Cooler weather made for the perfect end to the weekend. By Brian Wise
Sunday March 8
Perhaps it was the year that I should have gone to Port Fairy, which offered a great line-up but as I have been to every Womadelaide so far I felt that I shouldn’t break the streak. It is a pity they are on the same weekend. I received text messages from people at Port Fairy reporting on some of their highlight acts, most of whom would luckily be in Melbourne this week.
Also, after so many years, it seems that the secret of Womadelaide – and all successful festivals such as Port Fairy and Byron Bay - is simply that it offers a great experience, regardless of who is playing. The line-up this year might not have appeared stunning at first but you knew you would make some great discoveries and enjoy some surprises. It appeared to me that there were far more local acts (i.e from Australia and the Pacific region) which is a good thing even if it is born out of the weakness of the Aussie dollar. It certainly did not stop a sell out crowd on the final day.
Sunday’s weather turned out to be perfect – warm in the afternoon but not hot, cool in the evening but not cold (as it had been on Saturday). Of course, the temptation at any festival is to see as much as possible but today I took a more laid back approach, enjoying the music, spending some time with friends and enjoying the local wines and food (and I have to say the catering at Womadelaide is just about the best anywhere).
One of the most interesting acts this year was Aaron Choulai, VADA and the Tatana Village Choir, teaming young Melbourne-based jazz pianist and his colleagues with a 14-voice choir from Papua-New Guinea. The sight of Choulai and his colourful Afro (now defunct) has been a familiar one at jazz festivals and pubs over the years but this was completely out of the box, as far as I was concerned, and it is an experiment that worked wonderfully well. As they ended on Stage 1, Gurrumul again attracted an enormous audience, this time to the second stage, and proved that he was undoubtedly the local hit of the festival.
Later, I caught Kaki King and her trio on Stage 3. I wanted to see a full set from her because I was to be chairing her press conference, which was subsequently cancelled (read about on the blogsite: http://brianwise.wordpress.com). There is no doubt that King is an impressive young guitarist and she has managed to build a strong following because of her unusual style, which draws on diverse influences including Michael Hedges. The fact that she now sings, adds another strength to her performance.
Neil Finn appeared late afternoon on the main stage in a time slot that appeared odd at first but which worked really well in getting the audience pumped for the evening ahead. Assisted by his sons Liam (guitar) and Elroy (drums), Finn coasted through a batch of songs that have appeared on his solo albums and on those by Crowded House and even Split Enz (‘History Never Repeats’). Later, in the All Star Jam he performed a lovely version of ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over.’ The repartee between Finn the Elder and his sons flowed freely and created a nice vibe for the evening ahead.Later in the afternoon also wandered over to the Speakers' Corner stage, probably the most remote stage at the event, and saw Strange Fruit. The name of this team of acrobats hints at what they are about but it is a surprise to see the six of them atop carbon fibre poles swaying to music amidst the trees. It is one of the added Womadelaide experiences that one can enjoy if one takes the time.
The Cat Empire certainly managed to get the audience moving and it might have seemed a daunting task for Natacha Atlas and Malian singer Rokia Traore to close the festival out but both entranced the burgeoning sell-out crowd. Traore, especially, was much more up beat than expected and her band proved to be up to the task as she swirled around the stage.
It turned out to be a perfect ending to another excellent weekend.News is that next year Womadelaide will also host an additonal event, Earth Station, somewhere in the outback. A kind of festival in the desert, if you will. I can hardly wait!