WOMAD Festival, Charlton Park 25th – 28th July 2024
After a five year absence I was fortunate enough to be able to return to WOMAD this year. Nine years ago, when I first attended “World of Music and Dance”, I said that when I have a family of my own, I’m bringing them with me. Now in 2024 that dream became a reality, as I returned with my wife and 18 month old daughter.
As a quick overview for anyone who hasn’t heard of WOMAD or read my previous coverage, this music festival is all about bringing incredible musicians from all over the globe to a field in Wiltshire. Here music comes in so many forms, from solo folk performers to massive marching bands, soul revivalists to hip hop revisionists!
There is something for everyone’s taste, but more importantly loads to discover and plenty to expand those musical horizons. With around 40 000 in attendance it’s a popular event that is very family friendly, but it never feels cramped or too busy, you’ll always have space to sit or to dance. You also never have to queue long at the bar, as festival goers are free to bring their own drinks into the arena, something you don’t often find at festivals.
Day tickets were available as well as Friday to Sunday and Thursday to Sunday tickets. Now for me, I want to spend as much time at Charlton Park as possible, so we arrived on the Thursday morning. It’s a reduced timetable of acts, but it gives you time to explore the arena, take note of all the food establishments you’ll want to sample and discover the delights in The World of Wellbeing. From an array of massage tents and various other treatments, including Gong Baths, there’s lot on offer in this area, more on that later though.
Just a quick tip, if like me you think it might be nice to get a massage on the Sunday, book ahead. I went round The World of Wellness around midday on the Sunday, but unfortunately most of the slots were booked by then.
Thursday
I should talk about music now…
London Afrobeat Collective kicked things off proper for us and thousands more in the Soundscape by D&B Tent. With Afrobeat in the name the rhythms were always guaranteed to get a few thousand feet stomping and a few shoulders bopping. Also, as the name suggests, the group formed in London, though it counts members from the UK, Italy, France, Congo, New Zealand and Argentina! A band therefore, that fits into this world music festival!
Next up we headed to see Thursday’s headline act, Alborosie, hailing from Italy, but his music doesn’t have its heritage there. This Reggae star brings the Jamaican musical flavour. The crowds filled the Open Air Stage area and Alborosie, who now resides in Kingston Jamaican delivered the goods.
WOMAD is notable for its family friendly vibe, but our 18 month old needed bed by the time the music started up on the Thursday! We were lucky enough to have a grandparent along to enjoy the festival, so we were able to take turns looking after her. Already we can’t wait to return, as our daughter grows and is able to get involved in more and more of the fantastic activities!
Friday
With an 18-month old in tow it was an earlier rise than typical for a festival, but this offered more time to explore and familiarise with the festival site. There are lots of great stalls selling clothing, gifts, musical instruments and some incredible arts and crafts. Between the main campsites and the arena is the Arboretum, home to an amazing array of trees, plus The Worlds of Wellbeing, Words, Physics, Poetry and more. Here, early on Saturday we chilled under the canopy of treemendous giants (sorry)
The first act we planned to see on Friday was Ars Nova Napoli who brought original and traditional fast paced tracks from… Napoli, naturally. With accordions, mandolin, violin, double bass and percussion the sounds coming from the Siam Tent, WOMAD’s second largest stage, were full of energy. A few songs in and it was time to slow down for a Waltz, but not for long, as the pace soon kicked back. It wasn’t just fast paced musically though and it’s just as well I don’t speak Italian as the lyrics came in at 100 miles an hour. I’m always amazed by singers who can sing 50 syllables a second! Incredible.
Check out ‘La Catalana’ for a great introduction to Ars Nova Napoli.
Next up the 100 yard migration to the Open Air Stage and a performance by the vocally driven Zawosi Queens, nothing beats laying out in the sun on a hot summer’s day listening to good music!
Later on we were back her to see the very talented Mali duo, Amadou & Marian, mixing trad with electronic keys/beats. With so many fantastic acts to discover and with that, several clashes. we did choose to split our time between these and The Great Malarkey. This Folk-punk 8 piece were performing over at Mollly’s bar. An old favourite of mine, this stage actually sits outside of the Arena, closer to the main campsite. In the day it hosts great events for families and children, but later it becomes host to some amazing acts. Often these acts are more UK based, possibly up and coming, but they also put on some of the best and liveliest performances. The Great Malarkey delivered and then some here!
