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World’s biggest global music festival spotlights Bristol
The festival that holds the Guinness World Records title for the world’s largest international music festival has chosen to showcase its “strong links with Bristol’s independent music community” this year.
WOMAD, the World of Music and Dance weekender that has been running for over four decades with events in 27 countries, has a long-established relationship with our city.
It was founded in 1982 by musician Peter Gabriel along with, reportedly, “a bunch of like-minded and musically curious Bristolians”.
This ‘bunch’ actually consisted of Thomas Brooman, the editor of ‘print and audio’ alternative music magazine the Bristol Recorder, and his colleagues who Gabriel roped in over the phone.
WOMAD attracts more than 40,000 people each year with its mix of high quality global sounds, literary and science strands, a ‘taste the world’ cookery stage and dedicated kids’ area – photo: Ryley Morton
Following the first edition in Shepton Mallett, the team worked to build an audience by holding events across the UK designed to “celebrate the richness and magic of all our cultural differences and to demonstrate the stupidity of racism,” according to Gabriel.
While it took years, as well as an emergency fundraising Genesis concert, to get the festival on solid financial footing, it now attracts 40,000 people annually to see acts from around the world.
After a year’s hiatus WOMAD returns this July to a new location of Neston Park near Corsham, and it has handed programming of its late night musical takeovers over to four Bristol collectives.
Independent music venue the Jam Jar, known for bringing global talent to its home in St Jude’s, are planning ‘a blend of jazzy and percussive sounds that connect influences from across the continents’ featuring DJs Volta45, Santa Leticia, Miss Mash and their own expert programmer Ru Robinson.
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Saffron, the music tech initiative redressing gender imbalance in the music industry with programmes for women and non-binary people, has programmed Booty Bass founder NGAIO, Noods Radio resident Chiedza and Anything But Becky.
All three artists are graduates of the initiative and “each brings a distinct energy, spanning deep percussive rhythms, bass-heavy club sounds, soulful electronic textures, and high energy,” Saffron says.
“The line-up celebrates artists who are not only incredible selectors but who are also shaping the future of underground music through community and creativity.
“It is a snapshot of contemporary Black electronic music culture, spotlighting artists who are pushing conversations around representation and visibility in club and festival spaces. Audiences can expect an atmosphere that is vibrant, uplifting and free.”
Twende, a collective whose name means “let’s go” or “let’s move” in Swahili, have been connecting from across the UK, Mali, Bangladesh, France, Cuba and beyond with live performance and clubnights. Their takeover will feature collaborative acts of musicians and DJs.
And VP Productions, “renowned for their vibrant celebrations of global music”, will present a night of afrobeat, reggae, Latin sounds and more.
The takeovers join a programme of more than 150 acts including headliners Greentea Peng, Oumou Sangaré, Barrington Levy and José González.
“Curating WOMAD is about discovery, bringing together artists from different musical worlds who expand horizons and connect with our audience,” global artist programmer Paula Henderson said.
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WOMAD takes place at Neston Park, Wiltshire, over July 23-26. The full lineup is at womad.co.uk
Main image: Garry Jones
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