A stroll in the Botanic Park can lead to some interesting discoveries, By Brian Wise
Womadelaide
Friday March 6 & Saturday March 7
When Premier Mike Rann launched the 2009 Womadelaide festival on Friday morning he said that the event would be in this city for ‘infinity.’ Later in the evening, under the canopy of trees in Botanic Park one could not imagine a better place for such a magical event. The weather gods even came to the party bringing a warm Saturday afternoon after a mild Friday evening, which opened with the Bedouin Jerry Can Band, also featured Natacha Atlas singing ‘I Put A Spell On You’ and closed with a scorching set from Ska Cubano on the main stage,
While there did not seem to be the ‘knockout’ act on the bill this year, it appeared to invite a voyage of discovery. That was deceptive in itself because by the end of Saturday night I had seen at least two killer African bands led by two of Fela Kuti’s acolytes – his son Seun and his former drummer Tony Allen. There is also something deceptively easy in the way both bands play, building rhythms in hypnotic fashion and allowing the music to build its own momentum, until sometimes it seems almost impossible to stop a tune. Seun’s band only completed 4 songs in the first hour, while someone complained that Allen abbreviated some of his tunes to ten minutes each!
Seun Kuti embraces the role of bandleader with some gusto, while Allen sits at his drum kit and directs his band with the unerring beat that he lays down, his young bass player giving solid support. Kuti’s large ensemble is colourful and brash, its two dancers/backing vocalists moving endlessly. Allen’s band is more business-like but nevertheless every bit as powerful in its own way. Rokia Traore is the closing act tomorrow night but one suspects that either of these two bands would also have been good choices.
One of the other highlights for me of these first two days was the performance of Dan Sultan, who was here last year with Black Arm band and now returned with his own band. He has been dubbed the ‘indigenous Elvis’ but his sound a lot of the time is closer to Delbert McClinton or even our own Broderick Smith, not that I know if he has ever listened to either artist. The horn section, especially, evoked that soulful feeling that is also part R&B. Having opened the festival on Friday evening, Sultan really impressed on Saturday afternoon with a funky, up tempo set. The inclusion of Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly’s ‘It’s My Land’ was a nice touch. I wondered why major record labels weer not falling over themselves to sign Sultan to a deal – but I guess that is not the way the industry works these days. He has a forthcoming album that we await expectantly.
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu drew a massive audience in the first slot on Saturday evening and with his stunning voice it is easy to see why he has created such a massive following with his latest self-titled album. There is that emotive ‘catch’ in his voice reminiscent of all great singers, the ability to take a note and stab at your heart with it. The fact that he is singing in his native language and has managed to reach such a broad audience is a triumph. Someone recently said to me, ‘The only thing he hasn’t won is the Brownlow Medal!’ but the accolades are well deserved. One can foresee Gurrumul being a sensation at overseas Womads as well. A man of very few words, Gurrumul allows his music to talk for him in a most eloquent way.
La Cor de la Plana are a French vocal group who explore what they call ‘polyphony’ so well that a friend wondered where the bass player and drummer were hiding! Energy and entertainment and not an instrument in sight, apart from the occasional tambourine. Rachel Unthank and The Winterset and their Celtic musings were a little too delicate for a Saturday afternoon and I sought some more muscular music elsewhere. Kaki King’s guitar playing is astonishing and with her trio she has really become an impressive act.
Justin Adams, a collaborator with Robert Plant, was teamed with kora player Juldeh Camara for a fascinating and mesmerising set on Stage Three, at the same time that a jubilant ARIA Award winning Audreys were impressing everyone with on Stage Two. It was an interesting contrast of acts and one that encompasses the breath of music at Womadelaide.
We left Botanic Park with the sound of Seun Kuti and his Egypt 80 band ringing in our ears.
(Pics by K.Hawkins)