Saturday
Saturday morning and we ventured back to Mollys Bar for Poco Drom’s Punk Rock Family Rave. The families with young children were out in force, kids on shoulders everywhere. Confetti cannons showered us with coloured paper, giant balloons were bounced around, Poco Drom are an electronic duo, utilising guitars, synths and child orientated lyrics, they put on a great show for the youngest festival goers!
Walking into the arena just after 2, I caught a bit of the infectious Sekou Keita and The Homeland Band! Lovely licks on the strings, punchy brass and incredible percussion. I was actually on my way to see Genticorum, but it felt rude to leave before catching a couple tracks at the Siam Tent. Eventually I took myself to the Charlie Gillet stage to be welcomed by one member of Genticorum performing solo on a jaw harp. I had one as a kid, but this is the first time I’ve seen one played live in front of thousands.
Next the flutist and violinist joined in with the jaw harpist, followed soon after by percussive sounds. At first I wasn’t sure who was responsible for the drums, though it sounded like a bodhran drum, I couldn’t see it. Later it was revealed that the violinist was in fact performing percussive duties alongside his stringed tasks. This Canadian trio offered some top-drawer folk, featuring French-Canadian lyrics.
Next up, a catch up with an old mate at the Open Air Stage. Here we enjoyed some psychedelic rock heaven, courtesy of Vietnamese 5-piece, Saigon Soul Revival. Soulful and groovy and in the words of those around me, “very good”
7 o’clock and a little bit late after putting the baba to bed. We headed to probably the most scenic of the stages, the Ecotricity stage. Situated within the incredible Arboretum the crowd swelled around to soak up the atmospheric bliss of this set. (Just a note the baby was with her nanny whilst we headed out) Laura Misch on Saxophone and vocals, accompanied by a harpist and a keyboardist/guitarist produced the most chilled set of our weekend, but a fine one. I did expect to see her in the D&B stage to get the very best of the sound possible, but this location was incredible. In dappled shade, as the sun went down, and with a heavy haze slightly obscuring the stage, the scene added to the incredible ambience. The only thing that would have improved the set is absolute silence from the crowd, but we were sat further back were people got a little more chatty. Mellow heaven.
Later that evening it was another toss-up. Festival headliners Gogol Bordello would be headlining the Open Air Stage. Formed in New York and with members from all over the world including Ukraine and Russia, this Gypsy Punk outfit came with a message. Displayed behind the high energy band, the fist of defiance in blue and yellow, with the words Solidaritine above. Lead singer Eugene HützI asked the crowd “are you ready for some real f***ing Ukraine?” I did enjoy the traditional Eastern European mixed in with heavy doses of punk, but I had planned to split my time here and at the Soundscape tent, so after a few songs I strolled onwards.
I arrived to a tent of smiling faces and skanking bodies as TC & The Groove Family, led by drummer Tim Cook, did their thing. As is often the way with bands at WOMAD, many styles and influences were present here, heavy beats, soulful melodies and then some. With drums and percussion, bass and guitar, the DJ, the top tier trinity, trombone, trumpet and sax, oh and vocals too, this UK based outfit got people moving! During one of my highlights from the set the tempo slowed, spoken word was introduced and the song built as individuals from the band were given their opportunity to shine. The icing on the cake for me being the excellent trombone, riding over percussion that drove straight through your chest. A boss set (what I seen at least) was brought to epic conclusion with another skank inducing number, with doses of deep dirty bass and a chance for the DJ and sound technicians to show off The Soundscape tent’s party trick. As the DJ started scratching the sound was sent through the speakers that encircled the entire tent, in a rapid Mexican wave of sound the scratch passed behind around to the front again and again. This really was epic.
