flights, next on my schedule was Ramzi Aburedwan & Ensemble Dal’Ouna over on the Zoo stage. I caught a couple of tunes from Bolivia’s Andean Quechua songstress Luzmila Carpio too, and will definitely catch a bit more tomorrow. Ramzi and his ensemble are from Palestine, and put on a fantastic show, playing traditional music of the orient, with a variety of pieces that really speak to you - whether they had lyrics or not. Sitting under the trees around the stage, you can just close your eyes and let Ramzi and co take you on a journey. Fantastic!
Keeping with the sitting mood, I head back to stage three for a bit of sit-down jazz with Abdullah Ibrahim Quartet, from South Africa; definitely some fine playing and an interesting mix of styles freely flowing through the essence of jazz.
No more sitting down though - It is time to exercise the ‘D’ in ‘WOMAD’ with plenty of dancing!
Israeli-US act Balkan Beat Box is up on stage one, and they certainly know how to get a party started! It is fairly tight-packed near the front, but the party is going off! With a mix of Oriental, Mediterranean and Balkan sounds, all envisioned through modern eyes with hints of electronica, there is no way you can sit still! The music is fantastic, and the energy overflowing. Just about everyone in front of the stage is up and jumping for the majority of the set! My jet-lagged blood is certainly pumping, and it’s safe to say these guys certainly raise the bar.
I am proper-hungry by now, so armed (or should that be stomached?) with a curry, I head to stage two for some Brazilian party time with Flavia Coelho. She has big hair and a big heart too, with her music combining a bunch of Brazilian styles with hints of reggae, Afro-beat and funk thrown in for good measure. And of course, you just have to dance!
Next, I arrive at the Zoo stage, a little surprised to find everyone sitting, since Italy’s Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino promises a rousing show. I was even more surprised at the rude cow behind me, complaining at her obscured view after I sat to the side of her… WOMAD crowds do seem to be losing a little of their hippie tolerance. And in any case, the old cow’s comments were irrelevant, since as soon as Canzoniere took to the stage, everyone took to their feet! And rightly so! These guys are all-acoustic, and definitely all-sensational! With an array of interesting instruments, including a Mediterranean take on bag pipes, a bouzouki, violin, accordion, a whole host of drums and a bunch of others, they put on a fantastic performance! There is music stretching across the Classical world, and the band knows their craft well. It was excellent to see them in the intimacy of the Zoo stage!
A little more from Brazil is up next in the form of Criolo, an act that sees hip hop entwined with soulful Brazilian grooves. Needless to say, plenty of dancing ensues, and a relaxed crowd makes it easy to get into the groove and dance well into the night! A mix of toasting, rapping, and smooth vox, accompanied by electronic and acoustic instruments made these guys a perfect party band, and party we do! It is high-energy from start to finish, and I do not see one dissatisfied face in the crowd!
A finale should always be grand, and with Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club taking to, and closing, the main stage for this evening’s proceedings, a grand finale it is! The Orquesta comprises the originals and the greats from the documentary, which is now 16 years old, including Guajiro Mirabal, Aguaje Ramos, Barbarito Torres, and the amazing Omara Portuondo, joined by a full band of Cuban music maestros to bring all the tunes we know and love from the documentary and more.
Seeing these guys is definitely a special WOMADelaide moment, and I’m rather pleased to be a part of it. The music is spot on, ranging from son to guajira to boleros, the dancing is wild, and the atmosphere electric! There isn’t a whole lot of room to salsa, but the crowd are loving it just the same! The massive 90 minute set, including encore, is fantastic from start to finish, and this is indeed a perfect way to end a fantastic day!
Now, to some rest before tomorrow…
Luke Balzan
When: 6 to 9 Mar
Where: Botanic Park
Bookings: womadelaide.com.au
Photography by Aaron Vinall
