WOMAD, New Plymouth NZ, 2023

WOMAD

17th – 19th March 2023
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Review by Tim & Emily Gruar. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.

Situated in the beautiful Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, The World Of Music And Dance (WOMAD) Taranaki Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary on the site. The Festival was the brainchild of former Genesis band member Peter Gabriel who began working with world music artists, particularly from Africa in 1982. Since then, there have been 160 festivals in 27 countries from Abu Dhabi to Adelaide. Taranaki is set to become one of the longest on its current site.

Finally, its back. Three years later. Stops, starts and a pandemic hiatus can’t keep a good festival down. The last time I was here the announcement came through that we were all going in to Lockdown. The fear of the unknown was everywhere.

The big message was to wash your hands! Because that was going to stop it!

Bands and artists were scrambling, frantically trying to get flights home as they learned that their gigs, tours and plans were cancelling like falling dominos. In the middle of one interview my guest was interrupted by her bandmate who told her that their entire summer season in Asia had just been scratched and she had six hours to get to Auckland to get on the last remaining flight back to her European home. I didn’t even have time to wish her well, as the whole entourage were whisked off to the airport at double time. The rest of us packed up the next day and abandoned New Plymouth like rats leaving a sinking ship and the city plunged into a dark isolation for over a year.

But all that is in the past. The signs and the flags and the tents and the stages were all back. It was if the last two years never happened. Tonight, we’re gonna party like it’s Two Thousand and Nine(teen).

This year, I was here with my 12 year old daughter. WOMAD is one of the truly whanau friendly events, with all ages welcome. It was her first. She’d been looking forward to it for nearly three years!

Friday night, on the first day of the festival, we wandered leisurely across a peaceful Pukekura Park a few hours before the gates opened. The Taranaki event is the envy of all World musicians on the WOMAD circuit because of the surroundings, a big step away from the usual inner-city concrete and clutter of many of the other events.

Behind me stage lighting was being tested. Sound checks were underway. Volunteers were being briefed. Golf carts with instruments and equipment were zooming up the slopes of the Bowl of Brooklands to the greenrooms. Roadies were testing their mic packs. Vendors were completing their displays. The feeling of excitement and the energy of anticipation was back. The World Of Music And Dance – Taranaki was on!

The queues started up. The gates opened. People poured in and settled down on their blankets and folding chairs. Some quick welcome speeches and the pin was pulled. Let the madness begin!

The pounding rhythm of a 10 strong Narukami Taiko drumming kicked off proceedings with a phenomenal display or skill and action. Narukami is the Japanese god of thunder and lightening, and there was definitely a storm of sound going on. One fierce wāhine, in particular, led the troupe on nearly every set piece pounding with such strength the sounds reverberated like tiny earthquakes around the Bowl of Brooklands. She was a force of nature like no other.

We caught most of the set from Kefaya and Elaha Soroor (Afghanistan/UK), which was completely mesmerising. Kefaya is a collective of musicians and producers based in the UK, with an international line-up that includes British, Italian, Indian, Iranian and Greek nationals. Afghan-Hazara singer Elaha Soroor has an intoxicating voice, that draws you in like siren. Most of the material comes from their new album ‘Songs Of Our Mothers’, which revisits traditional Afghan folk music through a myriad of filters such spirituals, jazz, electronica, dub and classical Indian music.

We dropped in on the Taste The World stage. This is where artists get a chance to sing while they cook up a national dish or home favourite. Tonight it was Afro-Cuban rock star Cimafunk, who has made a name for himself as one of today’s great show people, including being named by Billboard as a ‘Top 10 Latin Artist to watch’. And he and his posse were definitely the darlings of the kitchen, stewing up a delicious plantain concoction and winning peoples hearts and taste buds with a their beautiful a Capella spirituals, accompanied by timpani solos on the pots and pans. You want to try this one, delicious! All recipes are on the WOMAD website.

Of all the outfits to play this weekend it was Meute that blew me away. I did not expect an 11-piece brass band from Germany to be so, well, incredible. They don’t do Om-pa-pa music like everybody else does. Dressed in reconstructed marching band uniforms that feature dinosaur decals, sports team badges, and other weird labels they blow Techno, House and Deep House tunes by German and European DJs, augmenting the sounds and even the vocals through brass. It’s a strange but satisfying delivery that catches you off guard. Infinitely danceable. Absolutely festival music. Absolutely the people’s favourite. Everybody told me that. And, let’s face it, these tall blond boys in red military jackets were very much Mr Darcy-like swoon material – for sure.

