100 • UNCUT • OCTOBER 2019
A
DEFIANTcarnival
ofrainbow-coloured
multiculturalism,
WOMADhasalways
beena bigger,richer,
strangeraffairthanitscaricatured
imageasa tastefulethno-fusion
picnicforWaitrosehippies.Indeed,
ina goodyearlikethis,it canfeel
likethemostadventurousand
experimentalfestivalofthesummer,
puttingmoreself-consciously
eclectichipstereventstoshame.
Anydefinitionof“worldmusic”that
includesMacyGray’sdeliciously
grainy soul-pop torch songs,Anna
Calvi’sthunderouswidescreen
Rothkopaintings,Turkish
psychonautsBabaZuluwiggingout,
andWelsh-CornishsingerGwenno
teachingthecrowdcheese-based
revolutionaryslogansdefinitely
reflectsa generosityofspiritthat
makesfora greatfestival.
Onestrikingdevelopmentinrecent
yearshasbeentheriseofactswe
mightcall“post-world”.Thisyear’s
billhighlightsa growingdiaspora
ofgloballyconnectedAfro-fusion
artistswhoareexpandingand
reinventingthetraditionalfolk
styles of their ancestral homelands.
TwoParis-basedFrench-Congolese
actsreallystandout:theclub-
friendlyelectro-stompduo
Ts heg ue;andBantouMentale,a
ramshackleAfrobeatgutter-punk
quartetfrontedbya charismatic
livewirenamedApocalypse.
Pleasingly,manyyounger
Africanartistsnowcomingonto
WOMAD’sradararealsoditching
traditionalcostumedpageantry
infavourofglittermake-upand
glam-rockfinery.SouthAfrica’s
PetiteNoir– AKAsingerand
multi-instrumentalistYannick
Ilunga – peacocks through his
livelysetinscarletstagerobesthat
smackofvintageBowieorJagger.
Butthisyear’stopblingprizegoes
toJojoAbot,a Brooklyn-based
Ghanaiansinger,visualartist,
directorandactor.Hergaudy,
booty-shakingperformancewraps
heavymeditationsonblackness
andempowermentinsexycarnival
swagger.Fantastic.
Alsotappingintothispost-world
currentaretheTaDhomProject,a
SouthernIndianhip-hopcollective
frontedbythreehigh-energyMCs,
whosejabberingmultilingual
vocalscombineCarnatictradition
withbreakneckrapdelivery,often
toamazingeffect.Whilemusical
directorViveickRajagopalandirects
fromhistabla-laptopcomboatthe
backofthestage,bassguitaristShri
keepsthefunklevelshigh,with
occasionaleruptionsofjazz-metal
shreddingthatbringanunexpected
ThurstonMooredimensionto their
already exhilarating set.
WOMAD
CharltonPark,Gloucestershire,July26-28
RobertPlant’slatestgang are the quietest act at this riotous
pan-global celebration
C BRANDON/REDFERNS; SAMIR HUSSEIN; GARRY JONES
JojoAbot:
carnival
swagger
SalifKeita
quashes
those
retirement
rumours
Apocalypse
now:Bantou
Mentale
