The Manganiyar Seduction by Roysten Abel

This was certainly one of the most visually stimulating shows at WOMAD this year. Even if you didn’t enjoy the music (which I did), just the set design on it’s own was really impressive. As you can see, all of the musicians were sitting or sometimes standing in these cubes with lights around them, and as they performed the lights around their box came on. When they weren’t performing their lights went off. There were 40 musicians involved in this performance which lasted about an hour and a half.

Aside from the visual spectacle the music was amazing too and included some really incredible performances. But the thing needed to be seen and heard as a whole really. It was made to be experienced as a package, and so I think it’s difficult to explain or convey just how good it was.

The Arboretum at WOMAD

One thing that I perhaps don’t mention to much about WOMAD is about what a lovely location and environment it is. The Arboretum at WOMAD is a good example of this. It is probably most impressive at night when the installations and displays are lit up and really make the environment come alive.

Though even through the day it’s a lovely place to amble through in between watching great music and finding interesting food. I think I spent  more time there this year than in past years. Perhaps I had to spend more time reflecting this year.

The Correspondents at WOMAD

I did really like this band. They were a bit of a revelation and also in some ways a bit of an oddity from a WOMAD perspective. From a live perspective they were both amazing and somewhat pedestrian at the same time. The front man had more energy than you likely to see on most stages, but the chap driving the sound was really just a laptop operator. Not that there’s anything wrong with that at all, but I thought it was an odd contrast.

After WOMAD I looked them up on Spotify and listened to some of their stuff, which was good on the whole, it’s just a shame that there isn’t very much of it available.

Taste the World

I’d never been to the Taste The World tent at WOMAD properly before, so this was a bit of a new experience for me, and it was really good. To the point where I’d like to get hold of some of the recipes actually. Not that I can find them on the WOMAD site as yet, so I hope they haven’t been taken down already.

I thought it was a great idea to get some of the artists showing their favourite recipes and how to make them, and next time I’m at WOMAD I’ll certainly give it a go again.

Crak! Meeting Tuup from TGU

When I was at Beyond the border I had the good fortune to meet up with Tuup from Transglobal Underground. What a lovely man. Happy to have a chat and entirely approachable.

Sadly I didn’t get to see their set at BTB, but hopefully I’ll get to see them soon, either this month or later in the year.

The magical walk to Beyond the Border (or at least it was)

In years gone by this was the walk down from the camp site to the main festival site for Beyond the Border. Sadly it wasn’t so magical this year. Perhaps largely due to the weather and the fact that it was so muddy.

Anyway, it wasn’t as nice as before, which was a shame, but the event itself was good, and that’s more or less the main thing I guess.

Been to Beyond the Border

Once again it was Beyond the Border this year. The international Storytelling festival in Wales. Another good one too. I really enjoyed it. I’ll be posting some more pictures and memories of this year’s festival soon enough.