They told me how they were a collective of music students who came together to play brass – but differently, inspired by club music. Their jackets were bought on eBay, as were much of their kit, and customised through late night sewing sessions involving plenty of lager and convivial score re-arranging.
Another surprise was the Mudra Dance Company. On the Gables stage they performed traditional Indian dances with wondrously swift and rhythmic percussive footwork expressing complex emotion and philosophical thought through exquisite hand gestures, body movements and facial expressions.

We caught Deva Mahal’s blistering Soul/Funk set (Emily’s favourite of the weekend). She is definitely an incredible talent – as powerful and enigmatic as Tami Neilson. Yet also warm and generous. A rare combination of masterful song writing and breath-taking vocal talent. Daughter of Blues Legend Taj Mahal but most definitely her own woman she has the voice of a thousand soul singers from Marvin Gaye to Aretha. Backed by full band, that included sister Zoe Moon and brother Ahmen Mahal (Imon Starr), Tonight was a chance to hear her new e.p ‘Future Classics Vol.1 – Classic’. ‘Travel With Me’ and ‘Run Me Through’ stood out as incredible moments. With her whanau on the stage, her spirits were lifted high and that came across in every note.

Deva did the whole set again on the Bowl stage on Sunday afternoon and brought the house down. It’s a feat to fill that massive space with your sound and presence. But, boy, did she go for it! We were all up and getting down! Finishing on ‘Nothings Gonna Change’ and a tearful version of ‘Travel With Me’ Deva and her sister, Zoe owned their timeslot. Spine tingling soul. People need to rush out and get this e.p!

As darkness fell the costumes come out. Many were dressed up in super cool glowing outfits, face paint and flashing lights. There’s plenty of neon. Plenty of ridiculous hats and crazy coloured wigs. Way too many sequins! There’s a human jellyfish; a whole family of Dr. Seuss’ Things; glowing net skirts; a couple in mirror ball crash helmets and an astronaut onesie (the theme was ‘Out Of This World).

We closed our night with Fly My Pretties led by Barnaby Weir. This showcase show really does sum up Aotearoa’s incredible talent – Holly Smith was back with her classic ‘Clarity’. Ria Hall ripped out two stunners ‘Where Did My People Go?’ and ‘Walk’. It was good to see Age Pryor back performing ‘Singing in My Soul’, which debuted at the first Fly My Pretties show at Bats Theatre, Poneke in 2004.

Overnight the heavens finally opened, as predicted. But not before the final song finished on the Bowl Stage. Just as well for all the 1000’s of happy campers who were well tucked in their tents and caravans up in the Racecourse.

But come the morning all was right again, with the sun coming out to clear away the rain and warm us all with it’s radiance and good vibes. Even Mt. Taranaki was willing to peep out from behind his blanket of cloud for a few moments. It wouldn’t take long for the heat to rise to a sticky 22 degrees.

Saturday opened for us with dance troupe, Le Moana. They are a collective founded in 2013 as a pathway for cultural exchange and the development of Pacific storytelling. Their graceful movements were enchanting, weaving together stories of love and loss, village traditions, church life and other things. Their energy and convex choreography blends recognised dance movements with Pacific traditional elements seamlessly. They combine popular music rhythms with raw poetry and hypnotic vocal harmonies and chanting. My WOMAD guide says their music is sitting squarely on “crossroads of trance, choral punk, global vocals and math-rock constructions.” Mmm, I’m not so sure. Their act on the Todd Energy Brooklands Stage was indeed ‘slick and rousing’, although unfortunately a little bit monotonous. You definitely need to be in the right headspace for them.

I wandered down to the to the Bowl stage to check out Bab L’Bluz (meaning ‘the gate to the Blues’) a Franco-Moroccan psychedelic rock band from Marrakech and they are insanely mesmerising. Their sound is inspired by Gnawa and Hassani traditions, combining rock, modern music, and Moroccan music. This is the kind of desert blues that surely Jimmy Page and Robert Plant looked to for inspiration. Fast and fabulous grooves. Yousra Mansour’s hair flies in all directions as she whips up a frenzy on her gimbri (a three stringed skin-covered bass plucked lute used by the Gnawa people) supported by an arsenal of instrumentals from Brice Bottin, flautist Jérôme Bartholomé, and drummer Hafid Zouaoui.

