By the final day of a three day festival, the average punter is a little worse for wear and Womadians are no exception. Ignoring the winsome few who have opted to kick-start their day with a Tai-Chi class and now appear to be waving their bodies around like depressed windmills, I head directly for Che Sudaka who are playing a sample on repeat in an attempt to attract a crowd. When the motley assortment of Colombians and Argentinians eventually bound on, they conjure up a style of music synonymous with Spanish troubadour, Manu Chao. Obtuse and trivial, the sextuplet proceed to mash together the most obvious elements of reggae, ska, dub and punk. Though together these genres comprise the blueprint of rebel-rock, Che Sudaka’s abuse of combined influences comes across as an exercise in self-indulgence and is, as such, repellent. However, this provides me with the perfect opportunity to return to the Endor-like BBC3 arena and bask in the open rain listening again to the ethereal sounds of Mamer.
Returning to the main stage and admiring my newly signed Mamer CD, I am struck by the number of strollers, wheelchairs and mobility aids scooting around. Though many festivals claim to be accessible, it is heartening to see one that actually seems to deliver these claims.
Pulled in by the affecting sounds of the kora, an instrument I’d never heard before, Ba Cissoko‘s band put these unusual instruments through wah pedals and fuzzboxes before letting rip with some unfeasibly fast playing. It’s possible to see why the Guinean group have been described as ‘West Africa meets Jimi Hendrix‘. That seems somewhat simplistic, though, and their mix of contemporary styles with the traditional relies on a fusion of genres which, rather unsurprisingly for WOMAD, includes reggae, ska and jazz. By the end of Ba Cissoko’s set, I’m set for a change of pace, and Nneka is next on the list.
After hearing Chase and Status’ remix of ‘Heartbeat‘, I was anticipating Nneka’s original, live offerings. Dressed in a green military-style jacket and dark hoody, her aggressive image is somewhat tempered by a pink and blue skirt, but the downtempo, bass-heavy, electro-pop is lively and infecting. With fist raised through much of the performance, stand-out songs are ‘Would you show me love?’, ‘Can’t wait’, ‘The uncomfortable truth’, ‘Vagabond in Power’ and, of course, ‘Heartbeat’. Comfortable on stage, Nneka annoyingly takes every opportunity to explain each song in detail, which detracts from an otherwise enjoyable set. She is the only artist at WOMAD yet seen with potential to cross over to the mainstream.
Tel Aviv’s The Apples experienced some success in the West with their dancefloor-friendly cover of Rage Against The Machine‘s ‘Killing in the name of’ in 2007. A funked-up nine-piece instrumental group, the absence of guitars is exacerbated by the prominence of four turntables scratching out samples that sound like guitars. It’s an unusual trick and one that has brought them the attention they deserve, but though DJs Erez and Ofer are fun to watch, dressed as they are in luminous yellow jumpsuits, their skills are just not up to…well, standard. Nonetheless, the band excite the audience and succeed in getting most to their feet and even making a few fold up their ‘portable’ chairs. The shock! The horror! Though the rain is well and truly pouring now, there is nothing but sunshine under the Big Red Tent. Hardest hitters are ‘The Bell Step’, ‘Upskirt’, Snap‘s ‘The Power’ and the deadly ‘Killing’. Drummer Yonadav Halevy was, for me, the musician of the festival: it’s clear to see his relentless enthusiasm and intuitive ability are valued by his fellow band members as well as the audience.
Unable to watch Roy Ayers and remain dry due to every Herbert and Mabel lying across their tartan rugs munching olives, I decide it’s time to head home. WOMAD is truly a family festival and is perhaps best experienced that way. At the end of my first WOMAD, I can firmly say that I am glad to have been, but I doubt I’ll be back.
Huge thanks to all the team at Borowski for putting this together.