Well this is going to be a big one. So I hope you’ve gone to the bathroom, made yourself a coffee and are propped up well by some cushions or something. This is day one of WOMADelaide and the amazing night I had.. this post has excerpts from my original review with some extra personal opinions that I couldn’t include into The Mouth:
I cried. Yes, I cried. First night in, totally unprepared for the possibility that at some point in the evening I would be moved to tears and completely overwhelmed. From a group that I had never heard of, never listened to their music but have now made me see the world differently. But I’m jumping ahead here let’s start from the beginning…
… I love this.
…After work I get to Botanic park feeling extremely overdressed, mental note for tomorrow; tie dye, tribal print or hammer pants is a must, shoes are optional. Arriving just on time for the first major performers, I follow the hypnotic sound of rhythmic, African tribal drumming and singing. I am a sucker for ethnic percussion, African, Latin, Turkish, whatever I’m like a rat to the pied piper. Looking around this is an Adelaide that you rarely ever see, a huge collective of people young and old; hippie’s, long hair, beards, faded tattoos, dreadlocks, lovers groping, men in skirts, young girls hugging and loving life, Bindi’s on their head, fringing, tie-dye, crochet and real vintage band shirts. God dammit now I really want to go home and change. Reaching the stage the Master Drummers of Burundi looked glorious clothed in green and red…
This one’s obviously not enjoying this as much as I am.
…not an ounce of fat on them banging on the large hand-carved Karyenda drums, swaying and singing. It is an amazing, constant rhythmic and hammering beat, with over 15 men alternating and take it in turns rotating without interruption. To rest, but also to dance around, jumping, leaping and kicking in the air. It is amazing to watch and looks so liberating, so free, I want to join in…
…These drums are sacred in Burundi and performances like these are typically ceremonial and I feel humbled and privileged to watch, a feeling that I know will be a recurring one this weekend…
GREAT idea… pick your passing out spot, leave distinguishing blankets and pillows and cuddle up when the night ends. God, hippies do festivals so much better than your average Joe.
…The biggest problem by the way, at WOMAD is not who to watch but what to eat. Never allow yourself to get to the stage where you are starving or if you are an indecisive person you’re in trouble. I figure with a plate of Lebanese food in hand Sundog would be the ideal mood music to sit and devour. Getting to the small cosy stage where everyone is sitting down I find a nice spot and pat myself on the back for such a great choice. Sundog is mood music at its finest, music that is the soundtrack to your life if your life was a movie. For those landscape capturing long drives, for when you are searching for a vital clue flicking through books in a library to save the day, for when you see the one who got away or for looking out windows at the rain, thinking. It’s classical, yet modern, led by Arthur Jeffes playing the piano with three other guys working the cello, violin and percussion nicely. He talks about his father (Penguin Café Orchestra originator Simon Jeffes) a lot and explains the music and how it came to be. One track had a melody which was inspired by the time his father Simon got an engaged signal on the telephone and a ringing dial, nice. It was relaxing and beautiful with one lady with greying hair, head to toe in fluoro tie-dye twirling under a tree and another girl to my left reading a book. But you can only think for so long and I was getting too deep into my own thoughts and way too relaxed so I moved on, to find coffee…
…On my way saw the Gramophone man roaming around playing music from the 1920’s to 40’s but something else caught my eye and I forgot about the coffee and bee-lined to the front of the main stage where Staff Benda Bilili were sound checking. Made up of 8 men from the Democratic Republic of Congo, with four men in wheelchairs and one man in crutches I was mystified…
…The elders of the band all had Polio when they were young and are wheelchair bound, they live in the street which is where they found younger members of the band and took them under their wing. Their wheelchairs aren’t proper wheelchairs, but customized bicycles and the youngest member has no front teeth and plays the most amazing electric solos with a flute made from a tin can and some wire. These men were incredible, ARE INCREDIBLE, you think YOU have problems? The most energetic, passionate and lively motley crew of musicians playing a rumba, reggae and rhythm and blues inspired sound…
…And this is where I cried, standing there, bottom lip quivering looking up at these disabled but not debilitated men sing, shimmy and dance not confined by the chair at all. Loving life is an understatement because their lives are probably a living hell back home but for this night they are the stars, spreading their joy and music, touring the world being recognised as the true musicians they are. THIS is real struggle and diversity, this is to overcome barriers and this is the power of music and how it can change people’s lives…
I don’t normally do this but I took some amateur video because I HAD to share it with you…