Romanian fiddle player Gheorghe “Caliu” Anghel was an absolute showman. Performing with his ensemble Taraf de Caliu, a reincarnation of famed Gypsy (Roma) band Taraf de Haidouks, they had the crowd up and dancing and twirling. He was a real character, amping up his grin for the cameras and winking at anyone who made eye contact. After jamming for many years together and apart founding members of Taraf de Haidouks were reunited in 2019 for a new project called Taraf de Caliu. The musicians from Clejani are the last generation of ‘lautari’, carrying on this authentic traditional music defined them as one of the best Gypsy bands in the world. They sure are!

Probably the best act of the day was Fantastic Negrito (aka Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz who gave us the best high energy set of the whole festival. Looking like Sly Stone but with the funk and pizazz of James Brown, the man had every single heart and mind pumping gas like they were racing down the last highway run to funky town. His set covered blues, R&B, and roots music with a mix of Southern Gospel and 70’s soul. And what a band – tight and powerful. The best I’ve heard for sometime. Blasting us with guitar riffs and an inexhaustible energy he delivered his songs like a bomb exploding across a carpark of joy. He drew on a repertoire from all over his Grammy award winning career, including his most recent album, ‘White Jesus Black Problems’ (2022) and merged a number of songs like the heavy grooves of ‘Plastic Hamburgers’ (about a crumbling empire) ‘an Honest Man’ and ‘Highest Bidder’ about slavery in the South. His style incredibly original fusion is pure kinetics, radiant and self-generating power. It will be talked about for many years to come.

Tom Scott burst out the gate like a race horse, jumping around the stage like a wild stallion trying to bolt. He blasted his way through ‘Trees’, ‘Rent too High’ and ‘Pocket Lint’ at full throttle. It wouldn’t be an Avantdale Bowling Club show without Scott referencing every possible touch point. Addressing the audience, he chided the mainly older demographic. “We got our Lefties over here. You want to save the environment. We got the Righties over here. You want tax cuts and to save ‘your’ environment!”

Avantdale Bowling Club, as a unit were totally on fire, especially drummer Julien Dyne who pummelled his kit in a number of fast solo sprints. KY Lee on tenor sax was mesmerising. This was keyboardist Guy Harrison’s last ABC show, before heading off to Berlin, so he made the most of it with a number of solos and flourishes.

Scott, still squarely on his soap box made sure the crowd knew about rent issues and all manner of other social issues, especially in his introduction to ‘Friday @ The Liquor Store’. Wandering around the camp later I heard plenty of praise and affirmation for his set. Scott was more cynical. He said that he’d been ‘confronted’ by an older white lady at the bus stop concerned that the band were going to be too loud and raucous. “You know”, he told us, “that’s the thing about WOMAD, you don’t like something, there’s always something else. It’s all here. I’ve been coming to this festival since I was little with my mum and I’m so honoured to be here. I’m gonna tell my little man for years after. He’ll be like ‘Dad, shut up, now! Ha!”

Scott was in full venom with ‘F(r)iends’ before revealing his softer side on ‘Old Dogs’, which is a more funky number before wrapping up, appropriately, with a blistering version of ‘Home’. This is the first time I’ve got to hear the new stuff, from the ‘Trees’ album. It’s phenomenal live. Another festival highlight.

Nigerian/Kiwi rapper Mazbou Q kept a smaller but loyal following happy on the Gables stage with a collection of funky beats and high conscious rhymes such as ‘Weight On My Bars’, ‘Anybody’ (about immigration challenges) and ‘Go and be Free’. Earlier in the day he cooked up at the some deliciousness on the Taste stage and got to tell us about his work mentoring up and coming rappers and musicians in schools.

The big star of the night was Youssou N’Dour and Le Super Etoile de Dakar who lit up the stage with his fabulousness. The Senegalese super star is not only a Grammy award winner and former arts ambassador but a hero across West Africa. His eclectic style ranges from Cuban rumba to hip-hop, from jazz to soul, ancient to modern. He’s visited us a few times in the past and is a perennial favourite, having recorded over 40 albums and worked with Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and many others.

Tonight’s performance was spectacular. Tracks like ‘Xale Yi Rew Mi’, ‘Beykat’ and ‘Li Mma Weessu (As in a Mirror)’, along with his most well known ‘Immigrés’ were huge, and got us all up and dancing. They were a showcase for the immense diversity of this group. The interplay between him and the backing singers through a call and respond volley match was magical. As was the explosive display of hand drumming and kit-work from his percussion team, who lit the fire and raise this flavourful audio-gumbo to boiling point. Adding even more was a wonderful dance display from a soloist, dressed in a wild and shimmering purple cape and jumpsuit. She swirled and spun like bird in flight, wings out, swooping and souring. Then, in complete contrast ‘bum danced’ her way across the stage and she broke out into a comedy routine of re-interpreted hip-hop moves. It was truly hilarious. A great, festive end to a full day’s partying. Also in the set was his most well known hit, ‘7 Seconds’, and a bopping version of ‘Happy’, which brought the house down.

