Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth
March 16-18 | Reviewed by Arjun Harindranath

SET AGAINST a seamless projection of symmetrical tango sequences and equine images, The Gotan Project assured that the horse had not well and truly bolted on tango. Beginning their set with the toe-tapping single Diferente from their latest album Lunatico, sitting down and humming along was never going to be an option. A flawless Mi Confecion elicited a crowd response nothing less than volcanic. The extraordinary aspect of this reaction was that it occurred as a result of the music alone; the musicians themselves devoting their energy to their given instrument with little chatter or movement between or during songs.

This was in contrast to Femi Kuti’s set which involved a far more lively cast. Prior to their performance, the ‘bootylicious before Beyonce’ dancers even conducted a workshop whereby the pelvically challenged were instructed to shake their groove thang. Although some of his lyrics seemed laughable to Western audiences, the relevance of Kuti’s music will no doubt be irreplaceable in Africa where the spread of Aids and a lack of simple resources are still significant issues.


Following a list of smitten journalists (including a gushing John Campbell) it was difficult to see how the Portugese Mariza could fail to win over the crowds. Revising but not replacing the fado (traditional Portugese ballad), Mariza samba’d inside a tight semi-circle of musicians whilst committing the same sorcery. Ending her set with a raspy cover of Gershwin’s Summertime, it was clear that the beauty in her voice was not reserved for the music of Portugal alone.

Dressed in jeans and a simple white shirt, the Malian Selif Keita’s austere yet undiminished presence was a treat. With a voice as haunting as a town muezzin, Keita conflated instruments of old (the kora, balafon, and djembe) and new to stunning effect. This muezzin-like quality in Keita’s voice also suggested the importance of Islam in his work. His performance strode the range of musical emotion, balancing the louder percussion-heavy tracks with the minimalist solo efforts of Keita with an acoustic guitar. Keita’s astounding performance reflected the accolades he has garnered over the course of his 30-year career.


A curious interlude came in the form of the English DJ Mr Scruff who ended the proceedings on Saturday night. By this time the crowd was mostly populated with twenty-somethings getting increasingly moist in the centre of Pukekura Park. The experience was a unique one to New Plymouth given its dire lack of late-night entertainment and was no doubt appreciated by the young ones.

The highlight for Sunday night was by far the infectious Lila Downs who charmed with songs flirting with a range of topics from immigration to iguanas and from weed-deprived cockroaches to weeping women. Armed with a bassist, percussionist and saxophonist who were all stars in their own right (they all appeared in the all star medley with Bill Cobham), Downs stoked the fires of a crowd extinguished by the rain. Most famously known for her work on the Oscar-nominated Frida, Downs’ band also included an exciting, yet clearly demented, harpist who channelled Hendrix and shredded arpeggios on what is usually seen as a tame instrument. The fizzling chemistry of the band alongside a psychedelic set of visuals ensured that the performance was a festival highlight.


Mention must be made to the charming and witty Don McGlashan who entertained with classic numbers (like the Formyula’s Nature) along with songs destined to be classics themselves (a first time performance of Bathe in the River with the divine Hollie Smith). McGlashan’s calm manner and unwillingness to take precedence over his band mates elevates him to the befitting status of patriarch to New Zealand music. As patriarch he was even willing to dispense advice to an elderly individual guilty of over-exposure. Only at Womad.

Sadly however, over-exposure with respect to publicity is not a prominent feature among the performers at WOMAD. This highlights the importance of continuing the festival to ensure that music of the world also has its place among New Zealand listeners. The closing moments were filled with regret over not possessing the divine property of omnipresence and failing to see more of the acts this year. Some consolation can be gleaned however from the fact that the festival will now take place annually rather than biannually. If the aforementioned highlights are anything to go by WOMAD 2008 could not arrive fast enough.

See also:
» WOMAD 2007: World of Music, Arts & Dance
» WOMAD 2007: The Sounds of Music
» WOMAD 2007: In Images

» Images by Catherine Bisley © 2007