Knowing that TC and The Groove Family were finishing earlier than Gogol Bordello gave me time to catch the end of their set. Returning to the Open Air Stage with an enthralled crowd, the Romani folk rockers were still hitting hard. Bringing their incredible set to a close, the final poignant line of the final song “We are with you in our hearts and in our minds And we’ll pray for a nation through its darkest times”
Sunday
Sunday morning, another trip to the beautiful arboretum and my ill-fated attempt to go for a massage, either way it’s a great place to relax in and it’s hard to imagine WOMAD anywhere else than in this stunning setting. Feeling peckish and with only one day left to sample some of the fine food on offer, we all ended up getting something different.
A quick tip here, if you don’t want to walk around checking every food trucks menu, you can find them all on the free WOMAD app. It’s great you can even search for specific things like vegetarian/vegan or g/f. Also on the app is the timetables for the acts and other activities, including talks on big issues such as climate change, bedtime stories for little ones, poetry sessions and even cooking classes by the artists themselves. My mother in-law attended a cooking class at the Taste the World stage, she told me it was incredible.
Early afternoon came around and we sat inside the dining room tent, in front of the open air stage for Mangrove Steelband. It was 23C out, but felt even hotter with a warm breeze. With an incredible pool of percussionists playing away, Caribbean island vibes swept over us all. Happily, this is where the baby caved and had the nap she been needing for over an hour!
Formed in the UK but with Trinidadian roots Mangrove Steelband let the instruments do the singing (talking) They brought their set to a close with a very interesting cover of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You. Can’t say I’ve heard much Sheeran at WOMAD before, but I hope ole’ ginge himself has heard this boss cover. Afterwards the announcer mentioned that there was a Dua Lipa cover too but I can’t say I spotted that one.
Later I returned to the Open Air Stage for Zamrock legends Witch! Formed in Zambia in the 70’s but now back together with a new line up singer Jagari Chanda was a classic frontman. There was funky organs and bass, psychedelic guitar and driving percussion to accompany him and in between songs he entertained with stories from his past and being a musician in Zambia. This set made me reminisce some other sets I’ve seen at WOMAD over the years, including the late-great Charles Bradley who also connected with the audience in a very special way.
Into the evening and a return once again to Mollys bar. This stage always produces a cracker, enter Old Time Sailors. A crowd in a field and a crowd on stage, this 20 strong outfit of trad warriors brought an electric set of classic sea shanties plus Irish and English folk and bluegrass to boot. Dirty old town, Seven Drunken Nights and John Kanaka had the crowd either singing along swaying along or even twirling each other round like on the lower decks of the Titanic!
There was even a jaunty cover of Yellow Submarine which took crowd participation up another notch! With so many performers on stage including multiple singers and even a washboard player, they acted out the lyrics to some songs putting on a real show. One of my favourites Fisherman’s blues was belted out before moving into the realm of Americana/bluegrass
To finish off a flourish, a sing song and chance to show off more of these top musicians, it felt like we could be stomping down a New Orleans street with Pay me My Money Down, still more was to come and we were treated to a tin whistle solo. This set, at 2 hours long, was longer than any other set over the weekend if I’m not mistaken and I love every minute of it.
The final musical experience for me was saved to Senegalese singer, Baaba Maal. The set undulated from songs full of driving rhythm, through to stripped back tracks and back again. About halfway through the set Baaba sat down as other members left the stage and he played the acoustic. Unfortunately, at this point I was further to the back of the crowd and the delicate song competed a little with sounds from the fairground, but the great thing here is you can always move to a better spot, so after a quick stop at the cider tent we headed closer in. Later drummers in a row beat down on the skins to produce incredible sounds, dancers bounced around the stage and the bassist brought in a proper bopping funky bassline. The crowd couldn’t help but dance. This set was an African celebration and a fitting ending to this phenomenal world music festival.
I’ve probably gone on a bit too much, but I’ll still write a conclusion. WOMAD is amazing, it’s been a favourite of mine for a long time now. It is a celebration of music and everything that unites us, it is “The World’s Festival”
I couldn’t write about every act that we watched, but I can tell you that if you like discovering new music and don’t tie yourself to one or two genres, then you’ll find lots to love here. There are also free classes where you can learn to play different instruments. As I said earlier this was my first time bringing my own family along and they all absolutely loved it too, we all can’t wait to return to Charlton Park at the end of July next year!