It was a cool evening as we trudged back happy but exhausted, singing in our heads tunes that we just learned that day but will never forget. The night was calm, but cold for many. But, again dawn broke to a sparking heat.

Latin Grammy Award winners for best Tango album Quinteto Aster Piazzolla started my sunny Sunday afternoon with pizazz. I mean who doesn’t love tango and salsa? Dark, dramatic and passionate, this hugely talented five virtuoso musicians have the power to aesthetically unify under the musical landscape of Piazzolla and Buenos Aires.

Their pianist, Nicolás Guerschberg has an extraordinary avant garde approach, smashing the keys at times, slipping across melodies like an ice skater. Serdar Geldymuradov’ violin leads you so elegantly down every path, as if in a trance to the warm hues of Daniel Falasca’s double bass. Colour, light and shade – romantic, sexy, brash, frantic. Dramatic to perfection.

The group was formed around 1998, following the death of renowned Argentine composer and bandoneon player, Laura Escalada Piazzolla, who founded the Astor Piazzolla Foundation. An organisation with a kaupapa to preserve and promote the maestro’s artistic legacy.

‘Unhinged and musically extravagant’ reads the description The Langan Band. We caught their second set of extravagant yet invigorating pub jams. But their numbers were a few notches up with a precisely executed performance which ebbs and flows depending on the room’s mood, always keeping us on our toes. They’ve been going now for over 15 years and know hove to truly carve out their own lawless virtuosic path. Pinpointing exactly what direction guitarist Ayrshire-born John Langan. violinist Alastair Caplin and double bassist Angus-born Dave Tunstall are all going is part of the journey. Songs wax and wane between progressive folk, jazz and world music combining modern with ‘trad’ but mostly just stomping good fun – a razor-sharp cacophony of joy. Look out for their new single ‘One Whole Year’, which bucks their own trend as a comprehensive love song of eternal dedication.

ADG7 were possibly the most mad and outrageous act of the festival. Part Korean folk music, part Cosplay, Part K-Pop. Ak Dan Gwang Chil (or ADG7) produces on stage this raucous mix of shamanic funk – Korean folk styles like gut and minyo blended with contemporary Euro-centricity. All of this collective’s nine members are trained from a young age in traditional Korean music but seem to be trans-morphing virtually everything they’ve learned. ADG7 came together in 2015, the year Korea commemorated its 70th anniversary of national liberation. They use traditional instruments and a powerhouse of female vocal performances to mesmerise with colourful high-impact costumes (also re-invented from traditional theatre).

It was endearing to see Hong Ok (Singer), Myeong Wol (Singer), and Yoo Wol (Singer) Kim Yak Dae (Daeguem) all attempt some te reo Māori before leading the Bowl stage in a round of English/Korean language lessons. They tried to teach us the Korean for “You are beautiful” (당신은 아름다워) and “You are handsome” (당신은 잘 생긴) – apparently this will help us fit in and make friends when we get to Korea.

It was pretty cool to see instruments like the Piri (flute), Saenghwang (free reed mouth organ derived from the Chinese sheng), Ajaeng (a wide zither, made with strings of twisted silk) and the Gayaguem (a 12 string zither) in action, even in this distorted form.

At this WOMAD Sunday afternoon takes a break around dinner time for the kid’s parade. Hundreds of children, who have been beavering away in the specially zones area making and crating signs and instruments get their moment in the late afternoon sun. It’s always a joy to see them taking part in this event, even if many don’t really understand until later what it’s about or how special. Tom Scott certainly remembered, as he told his Saturday crowd.

We caught KITA, led by the charming Nikita Tu-Bryant, down on the Dell stage, for their WOMAD return. With a mix of jazz infused psychedelic funk numbers this three piece brought a beautiful blissed out vibe to a magical Sunday evening. Performing a mix of tracks from past and present albums plus new material from their freshly minted e.p. ‘Love Lives Here’ recorded and influenced by events of the last two years they hit all the right marks with the crowd – despite a few minor sound issues. Ed Zuccollo, in particular, brought some other worldly vibes on his tech’d out Fender Rhodes on numbers like ‘Too Much Of A Good Thing’ and their super-dreamy ‘Marianna’s Trenchcoat’. They will be doing a support show for Hawkes Bay at San Fran in Whanganui a Tara in the upcoming days, so check it out.

