WOMADelaide

WOMADelaide March 9-11 Botanic Park Adelaide

I arrived in Adelaide on Thursday 8th March and met up with my hosts for the weekend John & Chris... They have a true permaculture garden the whole garden its just magic. I set up my tent under the fig & pecan nut tree.. Wonderful spot. It was so warm in Adelaide i didn't need the tent fly. On my 1st day we spend time at a local cafe and then had dinner in the city. I guess the biggest shock for the day was the bus that turns into a train - well sort of. It has wheels on the side that help it lock into a road that can only take the bus. It gets a long at cracking pace and mostly through a park that is covered with cycle paths...

WOMAD kicks off at around 5pm so Friday morning was spend checking out the food markets. I now understand why Adelaide is home to food.. I would have to say these markets were actually better than the Victoria Markets... all you have is food... all undercover... Anyway Sandrs (chris's friend) and I coffeed here and had a wonderful lunch. The arvo was spent having a nap and then getting to WOMAD.

The 1st gig I saw was the Mahotella Queens - South Africa and they were good fun. Next on the bill for me was Lila Downs- Mexico - She is wonderful very tiny great voice and even better stories. Next was Lunasa - Ireland - I enjoyed it but it was just Irish music nothing special or new. The big bill for the night was Gotan Project - France/Argentina this was a production I think some 20 people on the stage... I did like the mmusic but not the stage act... so I took off to find food and listen fom a distance... Now food was a hard choice there were over 38 places to eat and drink plus two bars.... I was a bit shell shocked in finding what I wanted... enjoyed Mediterranean prawns :) and Coopers beer yum... As I was early for the next big show I managed to get almost front row to sit and eat and wait for Femi Kuti & The Positive Force - Nigeria This is a sax-driven jass-funk according to the guide - I just loved the beat... Lucky for me I heard the call of my mobile at 11pm when my friends were looking for me to head home... I was still a buzz as i went to bed around 1am

The good thing is that it doesn't start until noon the next day so you can catch up sleep. thats assuming you haven't wandered off to some of the town pubs that are raging on or taken in a Fringe show that were just starting this week.

Next day for me started with the Backsliders- Australian blues... I sat in the shade about 1/2k away from the stage due to the heat of the day.. it was going to be a scorcher... The next group I didn't take too was Sambasunda - Indonesia so I had some lunch - vegie curry. Now a highlight to WOMAD is it is trying to be Zero Waste so everything is recylced, plates, cups, forks everything and the bins are so very well labled... Its also trying to be Green & Global so for the 1st time it was Carbon Neutral... I did have a dig with my host John that perhaps there should have been a few solar panels around the place as the energy used was coming from coal - there was no mention of WOMAD buying Natural or Green Power for the event... anyway there is always next year...

For the band Augie March I found a cool spot in the shad near the bar - had a Coopers and just listened and lied down... Its that kind of event where you can just lie down in the dirt (no grass due to the drought) and chill with the music... I needed a nap I had forgotten what a beer will do to me in 38 degrees in the middle of the day... makes you very sleepy. But I was awake and ready to see Celenod - new Caledonia... There CD is on back order I'm so excited about getting it... The music well happy music with a good beat... I loved it so much so I told everyone to catch them next time around...

At different times of the day there is cooking by the singers. This is some fun and I went to see Lila Downs - again great stories and the food looked wonderful ... I didn't get to try it but I did wander off to get a Chia tea - then this was so good I had to get a second one :) I took this tea with me to listen to Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier - Australia and they were great even the dig she made at 3G.

The 1st big act for Saturday night was Habib Koite - Mali ( i want a CD but not yet sure which one to buy) the guide says the music is semi-acustic nylon sound, fevered rhythmic exchanges and extended jazzy jams. I have no idea I was just bouncing along with the crowd and enjoying it heeps...

I have bought this CD - Entran Finatawa - Niger... These guys are great its a desert blues and the group is made up of from the Tuareg nomads and the Wodaabe... Just top music and fun to dance too..The lead singer keep talking to crowd in french but didn't stop the crowd from responding. I've not yet received the CD but looking forward to hearing it...

I wandered off to get food and found a good spot to sit down and wait for the Waifs-Australian.. as as expected it was a great gig. I had to leave early as I was really keen to get a good spot to see and hear Mariza - Portugal. She is striking and sings Fado... Lucky Oceans discribed it as Portugese blue that never has a happy ending. Boy can this girl sing... and perform she is very interactive with the crowd and puts on a good show. I made sure I would see her 2nds show also... It was time to meet my friends and make our way home.. cuppa tea b4 bed and chatting about Mariza...

I work up sunday with both Lila and mariza singing in my head. Chris and I went to a permaculture meeting in the park next door to WOMAD.. this was interesting and I have bought my 1st book by David Holmgren. Looking forward to reading. I made it in time to listen to the Women's Voices - this is an adhoc jam session with Emma Donovan, Mahotella Queens, lila Downs and Yasmin Levy. It was abit of fun and it introduced me to Emma Donovan - Australian What a powerful voice this girl has. I have orded her 1st cd... its on back order so I wait a bit longer.

The whole time the music is play there is also act's walking around I got to meet the Zoo animals, Moody cows and bouncing boncers.. I also did a lap of the shopping lane and cd shop... some more chia tea and food and it wa stime to gatch Rebetiki... this was a fun gig - greek music by a Australian band... there were so many Greeks there and they got up to dance a lot of fun and top sounds .. I enjoyed...

More chia tea :) some food and listen to the all-star jam... Then it was time to suss out Asha Bhosle & Kronos Quartet... This was not much fun at all... I sat down at stage two instead and started to read my permaculture book... but mariza came on and she was just as good - but alas there was a lot of backfeeding with the base so it didn't sound so clear.. shame they fixed it by the end...

I listened to Salif Keita - Mali from the back row. It was good big production gig I liked it but to get into it I think you needed to be in the middle of all the people. I was hanging out to hear Huun-Huur Tu - Tuva/Russia... This was just wonderful.. I layed down in the dirt and just shut my eyes and listened to the rytham.. this is deep chanting - guttural and moving... it is accompaned with some tradional instruments... The whole crowd was just lying down and listening.. such a special quiet time...

this was the last gig at WOMADelaide 2007 - and one of the best. Time to head back to tent and catch up on sleep...

It was a wonderful weekend... must do... I just want to go to one in Europe now.. one day I hope