WOMAD

Rory McLeod

From United Kingdom

With Rory McLeod, you get the music of the world in one suitcase. He plays an awesome range of instruments that he has taken across the continents during the past 15 years - and he has played with many of the other artists appearing at WOMAD Rivermead this year, and many more who have played here in the past. His first tour was as a fire-eater and clown on a year-long trek with a circus along the Pacific coast of Mexico in 1980. His first award was the title of Texas Harmonica Champion, conferred in 1981. So, when English folk and the rhythms of the world began to come together in the mid-eighties, Rory was well ahead of the game, having acquired a knowledge of many different styles on his travels, all apparent on his first album, 'Angry Love' (Cooking Vinyl, 1985). These days, you can hear flamenco, calypso, blues and Celtic influences in his music, all wrapped together in an inimitable style. Rory plays African djembe drums, guitar, trombone and, of course, harmonica, as well as a bewildering variety of percussion. His mix of music is as radical as his lyrics, which are often politically charged, and he has played numerous benefit shows throughout his career. His collaborators include Mali's Ali Farka Touré (slide guitar on 'The River' album); Michelle Shocked (USA); Hassan Erraji (Morocco) and Kathryn Tickell (UK). He's also turned up to add his harmonica to stage shows by Tarika (Madagascar) and Kev Carmody (Australia), both of whom are at this year's festival. Carmody's outspoken politics and willingness to mix different styles place him particularly close to Mcleod's own philosophy. Rory has released three other solo albums on Cooking Vinyl - 'Foosteps and Heartbeats' (1989), 'Travelling Home' (1992) and 'Kicking the Sawdust' (1994). A live album is scheduled for release this year.