The holiday Monday closed day four of WOMADelaide to a smaller crowd, which made traversing the site much easier than the previous three sold-out days. Not to say that there was any less energy or talent on display.
Mdou Moctar took to the Foundation stage early in the afternoon. Hailing from a desert village in rural Niger, Mdou Moctar blends traditional North African music with driving electric guitars. The result is a powerful sound that had the crowd dancing. Over at stage 2, Angel Olsen performed her unique style of bluegrass/folk music. With a strong voice and a music reminiscent of Tammy Wynette, her performance was captivating and playful. German techno marching band MEUTE did a roving performance under the Gaia earth ball. Their infectious beat had the assembled throng marching along, dancing and swaying to the music.
Meanwhile, South African singer Nakhane was wooing punters at the Moreton Bay stage with his infectious grooves. Mexican performers Foco alAire mingled wordlessly with the crowd with their strange hats. At the Taste the World pavilion, singers from the Columbian band Ondatrópica cooked up an aromatic rice dish, complete with musical accompaniment. Music is a big part of Columbian life, even when cooking. Members of San Salvador were conducting a song workshop at the Zoo stage. They deconstructed their anti-war song “La fin de la guerra”, teaching the audience each part of the song for a group sing-a-long.
DJ and producer Jazzie B headed up the main stage for the SOUL II SOUL performance. Their uplifting and vibrant music was a welcome addition to the afternoon’s entertainment. Following this, the powerful performance of Genesis Owusu and the The Black Dog Band made the audience sit up and watch. His debut album Smiling with No Teeth won multiple ARIA and AIR awards in 2021 and he doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon.
At the Foundation stage after sunset was the return of Youssou N’Dour and Le Super Étoile de Dakar. He played the first WOMADelaide thirty years ago, and his performance was just as powerful and relevant today. With a mix of Senegalese vocals, percussion and jazz, it was a sublime experience. Closing the festival was the French flying angel troupe, Gratte Ciel and their overhead feathered performance.
After a couple of smaller WOMADelaide offerings due to the COVID pandemic, it was good to see a virtually sold-out event that was embraced by the music community. Hopefully a sign of even bigger and better things to come.