It’s been a while living in Australia that I have been humbled by something so profoundly. Where you look at your life and think ‘FUCK, what are you doing?!?!’ Here I am able bodied, able minded, given so much in life and needing for NOTHING and wanting for so much but too lazy, or scared, or self-indulgent to slap myself awake (metaphorically) and strive to improve. I come from Brasil I have seen suffering, poverty, felt the huge divide between the middle class and the poor and felt like shit because I have “so much”. It’s easy to be back in Brazil and be accustomed to having less – or should I say LOOKING like you have less – and not worrying about dressing in the latest fashions, thinking twice about what I’m wearing when I leave the house so I minimise the risks of being a target. But here everybody has everything they could ever want and it is so easy to get caught up in the BULLSHIT, the mundane… my brother has the television on, while playing on the computer, facebook chatting and texting with his android at the same time – what the f*ck is that I don’t even know what is going on in his life because he’s stuck to three different screens everynight. There’s a bin 50 meters down the road but people throw their butts and rubbish on the floor because they’re too lazy to hold it till you get there, food gets wasted because you don’t know how to restrain yourself and get only what you need to survive, insane amounts of money are being spent on your physical appearance yet not as much effort goes into personality, people are nice to each other but never really connect.. being at WOMAD and seeing everybody enjoying life, enjoying culture, not shoving to get to the front, not being rude, NO LITTER on the ground.. I may seem like a romanticist, seeing this festival through rose-tinted glasses and I’m not saying I’m perfect because I am guilty of a lot but this reminded of what it is like to not give a shit about what you are wearing, opening your eyes and mind to something and stepping out of your perfect existence and acknowledging what it must be like to be in someone else’s shoes. Congo is fucked up… these men live on the outskirts of a zoo but that night and any other night of the week I was nearly on my knees in admiration.
The amazing electrified tin flute.
…At one point one of the pioneers jumped from his chair and (he has no legs at all) was bouncing and gyrating on the floor to massive cheers from the crowd. It was amazing…
Yes, it was. He just threw himself off the wheelchair and was just gyrating on the floor, welcomed by huge cheers this guy was loving it!
Everybody breaking it down. Wheelchair or not, this guy in the white hat was a serious groover he danced sitting down like he had legs.
Another great video…
Cee Lo Greens doppelganger… amazing long thin braids we call this look people’s-army-swag complete with tribal bling
I need this in my backyard.
…Well really what could top that honestly? But New Zealand funk, electro, psychedelic soul band Electric Wire Hustle was the come-down I needed. Lead singer Mara TK a white boy with ginger hair, suede blazer, red skinny jeans and bowtie did not look like he could sing like he did. Sounding like the white love child of Marvin Gaye…
…Mara TK switched between the bass and the guitar, accompanied with energetic 1930’s hard-jazz drumming from Myele Manzanza and Taay Ninh providing the electro, synth modern touch. The band is unique and fresh while paying homage to soul forefathers…
…As this band closed it was time to see some real pioneers in the form of funk/disco/soul & rock legends Chic. People like to hate on Disco but it’s amazing how many artists and bands Chic inspired and worked with to commercial success. The next hour and a half was dedicated to all of their number one hits, their own and the ones they wrote and influenced for others including Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Sugarhill Gang and Madonna…
…With original member Nile Rodgers the show was so entertaining, with choreographed dancing, and hits ‘Dance, dance, dance’, ‘I want your love’, ‘I’m coming out’, ‘Upside Down’, ‘He’s the greatest dancer’, ‘We are Family’, ‘Lady (hear me tonight)’ with that amazing guitar sample from their original hit ‘Soup for one’, ‘Like a Virgin’ and ‘Let’s Dance’. It was fantastic hour and a half of pure dancing time for everyone, boogying, grooving and jumping around…
…Even showing some Australian love and playing INXS’s ‘Original Sin’ which Nile Rodgers produced. What topped the night was Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rappers Delight’, ‘Le Freak’ and ‘Good times’ where everyone on the side of the stage came and partied onstage…
…Not many can say they have heard ‘Le Freak’ live but I can happily tick that off my music bucket list…
It was so cool seeing Chic only thing that sucked was being alone. I’m quite happy being a lone wolf at some concerts but when you’ve seen so many amazing and captivating performances in one night it’s always great to share the moment. Remaniscing later on and being able to talk about it with people/a friend who can get just as excited and go ‘man they killed it!’.
…On my way out I managed to hear a little bit of JUMPS, Cat Empire’s Dj which was a great sounding set of funk, Latin and dance in a cool little nook surrounded by trees but this is going to be a long weekend and I need to conserve my energy so I went home. Bring on Saturday…
Yes, indeed.