Our final gig was, quite frankly, more powerful than a hydro dam with a full lake straining behind. She may be diminutive in size but Zambian Sampa The Great and her crew make up for that with an overwhelming energy that floods you with positivity. “This band,” she says, “is the first Zambian band to play Glastonbury, the first to play the Sydney Opera House, and now we are here in Taranaki!” In just a few short years, Sampa Tembo has established herself as one of hip hop’s brightest stars. Her award winning 2019 release, ‘The Return’ is a mix of modern Hip Hop, Rap and Zambian percussion grooves, accentuated by some heart felt soul that makes her relatable and relevant.

Born in Zambia, raised in Botswana, she’s spent much of her musical career in Australia, where she found her market, and is something of an enigma. Relocating to Zambia she discovered Zamrock, a mix of psychedelic rock and traditional Zambian kalindula, which features heavily in her new album ‘As Above, So Below’. We heard that in the vibrancy of ‘Energy’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘Never Forget’. It’s a mix of high octane soul and rap with afro-funk tinges but still with a commercial sound.

The most tender moment was on ‘Black Girl Magic’, which she wrote for her younger sister as a reminder that she is beautiful, a solidarity of self esteem. Sampa sits on the floor cross-legged as if she’s in her own komboni, back home, with her sister, comforting her. I did not expect to be so moved by this gesture. It was really overpowering for me as a parent to see such a raw expression of love.

Following that we were raised up by the soft 70’s funk of ‘Lo Rain’,a pumping version of ‘Mwana’, the Afro-vibing ‘Tilibobo’ and an excellent cover of a Lauren Hill song ‘Fu-Gee-la’, folowed by ‘OMG’ and the Big Soul climatic ‘Final Form’. A brilliant way to finish the festival.

WOMAD is always more that just the music. Between gigs on the stages I caught some excellent Poetry Slamming orchestrated by Penny Ashton (who did a brilliant state of the nation rant/poem) and judged with the help of National Poet Laureate Chris Tse. WOMAD World of Words also hosted a number of other authors, including artist Dick Frizzell (the man behind the Four Square man and plenty more icons) who’s just released his own book about art history, complete with his own illustrative reinterpretation of the key art movements through the centuries. Frizzell, who is turning 80 this year, is still bursting with artistic energy and ideas and playfulness as he explains how he came up with the concept of reinterpreting famous periods of art history to avoid copyright of the images and in the process has fun with an imaginary befriending of Popes and Kings and painters and sucking them into his special universe.

If there was a regret it was missing comedian James Nokise’s late night comedy routine, which apparently touched a few raw nerves with necessity. We have to remember that in a time of high economic costs, climate extremities, post pandemic blues and dis-information from those fuckers on the extreme Right and Left, it really is something of a privilege to be here to see and support World Music.

This year seemed a little light on the number of artists and big names but on the other hand it wasn’t as chaotic and overwhelming. More time to enjoy each artist and really appreciate them. My daughter Emily certainly did. She had many favourites and added them to her playlists. She has a cache of new recipes and made plenty of friends in the Kids area and in the Media Centre (kudos to the Ladies at The Label).

It was interesting that I saw no one wearing a face mask. Nor was there anyone really talking about the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks (the anniversary was only 2 days prior); or progress on the Christchurch Call; or combatting hate speech and bigotry. Or the recent earthquakes in the Bay of Plenty. Or mention of the impact on the environment of bringing artists half way across the world for a festival like this. WOMAD was in a bubble of celebration. Maybe that’s a good thing. All that will be still there when we get home.

WOMAD Taranaki celebrated its 20th anniversary with a valiant effort. Sure, numbers were down slightly from previous years and the programme was not stacked with household names this time but the joy of the festival was still there. My 12 year old was certainly overwhelmed with the colour, vibrancy and energy, the positivity and love she experienced.

WOMAD is still a place for all ages and all people. We still want to hear the stories, sing the songs and fight the battles on behalf of the downtrodden, celebrate music and cultures in all their forms, just as Peter Gabriel envisaged.

Were you there in New Plymouth for this magnificent celebration of World Music? Or have you been to WOMAD some other time? Tell us about it in the comments below!

_{Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this festival. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.}

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