WOMAD 2018: Day 3

WOMAD 2018 has come to an end. Michael Flynn and Tim Gruar document the final day of this year’s festival with pictures and words.

Predictably, Sunday is always the ‘chill out day’ at this festival.  Time for yoga, sleep-ins and ZUMBA – at the Dell Stage!  By 11.00 O’clock the line to the in-gate went all the way up to the Racecourse, about half a mile.  Their were over 15,500 on site, according to TAFT CEO Suzanne Porter.  Not bad for a festival now in it’s 14^th year.  Today was all about culture and expanding the mind with some 70’s Afro Funk, Chilean pop, Poetry slams, culinary adventures and Desert Blues.

At the Te Paepae stage I caught a bit of a beat-boxing workshop and at The Nova Taste The World Stage they were doing the TSB Community Trust Cook Off.  On the Gables Stage, which is conveniently right next to the media area, I caught the set of Iraqian Oud player Rahim Alhaj.  I found it refreshing to hear his very strict ‘parlour’ music, accompanied by an Iranian santour (a zither) and an Arabic percussionist.  Their beats are very different in construct – quite mesmerising but also remarkably soulful.

One of today’s heavy weights might be unknown to many Kiwis – until now.  Pat Thomas is one of Ghana’s all time greatest vocalists, playing for over 50 years.  He started in the bar scene before moving to Canada for a while due to civil war in the 1970’s, hooking up with exiles over there.  His legacy includes working with Ebo Taylor and Tony Allen.  That experience came out with him performing with his five piece Kwashibu Area Band – a collection of Ghanian players from all over the world.  Their particular type of Afro Funk differs from Fela Kuti and other African musicians because they only use one guitarist, so the groove is dirtier but the funk is still ultra-good for dancing.  His set covered a number of differing styles from his career including Hi-Life, reggae and big band Astro-jazz, complete with a stonking brass section.  I’m not an expert but I recognised a couple of classics such as Ma Huno and Yamona.

WOMAD has always been about an experience winder than just music.  Today, there were workshops by poets and novelists, like Paul Cleave.  He writes mysteries, with his latest book, A Killer Harvest, he told us, being about the very creepy concept of genetic memory.

If you mention poetry to some people you might as well have told them they’d stepped in something horrible but Penny Ashton knows how to make a party out of a few well chosen words.  She gave us a couple of her own, including a hilarious and slightly naughty ode to her hubby, Yorkshire poet Matt Harvey.  He came on after to do some very funny absurdist poetry – lists of things that go together – like ‘arseholes and BMW’s’.  The hour was rounded off with more humour from Samoan poet Tusiata Avia and last year’s Poetry Slam winner.

I noticed that the talking bookshelf (people who share their life experiences) was considerable under stocked this year.  Although, there was a rather fine gentleman dressed in full Centurion armour on hand to share his rather quirky genealogy.

Children were well catered for again this year.  As always, there’s a dedicated space for them, with crafts, entertainers and plenty of things to climb on.  There was also a children’s parade on at 6PM, a tradition at WOMAD where all kids on site get to dress up and participate.  And if that wasn’t enough a they could join in A Curious Game, a pop up activity run by actors dressed as elaborate cartoon chess pieces, who were organising kids into various crazy formations on a huge black and white checkerboard.

Down on the Dell Stage, Mahuia Bridgeman- Cooper’s collective , The Black Quartet (dressed all in white) were performing a set of modern tunes, including Springsteen’s Fire.  They’ve jammed with people like Kayne West, MJD and Ladyhawke, so they had plenty of material to draw on.  They have a traditional set up of cello and violins and I know what they are capable of but, sadly, they chose to stay away from anything really challenging or truly inspirational in their set.  Being a festival it was no surprise when they were joined on stage by Hopetoun Brown to finish with Aha’s Take On Me.  It was a warm late summer afternoon, so the perfect time to get away with something like that.

If a higher, more classical experience was what you were after, then that could be found with Victoria Hanna’s workshop.  Raised in Jerusalem in an ultra-orthodox household she gave a compelling talk about her music and her discovery of the secular world.  She explained how singing and rapping in Aramaic had helped her overcome her life-debilitating stutter.  Her warmth and humour during her workshop was quite surprising after seeing her performance the night before and everyone was mesmerised by this exceptionally brave woman.

The night party started with the obligatory gypsy music, provided by Chico Trujillo from Chile .  There’s not a great deal I can say about this nine piece except that their version of lounge music is more akin to a bar brawl than a quiet cocktail on the porch.  It’s raucous, brash and brassy.

By comparison, their compatriot Nano Stern did his second set of keen pop tunes and then went off to cook everyone Ceviche and chillied prawns in the food tent with Jax Hamilton – plus a couple of acoustic folk songs.  I tried his food. Delicious.  And his singing’s not bad either.

The Miltones came on the Gables Stage at 4PM, just in time for beer-o’clock. Milly Taybak was in fine voice today, enjoying the sunshine and showing off her bright pink satin kimono dress.  The band mostly go for the rockier 70’s rock things, so for any leftover Dragon fans they were most likely to have been down the front hard at it on the floor.  They even chucked in Neil Young’s Down By The River, alongside their own Pursed Lips, Wildfire and Gypsy Queen plus a stack more of barnstormers.  Halfway they toned it down for down for a version of Glory that will put goosebumps on an elephant.  Guy Harrison’s solo on keyboards in that one those particularly memorable moments from their hour on stage.

Towards the end of the day, I caught another headliner Tinariwen, the renowned Tuareg collective from Northern Mali who play a unique version of desert blues.  On stage they cut a striking image, playing in full head gear and robes.  Their sound is raw and powerful, yet bone dry like the sand.  When they first appeared on the World Music scene a few years back they were a surprising act, almost a novelty.  Now days, there are many bands that sound similar.  Their new album, Elwan, recorded in Morocco provided most of the material.  I recognised Sastanàqqàm but having not heard the new album or had any help from the stage it was hard to be able to tell you what else they played, save for one of their big hits Cler Achel.  That didn’t stop everyone getting the gypsy groove on in preparation for Flamenco-metal act Rodrigo Y Gabriela.  Alas, travel plans meant I missed them and was left wanting.

Overall, the weather, the food and the music made Sunday at WOMAD another memorable day out for all the family.  This festival knows its strengths and always plays to them.  That’s why I’ll keep coming back.  My only grumble – once again, there very little ‘dance’ in the program.  It would have been nice to see that.  Next time, perhaps.  Big thanks to all the volunteers, as well.  They really made it special.

Tim Gruar

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Michael Flynn: