WOMAD 2011

Thousands of world music fans descended on Charlton Park, Malmesbury, for Wiltshire’s 5^th WOMAD festival. With a line-up representing nationalities from all over the globe there was something for everyone and plenty of potential to discover new acts. From Qawwali (Sufi devotional music) to Klezmer (a musical tradition of Ashkenazic Jews), WOMAD had it all.

The entertainment didn’t stop. With five stages of music, a Victorian steam fair, 6 animated films and adult and child workshops there was never a dull moment. To top it all there was even a successful world record attempt for the most people playing air guitar (which now stands at 2,227, breaking the previous record of 1,883).

The event opened on 28^th July with a collaborative performance by the Malmesbury School Project and The Dhol Foundation on the Open Air Stage – an energetic performance of banging Bhangra beats. With acts throughout the weekend such as Baaba Maal, Bellowhead, Alpha Blondy, Gogol Bordello, Oi Va Voi, Brassroots, Submotion Orchestra and Rodrigo y Gabriela, WOMAD 2011 was a delight for all ages.

 

 

The 2011 line-up:

Abigail Washburn and The Village (USA), Afrocubism (Mali/Cuba), Alabama 3 (UK), Alejandro Toledo and The Magic Tombolinos (UK), Alpha Blondy (Cote D’Ivoire), AnDa Union (Mongolia), Asa (Nigeria), Aurelio (Honduras), Axel Krygier (Argentina), Ayarkhaan (Norway), Baaba Maal (Senegal), Bajah and the Dry-Eye Crew (Sierra Leone), Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal (France/Mali), Bellowhead (UK), Bomba Estéreo (Colombia), Bombino (Niger), Booker T Jones (USA), Brassroots (UK), The Boxettes (UK), Chapelier Fou (France), The Creole Choir of Cuba (Cuba), CW Stoneking (Australia), Danyel Waro (Reunion Island), Dhol Foundation (UK), Dhols of Jaipur (India), Dissidenten (Germany), Donso (Mali/France), Dub Colossus (Ethiopia/UK), Dub Pistols (UK), Easy Star All-Stars (USA), Ebo Taylor (Ghana), Fatoumata Diawara (Mali), Feufollet (USA), Gasandji (Democratic Republic of Congo), Gogol Bordello (USA), The Gotipuas, young dancers and acrobats from Orissa (India), Hassan Erraji’s MoRoccan Rollers (Morocco/UK), Hari Sivanesan (UK), I Am Kloot (UK), Jamie Smith’s Mabon (Wales), Jazz Jamaica (UK), Khaira Arby (Mali), Kitty, Daisy & Lewis (USA), Lau (UK), Le Trio Joubran (Palestine), Lokkhi Terra (Bangladesh, Cuba, Turkey, UK), Mahala Rai Banda (Romania), Majorstuen (Norway), Mungo’s Hi-fi (UK), Nathalie Natiembe (Reunion Island), The Nextmen & MC Wrec (UK), Nidi D’Arac (Italy), Nomfusi & The Lucky Charms (South Africa), Pacific Curls (New Zealand), Penguin Café (UK), Rodrigo y Gabriela (Mexico), Roland Tchakounte (Cameroon), Rua MacMillan (UK), Samuel Yirga (Ethiopia), Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono (Japan), Smerin’s Anti-Social Club (UK), Submotion Orchestra (UK), Susheela Raman (UK), El Tanbura (Egypt), Taraf de Haidouks (Romania), 9Bach (Wales)