This year our man on the ground is James Barrie, aka the Global Souljah. Join him as he checks out the best of this global scene and then drinks all the free wine
DAY 4:
Crawling out of bed I just about made it to the final two hours of Womex. The first hour consisting of the annual awards, presentations and speeches followed by one final gig. Congratulations to Crammed Discs for the best label award, worthy winners after a string of great releases recently. Christian Mousset received the award for professional excellence due to his tireless work showcasing world music with his Musiques Metisses Festival.
Then Staff Benda Bilili hit the stage and what a gig! Tired as I was after the first track I was on my feet dancing to some of the most joyous Congolese rumba I’ve heard in a while, these boys can play. Having reviewed the album and read about their amazing rags to relative riches story, overcoming severe disabilities and hardships I was a bit worried that the live show would be a dissapointment. I shouldn’t have been.
The energy is amazing, the songs more contagious than swine flu and the fact that half the band are sitting in wheelchairs makes it even more incredible. Rest assured they will be touring Europe extensively next year and I strongly suggest you make all necessary efforts to attend a gig.
So sweaty, tired and happy I headed to the airport reflecting on a stimulating 4 days. Friendships were made and cemented, business cards swapped but more importantly I discovered a whole world of new music and artists. Log on to my radio show and I’ll share some of it with you in the coming weeks.
DAY 3:
The Saturday was a networking rest day but a trip to the conference center beckoned due to the early afternoon performance of Kouyate & Neerman a mind melting meeting of the Balafon and Vibraphone. What made the show really special though was that Neerman had his Vibraphone hooked up to an effects unit and distortion pedals which when activated made the vibes sound completely electronic and very unvibraphone like and it was when he was playing with these effects that the project sounded at it’s best. Basically an Afro Jazz project backed up by a stand up bass and drummer the tracks that warped and spiralled into deep spaced out jazz fusion were the winners, the straight ahead jazz with Balafon were nice enough but the effects gave the whole project a very pleasing cutting edge and freshness, I recommend you check the album.
The afternoon saw a bit of site seeing and finally an opportunity to visit one of the most famous squats or exercises in communal living, depending on your point of view, Christiania. It really is a wonderful place, well looked after with a great vibrancy in the air not to mention a good whiff of cannabis smoke in this most unregulated of societies. It will be a sad day when this unique community right in the heart of Copenhagen comes to an end which can only be a matter of time.
So the evening brought another round of concerts and more pleasant surprises firstly with the great Basque project Oreka TX. The set consisted of several different traditional Basque txalapartas, a sort of oversized vibraphone, played with large wooden sticks rather than mallets and fusing traditional Chinese and Indian vocals. The music was a percussive wonder and played with joy and great dexterity and the audience lapped it up – long live the txalaparta.
Cedric Watson is going to be huge, of this I have no doubt. He is the rising star of Cajun music and knows how to get the crowd moving, even with the occasional slower waltz although he’s more at home rocking the dance with his uptempto take on zydeco and Cajun traditions but with some really pleasing touches connecting the music to it’s African and Caribbean roots. The last song in the set had one of the deepest Afro Centric drum patterns I’ve heard in a while. Couple this great musicality with his cheeky banter and poster boy looks and I’m sure you will see this boy at least supporting a major tour very soon – Mr. Springstein, are you looking?
Unni Lovlid is a Norwegian folk singer prone to mixing ambient field recordings with her delicate yet powerful voice and who has a great line in interesting chat in between songs. It was great to hear her live performance in one of the acoustically perfect smaller studios with a really respectful audience who gave her music the silence it needs and deserves to be heard properly. Look out for her slightly more experimental album coming out soon on the Grappa record label.
So in came the Analog Africa Soundsystem djs to end up another night and boy did they do just that. If you don’t know Analog Africa it is a great German record label responsible for re-issuing some long forgotten funky African gems. Not only are the selections impeccable the CDs come in wonderful packaging with great sleeve notes and great photos and album artwork, they are a joy to behold. I can also report that the djs behind the label rock the party, a great funky way to end the night.
DAY 2:
More networking was the order of the day not to mention grabbing a few more of the promotional CDs on offer. All I’ve got to do now is work out how to bring two carrier bags worth of music back home and then find time to listen to it all properly, I guess I could have worse problems in my life.
