World of Music, Arts and Dance

WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance.

"Womad" redirects here. For the South Korean website, see WOMAD (website).
Not to be confused with WOMEX.
WOMAD Charlton Park 2008
The festival's logo, the WOMAD lion

History

WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, with Thomas Brooman, Bob Hooton, Mark Kidel, Stephen Pritchard, Martin Elbourne and Jonathan Arthur.[1][2][3] Original designers were Steve Byrne and Valerie Hawthorn. The first WOMAD festival was in Shepton Mallet, UK in 1982. The audience saw Peter Gabriel, Don Cherry, The Beat, Drummers of Burundi, Echo & The Bunnymen, Imrat Khan, Prince Nico Mbarga, Simple Minds, Suns of Arqa, The Chieftains and Ekome National Dance Company, founded by Barrington, Angie, Pauline and Lorna Anderson, the pioneering African arts company in the UK amongst others performing.

Gabriel and his company, which had funded WOMAD, faced financial ruin from high costs of the festival[4] in its very first year, worsened by the lack of suitable transport to the venue (Shepton Mallet Showground) and a lack of publicity. At the suggestion of Tony Smith, the manager of Gabriel and Genesis, he and the remaining members of Genesis agreed to play together for a single show under the name 'Six of the Best' at Milton Keynes. This performance included a dynamic inclusion of Ekome National Dance Company, fusing live African Drum on Peter Gabriel's track 'Rhythm Of The Heat'. The show rescued the company and made it possible for further WOMAD events to take place.[5]

Since 1982, WOMAD Festivals have travelled all over the world, bringing artists to numerous locations and entertaining over one million people. The main UK event was held at Rivermead in Reading, Berkshire, from 1990 until 2006.[6]

In 2017 WOMAD UK marked its 35th anniversary.[7] Headliners Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra, Toots and The Maytals, and Roy Ayers, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 along with 30 other artists[8] performed for a record-setting audience for the festival of 10,000 people.[9]

Festival recordings

A double album was released in 1982 which preserves performances from the first festival. It features the Drummers of Burundi, Peter Gabriel, Pete Townshend, Bill Lovelady, and Holger Czukay,[10] among other notable performers.[11] This album preceded Paul Simon's Graceland by 4 years.

Ethos

From the outset, the WOMAD name has reflected the festival’s idea; to be embracing but non-definitive, inspiring and outward looking; and more than anything, enthusiastic about a world that has no boundaries in its ability to communicate through music and movement.[12]

Programming

WOMAD has always presented music that they felt to be of excellence, passion and individuality, regardless of musical genre or geographical origin. WOMAD encourages collaboration amongst the artists they invite to perform. The first WOMAD Festival in 1982 had Echo and the Bunnymen join forces with the Drummers of Burundi, and WOMAD Abu Dhabi 2010, saw a collaboration between Tinariwen, TV on the Radio members Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe, Grammy-winning producer Ian Brennan (music producer, author), and the French Algerian Mehdi from Speed Caravan.

  • Workshops. Adult workshops are taken by the musicians and will involve dance, musical instruments and discussions. Children's workshops involve painting, circus skills, graffiti, modelling, story telling and more.
  • Taste The World. Musicians cook a choice of dish from their home country in front of an audience.
  • Global Market. The Global Market sells international food and wares.

Locations

WOMAD in the UK takes place in the grounds of Charlton Park, a stately home in Wiltshire. The arena holds at least 5 main stages with a further one in the Arboretum. An old fashioned steam fair, global market, children's area, wellbeing section is also found on the WOMAD UK festival site. WOMAD Charlton Park falls on the last complete weekend in July.

WOMAD came to Bristol Zoo in 2011,[13][14][15][16][17][18] with a subsequent event in 2012.[19][20][21] A boycott of the 2012 event was called for by the Captive Animals Protection Society because of concerns that noise from the festival could affect the animals' welfare.[22]

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See also

References
  1. Bright, Spencer: Peter Gabriel, an authorized biography (p. 180) , Pan 1999.
  2. Derek Beres, review of "Between Two Worlds", 2006. Accessed: http://www.globalrhythm.net/Film/BetweenTwoWorlds.cfm
  3. Jonathan Arthur
  4. "WOMAD". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  5. Greene, Andy (7 April 2015). "Flashback: Peter Gabriel Reunites With Genesis in 1982". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  6. "WOMAD". efestivals. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  7. Mike Massaro (16 August 2017). "WOMAD 2017". United Reggae.
  8. "Timetable" (PDF). 20 August 2017 – via http://womad.co.uk.
  9. Mike Massaro (16 August 2017). "WOMAD 2017". United Reggae.
  10. Peter Gabriel Holger Czukay 8 September 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  11. AllMusic Review by Mark Allan. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  12. "WOMAD". FestivalMag. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  13. "Page not found". Bristol 24/7. Archived from the original on 2012-07-24.
  14. "AN evening of music from around the world will be staged at Bristol Zoo this summer as it teams up with the WOMAD festival for a unique concert. - This is Bristol". Archived from the original on 2013-05-05.
  15. "Bristol Zoo teams up with WOMAD to offer a wild music festival - 17/03/11 - Bristol Zoo". Archived from the original on 2011-03-22.
  16. "About Bristol – VisitBristol.co.uk". visitbristol.co.uk.
  17. "Trio of acts complete line-up for zoo's summer world music event - This is Bristol". Archived from the original on 2013-05-05.
  18. Bristol, University of. "2011: Womad at Bristol Zoo - School of Biological Sciences - University of Bristol". www.bristol.ac.uk.
  19. "Page not found". Bristol 24/7. Archived from the original on 2013-01-18.
  20. "Music and nightlife - Bristol gigs, clubs, bars - Bristol Post". www.thisisbristol.co.uk.
  21. "WOMAD At Bristol Zoo 2012 » Festivals » WOMAD". Archived from the original on 2013-04-16.
  22. "Row over Bristol Zoo plan to host Womad concert". 8 June 2012 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  23. "WOMAD New Zealand". Archived from the original on 2010-06-02.
  24. "WOMAD Abu Dhabi".
  25. "Womad.org - World of Music, Arts & Dance". www.womad.org.
  26. "Womad.org - World of Music, Arts & Dance". www.womad.org.
  27. "Womad.org - World of Music, Arts & Dance". www.womad.org.
  28. "WOMAD CHILE - EL FESTIVAL DEL MUNDO". WOMAD Chile.
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