The first leg of our journey was a truly epic Southern Fail! After four trains and six hours we arrived, at last, in good dry weather. Beautiful Womad, flags and banners lining every pathway set amongst green landscape and plentiful trees. We felt our burdens of the week ebb away within moments, as every festival should make you feel.

Womad Festival celebrates cultural expression from all over the globe and has been around since 1982 when Peter Gabriel with a few other like-minded creatives put it together. Womad combines music, arts, dance, spoken word, food (cookery classes), laughter, yoga, mindfulness workshops and talking books – but music in particular amongst a wealth of other experiences.

In its 35th year, Womad brings everyone together and has something for all ages. One of the biggest selling points is how it caters for the kids. World of Children and the Mayflower Project with henna tattooing, hair braiding and craft upcycling which keeps the kids entertained for hours, much to the parents delight. There’s also the teens tent with Molly’s Bar next door and for slightly younger adults (and some older) there’s the Lizard Lounge with its pumping tunes until dawn/until the last person drops.

Arriving late on Friday we came for the music. Here’s a few of our personal favourites and some perhaps more interesting artists.

Saturday

Grupo Canalon de Timbiqui (Colombia)
Dressed in traditional colourful outfits, they looked and sounded tremendous. Their timeless afro-Colombian rhythms washed over us as we were still in our morning coffee drinking mode. They certainly gave us a positive introduction for the musical offerings on Saturday despite the mixed bag of weather we were in for.

Ifriqiyya Electrique (Tunisia/Italy/France)
A crazy mixed up bunch of sounds, as Emma tagged “like being at a silent disco with all the channels playing in your earphones at once” – unfathomable. The individuality of all members of the band were quite hypnotic and the montage on the backdrop immersed the audience with a glimpse of the Tunisian side of life. If I’m being kind, it was tribal and ritualistic with layers of trance, banga and heavy metal to name but a few genres involved; if I’m being honest, I couldn’t fathom it and it made my head hurt. But a lot of the crowd loved them, it seemed I was in the minority. They started and ended their set playing amongst the audience with their traditional castanets which was always a crowd pleaser. A heavy, heavy sound and please the crowd they did.

Seu Jorge (Brazil)
Sat on a spotlighted stool on his own, with just his beautiful voice and an acoustic guitar, Seu Jorge played “The Life Aquatic” an album he recorded as a collection of David Bowie songs plus one original, ‘Team Zissou’. Jorge recorded all tracks in Portuguese for the soundtrack to the film The Life Aquatic. From the opening track of ‘Ziggy Stardust’ to the closing of ‘Queen Bitch’ his Portuguese translation was an extremely emotive experience for anyone witnessing this performance, further enhanced by him telling us, as a tear rolled down his cheek, about his father’s death three days after Bowie died inspired him to write this soundtrack. Whenever he got to the chorus of each song, he let the crowd take over and, as an amazingly moving finale, he downed his guitar and got up off of his stool and danced along with everyone in the audience to the original Bowie version of ‘Lets Dance’. Totally special.

Toots & The Maytals (Jamaica)
Saturday’s closing band on the main stage were the legendary Toots & The Maytals, known to so many by their hits rather than their name. We had very high hopes as the rain miraculously stopped moments before they came on to this open air stage and, for a while, it was phenomenal. Toots Hibbert ran us through enough hits to warm the crowd but was interrupted between songs with a little bit too much waffle. Halfway through the set, the heavens opened and all the umbrellas popped up which was a sight to behold. We stayed a while and forced ourselves to try and get into the groove but utterly persistent hard rain forced us to go undercover and as luck would have it, they played some of their best tunes like ‘Louie Louie’ and ‘Pressure Drop’, we danced all the way. I defy anyone to not love Toots but they’re certainly (as is anyone) much easier on a sunny afternoon. Proud to have seem them live.

Sunday

King Ayisoba (Ghana)
Five-piece West African band, featuring main man ‘King Ayisoba’ with his filed teeth, playing the kologo (a traditional Ghanaian lute) and a very witch doctor-like character with his varying tones, which in one tune convinced us they were singing in sheep language “meh”. A very immersive set with the drumming vibrating through us as we stomped for the brief downpour, which the King told us wouldn’t last long. And it didn’t. A new experience for us and we would definitely relive it.

Bonga (Angola)
With Bonga’s songs, originating from suppression of the Angolan traditions in the former Portuguese colony, we were expecting to be quite depressed or perhaps even shed a tear, far from it! Uplifting and hip-shaking, right from the off José Carvalho wowed the crowd with his gravelly gypsy-king-like vocals. These tunes, heavily laden with funky accordion, was a non-stop dance fiesta. We left with a spring in our step and smiles on our faces (if not a little mud splattered).

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) (USA)
Next up was !!! wearing a suit jacket over a bare chest and suit shorts to match, Nic Offer and his band gave us a little bit of Scissor Sisters style music and some moves like Jagger. This was a packed tent and a unique experience. Catchy tunes, funky hypnotising dance moves and shakes with an amazing co-female vocalist made this such a little happy corner of joy. Oh, we should also mention Nic’s incredibly sweaty crotch.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo (South Africa)
One of our personal highlights. Best known from 30 years ago for their collaboration on Paul Simon’s Graceland. With their unfailing energy and beautiful voices, this nine-piece left us in awe. Vocal harmonising to the max and high kicks made this gig a visual and audible spectacular treat.

The mother of all festivals for anyone and everyone of all ages – the calmness and harmoniousness that embraces you is a special experience. A festival that everyone should experience at least once in their life and are certain not to regret it, whatever the weather hits you with.

Reviewed by Heather Sawers & Emma Riley with a little input from Del Sawers.
All photos by Emily Riley.

See more photos in out Gallery

Website: womad.co.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/womadfestival
Twitter: twitter.com/WOMADfestival