So back to the music, it’s official, you heard it here first – mento is the new cumbia
There is another slight problem though, how to pay my rent when I get home after Copenhagen has robbed me of all my money – this city is EXPENSIVE!. After paying ‚Ǩ15 for a plate of food at the conference center I thought I’d eat more cheaply during the night and popped into a half decent looking Kebab shop. Shish kebab and a beer – ‚Ǩ20, ouch. A 10 trip travel card is ‚Ǩ20 and a beer at night ‚Ǩ5, when you hear a big thud that measures on the richter scale next month it’s probably my credit card bill falling through my letter box.
Griping aside it was back to the concert hall last night my new favourite place in the world – those acoustics, the design, the seats – it’s a wonderful thing people, if you ever win the lottery and can afford to come to Copenhagen then make sure that a concert here is on your agenda.
So back to the music, it’s official, you heard it here first – mento is the new cumbia. As the world of music looks for obscure new rhythms to re-invent due to lack of ideas I can’t believe this original Jamaican rhythm has been overlooked for so long. The forerunner of ska and rocksteady we were treated by Gilzen and The Blue Light Mento Band to a lesson in the original Jamaican riddim. A four piece crew with Gilzen on vocals and guitar, Donnett shaking the maracas and lending the female vocals, Courtney Clark on rhumba box and bawdy suggestive vocals and 80 something Wesley Balds on banjo – a true mento veteran. It’s a simple sound by today’s fusion leaning standards but all the better for it and the crowd — who couldn’t stand still –will testify to that.
Hanggai from Mongolia were next up in the main room and they did a fantastic job of bringing the traditional sound of their homeland into the 21st century. Band leader Llichi looking like one of Gengis Khan’s generals with the best mullet east of Barcelona, alternates between guteral warbles and melodic vocals as his band consisting of traditional instruments like the tobshurr and morinkhuur combine with the bass and guitar to create a music evoking life in Mongolia, the massive spaces and climate extremes. There was a great knees up Mongolian drinking song as well as a song called ‘Beautiful Horse’ with it’s galloping percussion, great show.
Korean drumming was showcased to great effect by Dulsori. The stage looked like one of John Bonham’s wet dreams as there was drums everywhere with a token horizontal Korean stringed instrument and some great flute playing to mix things up. Visually impressive with amazing choreography and co-ordinated poly rhythmic drumming the show was slightly over theatrical with all artist wearing Hollywood smiles and I have to question the synthesizer on stage which just looked out of place amongst all these ancient instruments and was hardly used. An almost great show just let down by being rather too polished and contrived.
I just managed a small glimpse of Victor Deme from Burkina Faso who was sounding and looking great before running to see Chocquibtown a seven piece hip hop crew out of Bogota. They know how to get the party started but personally I’d like to have seen some more Latin rhythms in the mix with too much emphasis on the rock elements for me but I’m sure the kids will love it and there was no denying the energy.
The real treat of the night though was still to come as the SpokFrevo orquestra took to the stage. This amazing collection of horn players, 5 trombones, 5 trumpets and 5 sax players were backed up with a couple of percussionists and a lone guitarist and I have to tell you they kick arse. It’s quite simply high octane bebop, Brasilian style. The interchanges are razor sharp, the solos short, sweet and to the point and the frenetic pace never ending. More used to playing in the streets of Recife this Brasilian group were humbled to be in this amazing venue far away from home and took their showcase opportunity with both hands.
Against all the rules after their show all twenty of them jumped off the stage and led a musical procession around the great hall followed by the biggest and probably only conga line Womex and this venue has ever seen. A great bit of Brasilian joy to end the live music for the night before Maga Bo their fellow Brasilian rocked the foyer with his Ableton controller delivering the global beats late into the night for the Womex hardcore.
DAY ONE:
So Womex has finally started in its new Copenhagen home and it’s business as usual with only the autumnal sunshine the delegates had come to know and love from Seville missing. It’s all about the networking in the day time as the Bella Center hosts the trade stands, conferences and film market. The driverless, efficient metro drops you off at the center and on entering you are greeted by the Nordic delegation’s imaginatively designed, expansie, real grass stand representing the music bodies of Europe’s most northernly countries.
Next stop was the Addis Acousic Project in the main hall. Pulled together by Mahmoud Ahmed this group compromising some Ethiopian musical veterans and contemporary musicians weave a wonderful spell of vintage Ethiopian pop and jazz with touches of funk and subtle hints of rock. This is a show of subtly hypnotic East African grooves which just sucks you in and gets you swaying like an Eritrean snake charmer’s pet.
