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WOMEX 2011 Highlights
Posted on November 5th, 2011 in Songlines Blog by Jo Frost.
So Long Copenhagen…
After five days of fog and drizzle and extortionately expensive food and drink, I can’t say I was sad to see the last of WOMEX in the Danish capital. But I will miss the sight of Jean Nouvel’s stunning cube-like concert hall, lit up every evening in blue swirls.
So here’s a round-up of my favourite WOMEX music showcases this year.
Sadly, like most of the day showcases, I only caught about 20 minutes of Shunsuke Kimura x Etsuro Ono’s set – a Japanese Tsugaru-shamisen duo. These guys create some seriously funky blues music played on a three-stringed instrument with something that looks like a large hair clipper. They also performed on the Charlie Gillett stage at WOMAD this summer – definitely worth keeping an eye open for them in the future.
Sunshuke Kimaru x Estura Ono, courtesy of Kenan Zonnema
I nearly didn’t go and see Boubacar Traoré’s set, having seen him earlier in the year, but I am so glad I did. Possibly my favourite showcase at this year’s WOMEX and without a doubt, he was the best dressed musician, looking very dapper in a snazzy black & white checked suit, with matching cap. Hard to believe he is nearly 70 years old, especially when he does his little dance shuffle. Another highlight of this show was the fabulously soulful harmonica playing of Vincent Bucher. For a taster, check out the track ‘M’Badehou’ from Boubacar’s latest album Mali Denhou, a Top of the World in #74.
Boubacar Traoré, courtesy of Jacob Crawfurd
Saturday and the final night of showcases, and despite the usual end of WOMEX exhaustion and tired legs syndrome, even I managed to get my body dancing along to my favourite Quebecois band, Le Vent du Nord, with their high-spirited, rousing set of hurdy gurdy, fiddle and foot stomping. The Niger-born Touareg guitarist Bombino delivered a rocking performance, which went down extremely well with the packed crowd in the foyer of the concert hall – a vast improvement on his lacklustre show at the Barbican back in September. And finally, JuJu, who continued in a similar vein with a rollocking demonstration of how to get weary and inebriated WOMEX delegates dancing and going home smiling. The perfect rounding up of WOMEX 2011. Roll on Thessaloniki!
Juldeh Camara of JuJu, courtesy of Jacob Crawfurd
JuJu and Bombino to rock the Barbican
Posted on September 19th, 2011 in Songlines Blog by Alexandra Petropoulos.
On Friday evening, the guitar and ritti duo JuJu (Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara) and Touareg guitarist Bombino will be rocking the Barbican as part of their Transcender Festival. The festival will also include Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares and sufi music this weekend.
JuJu was a Top of the World in issue #78 (August/September 2011) and Bombino was a Top of the World in issue #77 (July 2011).
For more details on the Transcender Festival, please visit the Barbican website.
YouTube Playlist Issue #79
Posted on September 10th, 2011 in Songlines Blog by Alexandra Petropoulos.
Now that you’ve had a chance to read about all the exciting music featured in the current issue of Songlines, don’t forget that you can watch it and listen to it too. Each issue, we create a YouTube playlist of featured videos to help give the full interactive experience. You can view the playlist here.
Some of the highlights of this issue’s videos include:
Deolinda ‘Que Parva Que Eu Sou’
Tinariwen featuring TV on the Radio ‘Tenere Taqhim Tossam’
Sezen Aksu ‘Unuttun Mu Beni’
JuJu ‘Miriama Trance’
Thousands at WOMAD break air guitar world record
Posted on July 31st, 2011 in Songlines Blog by Alexandra Petropoulos.
I am pleased to report that thousands lined up in front of the Open Air stage at WOMAD and successfully beat the previous Australian-held world record for the largest number of people air guitaring. In the end, 2,227 people, led by Justin Adams, rocked out to ‘Purple Haze’ and we were there to catch the action. Apologies for the sideways view, courtesy of the high-tech iPhone.
Photos to follow.
