Womad

"The quintessential world music festival ...workshops, processions and the stalls of the Global Village ...70 acts from around the world ...basically anyone who's anyone is on this huge and wide-ranging bill."

- Jane Cornwell - Songlines - June 2008

The sun has got his hat on and we are working like busy bees to bring you a WOMAD with more sounds from around the world, food to make your taste buds tingle, sights to amaze and much, much more!

And with over 70 artists from 35 countries performing across 8 stages you won't be able to sit down. The following artists are just a taster of what is on offer: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (Nigeria), Rachid Taha (Algeria), Bedouin Jerry Can Band (Egypt), Bill Cobham & Asere (USA), Eddy Grant & The Frontline Orchestra (Guyana/South Africa), Finley Quaye (UK), Kora (New Zealand), Lee 'Scratch' Perry (Jamaica), Little Axe (USA), Monobloco (Brazil), Roni Size Reprazent (UK), Tashi Lhunpo Monks (Tibet/India). See the Line-Up pages for full details...

If you do manage to pause for one moment we have the World Of Wellbeing where massages can take away your aches and pains, Taste The World sessions where you can experience delicious food cooked by the festival artists, a sauna to relax muscles exhausted from dancing, an Irish Ceilidh, workshops for adults and children alike and so much more!

Irish Ceilidh with Sharon Shannon Big Band feat. Shane MacGowan, Damien Dempsey & Mundy

Friday Night in the Siam Tent - 8-9.30pm

"cei·lidh pronounced key-lee - 'a party, gathering, or the like, at which singing and storytelling are the usual forms of entertainment'."

It doesn't matter if you're young or old, goth or indie, garage or gangsta - everyone loves a knees up...and a ceilidh is just that. The word céilidh is Irish and Scottish Gaelic for 'visit', and it used to refer to an informal, home gathering with music and dance. It's cheerful, lively, and upbeat and the basic dance steps can be learned easily.

Irish musician, Sharon Shannon and her Big Band will be doing everything in their power to keep you on your feet. Sharon will be singing and playing the accordion and will be joined by an assortment of top musicians who've played with the very best. Damien Dempsey and Shane MacGowan will also be stopping by to give her a hand.

So don't be shy now, grab your partners by the hand....

Gala Night

Sunday Night in the Siam Tent - 6.15-7.30pm

With Bill Cobham as musical director, Justin Adams as band leader and Bassekou Kouyate as a main soloist, the festival's Siam Tent will present a Gala from 6.15pm until 7.30pm. The central players will be joined on stage by many guest artists and there will be many moments of unique collaboration for us all to enjoy in what will be a unique festival moment.

On-U Sound Showcase with Adrian Sherwood, Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Little Axe

Thursday Night in the Siam Tent - 8.15-10.30pm

A stage full of dub reggae, roots and 21st Century blues. Adrian Sherwood's love affair with Jamaican music began back in the late '60s when, as a child, he would hang around outside a local West Indian club with a school friend, dancing on the pavement to the ska sounds of Prince Buster.

It was the start of a lifelong association for the dub mixer/producer, whose On-U Sound label has produced and/or remixed some of the planet's most innovative recordings. Adrian will be bringing a hand-picked line-up to the stage on Thursday evening at Charlton Park 2008. Guests will include reggae and dub legend Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Little Axe aka Skip McDonald, former guitarist in The Sugarhill Gang. All of them have made some of the most adventurous and praised music of the last 20 years.

Percussion and Dance Workshops

Split between two Big Top marquees, WOMAD will be presenting a fantastic environment for you to immerse yourself in the rhythms and dances of the World.

The workshops will be led by world class teachers and artists, offering a broad choice of styles to suit all ages, tastes and energy levels.

The Dance tent will include Flamenco, Salsa, Batchata, Rumba, Egyptian and West African dance classes, all taking place on a specially installed wooden dance floor.

Try and check out Hossam & Serena Ramzy who have toured the world dancing, performing and teaching. They'll provide a fascinating insight and understanding into Egyptian dance and movement.

For those who pine for the world of percussion and rhythm, our Drum! Tent line-up features many of the great percussion forms of the world including; Darabuka, Djembe, Bodhran, Conga, Samba, Taiko and Dhol.

Don't miss Modou Diouf, a well-known and highly regarded percussionist from Senegal. His instrument is the Sabar drum which is played with the stick and palm technique. Sabar rhythms form the classic Mbalax sound behind many great artists of West Africa like Youssou N'Dour and Baaba Maal.

Sufi Night with Sheikh Taha, Monajat Yulchieva & Asif Ali Khan

Saturday Night in the Siam Tent - 10.30pm - 1.30am

Sufism is the mystical and ancient branch of Islam that tries to find a spiritual path to get closer to God, through chanting, prayer, meditation and with music. Sufi communities or orders are found throughout the Muslim world, from South and Central Asia through Turkey, Iran, and northern, eastern and western Africa.

With such a wide geographical and cultural region, as you can imagine, Sufi music can be very diverse. From the qawwali singers of Pakistan to the whirling dervishes in Turkey.

The WOMAD festival was one of the first to bring Sufi music to the attentions of a Western audience when in 1985, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan played his devotional music for hours and hours until dawn broke. Broadcaster Charlie Gillett remembers that night:

"If you were going to ask me if I was going to like a gospel group from Pakistan, I'd probably have said, well I won't, but he played all through one night. I hold up my hand, I didn't stay awake as long as everybody else did, but for a couple of hours, this chanting, chanting...you get completely mesmerised by it"

In celebration of this beautiful music, WOMAD 2008 will showcase three musicians:

Sheikh Taha (Egypt) - 10.30-11.20pm

Mystical love, ecstasy and giving up - all delivered with a simple voice. Sheikh Taha is a worthy heir to that other great Egyptian Sufi singer, Sheikh Al Tuni.

Munajat Yulchieva (Uzbekistan) - 11.30pm-12.20am

Munajat is the brightest star on the contemporary classical Uzbek music scene. Her name means "ascent to God", which reflects the essence of Sufism

Asif Ali Khan (Pakistan) - 12.30-1.30am

Asif Ali Khan performs sublime vocal music. He's a qawwal who sings call-and-response chants with a chorus, driven by hand clapping, and drums. The music is packed with energy.