On entering the trade show proper comes the first difficult decision where the hell to start as 320 stands containing 650 separate companies vie for your attention. The whole world of music is here, even some people who actually make music! Festival bookers, arts organisations, promoters, management and record labels are all pushing their wares as several thousand delegates wander round tirelessly networking, attending pre-arranged meetings, searching for the next new thing or simply meeting old acquaintances.
I attended one of the interesting side conferences entitled ‘A Sting In The Tale’ focussing on the internet and its effect on the industry with Will Page an economist for the PRS putting a great realist spin on the music industry and making some very interesting points on the various sectors of the music industry who’s worth, despite the tales of doom, is actually growing. As sales are heading south, live concerts are in the ascendancy – great for the artists who perform live, festivals and booking agents but not much consolation for the producers and record labels. Peter Jenning the chair made the interesting point that there are two main groups in the world of music, those that produce it and those that listen to it a timely reminder during Womex which is largely about the middle men.
So after a hard day talking, lubrication is the order of the day and luckily a lot of the stalls arrange a little networking drinks session just before closing with the New Zealand stall doing a good job of promoting the islands’ excellent white wine as well as providing time to unwind slightly whilst the never ending networking continues albeit in a slightly more relaxed vein.
Womex is an event of two halves though and the real fun doesn’t start until the evenings’ musical showcases. This year they are held in the Copenhagen Concert Center run by Danish broadcasting and wow, what a venue! The sense of expectation is tickled as you approach the glass building by clever use of blue lighting which enshrouds the building giving it an unearthly appearance. The next thing that hits you as you enter is the quality of the sound emanating from the bands playing in the Foyer, the boys working the mixing boards know their onions and the acoustic treatment of the building is second to none and that’s before you even enter the cavernous main stage which is quite simply a thing of wonder. A huge amphitheatre with seating taking you halfway to heaven even at the very top the sound is crystal clear, the various instruments all clearly¬† separated with the levels mixed with skilled ears.The wood panelling on the walls and ceiling, comfortable chairs and nice little Scandinavian design touches just add to the sensory treat. A concert here is not just about listening its an occasion.
Although not on my radar for the evening the Gypsy klezmer fusion of Les Yeus Noirs was a more than pleasant surprise. Not the worlds biggest Balkan music lover I was pleasantly taken by this French outfit’s fusion of these Jewish and Gypsy sounds with touches of jazz, funk, reggae and even a little disco! It might sound a little convoluted but I’m telling you it works wonders. The brothers Slabiak, both on violin, front the group ably and effortlessly whilst giving plenty of space to the other musicians to shine as individuals when the time is right look out for Ion Faure on accordion in particular whose occasional solos were a joy.
Grupo Fantasma were the next stop and, owning all their self released music, I was keen to see this Texas crew of Latin fusionists in the flesh and I’m glad to report they kick it live as well. Fronted by Jose Galeano on the timbales, who also shares vocal duties this crew are the real, full band, latin deal. A three piece horn section, congas, drums, two guitarists and a bass tear through an uptempo variety of more than danceable latin rhythms, heavy on the Cumbia and uncompromising Salsa Dura with great touches of psychedelic rock and funk touches, this is a group that will rock any crowd – just ask Prince, who they’ve supported in the States.
Next stop was the Addis Acousic Project in the main hall. Pulled together by Mahmoud Ahmed this group compromising some Ethiopian musical veterans and contemporary musicians weave a wonderful spell of vintage Ethiopian pop and jazz with touches of funk and subtle hints of rock. This is a show of subtly hypnotic East African grooves which just sucks you in and gets you swaying like an Eritrean snake charmer’s pet.
Carlou D is another name to watch as his group of Senegalese musicians forge their own sound fusing the traditional rhythms of West Africa with a touch of jazz, soul and rap, as befits one half of Positive Black Soul. Like any African band worth their salt these boys know how to rock a party and they do so in high octane fashion.
Pleasant surprise of the evening was Deba, an all female collective from the Indian Ocean Island of Mayotte. Drawn from the traditions of Sufi ritual and sung in Arabic this slow, hypnotic trance inducing sound so basic in it’s execution draws you into a world of simpler times and old school values. A standing backing chorus support the main vocalist and the 4 percussionists sitting on a rug at the front who keep time with their hand held animal skin drums and tambourine. This one is for the head rather than the feet as the only movement on stage is some graceful dancing and swaying. A pure, simple and wonderful sound.
So folks that was day one, with three more to go. Plenty more people to meet and hands to shake not to mention bands to watch and I’m sure that Deba wont be my only ‘musical awakening’ to come during this showcase for the sounds of the world.
