Adelaide Festival. Arts Projects Australia. Botanic Park. 11 to 14 Mar 2016
While the weather makes for a challenging long weekend in Botanic Park, the plethora of entertainment on offer at this year’s WOMADelaide festival makes it well worth the effort. From gorgeous music, to presentations by David Suzuki, Angelique Kidjo and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, and a bouncy castle in the shape of Stonehenge, there is something for everyone.
The musical highlights start with Dakha Brakha, an eclectic Ukrainian quartet who bring ‘experimental’ to a new level. An amazing blend of old and new, their music varies between haunting, ominous and heartfelt to beat-driven electronic grooves and rap vocals. Decked out in traditional garb, complete with tall papakhas, they rock the Foundation stage with accordion, percussion, double bass and keys. They admirably don both jackets and hats for the full performance despite the heat and humidity.
In a perfect follow up, Ibeyi hit Stage 3 next door with their unique French-Cuban fusion. Twin sisters from Paris, they are heavily influenced by a Cuban father of Buena Vista Social Club pedigree. His passion for African Yoruba culture has continued in their music; you can hear this influence as well as that of their South American roots and exposure to Western pop. Reminiscent of strong female vocalists such as Kidjo and Regina Spektor, they mix soul, pop and drum percussion to deliver an exciting and original sound.
As a humid, sticky afternoon finally makes way for a perfect cool and breezy evening, Israeli songstress Esta Rada brings a big band sound to the Foundation stage. Her strong jazz vocals pair with the thumping bass and brassy soul of the band. She cuts a powerful figure on stage, striding between the crowd and her band and firing up both. Her set is the perfect, high energy start to the evening as the sun finally dips behind the stages and brings relief to the sweaty but enthusiastic crowd.
As the last vestiges of sun faded from the sky, the electro-beats of 47Soul kick off the night with a wall of middle eastern-infused dance. Their light show is just as impressive, and draws passing crowds in as the set progresses. The 7pm slot is a tough gig, as you complete with the vast array of amazing food on offer, and a tiring and hungry crowd. 47Soul kicked the crowd back into life and set the scene for the Saturday night to come.
Sunday sees the opportunity to witness a stalwart of African music in the all-male vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Existing in various forms since the 1960s, this acapella, or Isicathamiya, group are famous throughout their homeland and the world, having toured extensively for the past 20 years, including a stint with Paul Simon on his 1987 Graceland tour. They practise a traditional form of Zulu singing, which is soft and gentle and coupled with choreographed dance moves.
For the members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, their music is a way of life and a means of sharing the beautiful culture of South Africa and a message of tolerance and peace. This message is unmistakable in their performance on the main Foundation stage; their songs are welcoming, heartfelt and in no need of translation. Simply dressed and without supporting instrumentation or fanfare, their raw vocal talent fills the massive stage, spilling out over the park and taking us all the way to the plains of Africa. The gentle dance movements match the pace of their song and blend as beautiful as their voices. The deep, well matched timbre of the choir's collective voice, combined with seamless harmonies, makes this music a true pleasure to experience.
Switching up the vibe, the gorgeous Sarah Blasko is one of the crowd-pulling acts on the WOMADelaide line-up, who enjoy commercial success. Blasko's late afternoon set is a draw card for many, and she delivers with a set that shows off both the quality of her voice and the strength of her set list. The haunting highs of All I Want are pitch perfect, and she keeps the hits coming with a great range of songs from popular albums What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have and As Day Follows Night, including Always on this Line, No Turning Back, and We Won't Run. She keeps up a witty banter with the audience and maintains a large front of stage crowd despite the baking heat.
Sacrilege is a new and novel concept for WOMADelaide; a giant, inflatable version of the iconic British landmark, which has been touring the world since its original opening in Glasgow in 2012. Open to all ages and able to hold up to 100 people at a time, the vast bouncy castle is worth a relatively short wait to completely entertain and exhaust oneself in 10 short minutes.
Monday brings a welcome break in the humid weather, and the light and breezy afternoon is the perfect backdrop to a seated performance from Debashish Bhattacharya. Bhattacharya graces the intimate Zoo Stage, accompanied by Tanmoy Bose on tabla, daughter Anandi on vocals, and an overflowing audience of seated appreciators. Widely regarded as the global master of his instrument, he brings classical Indian music to the slide guitar. Similar in sound to a sitar, Bhattacharya's steel lap guitar is of his own design and adapted to match his compositions, which are beautiful and hypnotic.
Marlon Williams & the Yarra Benders gather a big crowd in front of Stage 2, with Williams having built a solid reputation for himself on these shores since moving from New Zealand to Melbourne. Their authentic bluegrass sound is brilliantly reproduced on stage; one would struggle to find a more authentic folk artist out there today. His soulful voice is timeless; unique, beautiful and tinged with sadness. Reminiscent of the likes of Jeff Buckley and Elvis, Williams and his band are a standout for the weekend.
Continuing the family tradition, Sean Kuti & the Egypt 80 hit the WOMADelaide Foundation stage, two years after his brother toured with his group Femi Kuti & The Positive Force. Heading up his father's band, Sean Kuti presents a unique opportunity for audiences to see both the continuation of his father's work as well as a number of Fela's orginal works.
Totally meeting all expectation, the final set is a big, loud celebration of Afrobeat. The large band fills the stage and their energy is matched by the dramatic light show and Sean's stage presence. His political messaging and desires for a fairer, better Africa are as inspiring as the music. A wonderful show on the closing night of the 2016 festival.
Nicole Russo
