THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER
Despite the rest of Spain having fallen under a stormy autumn cloud, Seville awoke to crystal blue skies and soul-uplifting sunshine. A good omen for this last Andalusian edition of WOMEX.
More than just a festival, WOMEX is above all a trade fair and the companies and delegates attending are here to make contacts and hopefully do some business. No doubt a sign of the times, numbers are slightly down on last year’s record attendance, but the 320 stands exhibiting 650 companies from a multitude of countries were far better distributed in the two halls of the FIBES than before.
As if arranging meetings and clinching deals was not enough to be getting on with, WOMEX also offers delegates the rare opportunity to listen to and learn from the experience of many experts in a series of conferences, today’s titles ranging from “Scandal, Satire and Social Change” to “Formatting – Curse or Blessing?”. Another wonderfully vibrant branch in World Music is that of music documentaries, and today the screening of our in-house production “Desert Blues, a Musical Journey into the Heart of Mali” went down famously with those who took the time off to be there.
The first day’s programme of showcases began in style with the Zabit Nabizade Trio representing the revered mugham tradition from Azerbaijan. A spiritual and transcendental experience with Zabit’s powerful voice, full of emotion, transporting the audience to the windswept plains of his homeland, accompanied by the virtuosic compositions and improvisations of the trio’s tar and kemence players.
Next on the stage of the FIBES’ Al-Andalus hall was Liu Fang from China, also known as the “Empress of pipa”. The audience was in for a treat as this beautiful and elegant master pipa (the Chinese lute) and guzheng (long-zither) player presented a repertory of Chinese classical music full of subtleties and nuances. Her love of her instruments and musical prowess left no one in doubt that they were witnessing a rare gem in action.
The first of the evening’s showcases, divided between the Teatro Lope de Vega and the outdoor Pavilions in Seville’s Plaza de España, was Fatima Spar & The Freedom Fries. An eclectic group that not only looks good on stage but sounds fantastic too – difficult to define (but we’re here to try!) their mix of Turkish, klezmer, swing, Balkan... sounds conjures up images of smoke-filled Berlin cabarets during the War and lead singer Fatima Spar’s velvet vocals, quirky theatrics and piercing gaze is impossible to resist. WOMEX General Director Gerald Seligman even missed dinner to see her!
Back at the Teatro Lope de Vega, Hungary’s master cimbalom player Kalman Balogh presented a show that could have taken place in his living room, while just next door on the off WOMEX stage, Gong Myoung from Korea gave an impressively hi-energy, almost hard rock, performance of traditional percussion and wind instruments. Later Eneida Marta from Guinea-Bissau made a gift of her voice, her smile and her person, beautifully accompanied by the light fingers of Ibrahim Galissa, her Kora player. Her generous vitality had no trouble in winning over the often tricky-to-please professional audience.
Canada-based but Cuban-born Alex Cuba might not be what you expect from a native of the Caribbean but his funky rock cancion compositions, clear voice, groovy guitar and perfect hair warmed the atmosphere, despite the rain that finally fell from Seville’s sky. In the next-door Pavilion, Les Amazones de Guinée from Guinea-Conakry got delegates’ feet moving – and those who didn’t were in trouble! This is a ‘military women’s band’ whose festive sound means business!
One of the clear highlights of the evening took place in the luxury interior of the Teatro Lope de Vega, with Corsican vocalists A Filetta. Their mastery of the island’s vocal polyphonic tradition is such that their creativity knows no bounds. Many of the delegates transported into another dimension, another time and place, found it impossible to see anything else, for fear of losing that very special feeling only A Filetta concerts bring.
But there was much more to come and great moments to share with Colombian Cimarrón and the joropo music from the immense plains of Los Llanos Orientales that cross the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Incredible virtuosity on their harp, bandolas, and percussion backed heart-felt singing evoking the cattle ranches and vast landscapes of their homeland, and a memorable showcase that deservedly finished with a standing ovation, ended with an energetic display of traditional dancing.
Back at Plaza España, Speed Caravan is the latest project from Mehdi Haddab (Ekova, DuOud) and his electric oud. The name is perfect for this group pumping out raging beats and big sounds at terrific speed. Joined by Asian Dub Foundation’s singer Rocky for a full-on jam, this was the perfect antidote for anyone feeling sleepy towards the end of the evening.
And the final showcase of this WOMEX’s first day, Mali’s Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba was simply the cherry on the cake! Representing Mali’s age-old Bambara culture, this is the country’s first ngoni quartet. A magnificent performance enchanted the audience by its liveliness and good vibes, while the musicians showed off their dexterity and skill with great joy and good humour.
Bravo the WOMEX for a fabulous first day. It’s great to be back!
Marushka Vidovic |
Mondomix - the essential online resource for worldwide music and culture. Music, cinema, literature, society, travel, events, reports, artists. Experience the world with Mondomix.
