WOMAD 2006 FESTIVAL | FLY | EUROPE: CITY GUIDES/EVENTS

Please visit our WOMAD 2007 page for news of this year’s festival.

Friday 28 July 2006
Anoushka Shankar (India); Ayaan Ali Khan & Amaan Ali Khan (India); Bellowhead (UK); Daby Balde (Senegal); Dennis Rollins’ Badbone & Co (UK); Dimi Mint Abba (Mauritania); Gotan Project (France); Guo Yue (China); Los De Abajo (Mexico); Mahotella Queens (South Africa); Pallavi Saran Mathur (India); Salif Keita (Mali); Salsa Celtica (UK); Sê Tin Saba (UK); Siyaya (Zimbabwe); Spiers & Boden (UK); Tiger Moth (England); Värttinä (Finland); Vusi Mahlasela (South Africa); Wang Ki Seok (Korea); Warsaw Village Band (Poland); Yerba Buena (USA).
CABARET - Circus Fudge; Daniela Zocchi; Fair Play; Fling; Freehand Juggling; Robert Wildfell; Swizzleshaker and compere Steve Faulkner.
Club WOMAD - Heatwave with Quality Diamond & Yungun (UK/Jamaica); JSTAR & MC Honey Brown (UK); Trojan Sound System with Brother Culture, Chuckie Banton, SuperFour & Top Cat (UK).
COMEDY - Mark Thomas and compere James Campbell.
CINEMA - Moulin Rouge and other titles to be announced

Saturday 29 July
Akli D (Algeria); Batucada Sound Machine (New Zealand/Brazil); Bomba with Derub (Australia/Ethiopia); Bukky Leo & Black Egypt (Nigeria); Daby Balde (Senegal); Debashish Bhattacharya (India); Dona Rosa (Portugal); Emmanuel Jal (Sudan); Enrique Morente (Spain); Etran Finatawa (Niger); Femi Kuti & The Positive Force (Nigeria); Joji Hirota, Kenny Endo & John Kaizan Neptune (Japan/USA); K’Naan (Somalia/Canada); Le Cod Afrique (UK); Nanci Griffith (USA); Nina Virdee (UK); Orange Blossom (Algeria/Mexico/France); Roberto Pla & His Latin Ensemble (Colombia); Ska Cubano (UK/Cuba/Jamaica/Japan/Montserrat); Sunshiners (Vanuatu); Think Of One (Belgium); Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited (Zimbabwe); Titi Robin (France); Toumani Diabaté & Symmetric Orchestra (Mali); Trilok Gurtu & the Misra Brothers (India); Vusi Mahlasela (South Africa).
CABARET - Circus Fudge; Daniela Zocchi; Fair Play; Fling; Freehand Juggling; Robert Wildfell; Swizzleshaker and compere Steve Faulkner.
Club WOMAD - DJ Patife (Brazil) featuring live vocals from Cleveland Watkiss (UK); Marcelo D2 (Brazil); Mr Bongo DJs (UK).
COMEDY - Ayesha Hazarika; Francesca Martinez; Stephen K Amos and compere James Campbell.
CINEMA - Grease, School of Rock and other titles to be announced

Sunday 30 July
Angélique Kidjo (Benin); Cherifa (Morocco); Da Lata (Brazil/France); Diana Hamilton (Bahamas); Djaaka (Mozambique); Djelimady Tounkara (Mali); Dona Rosa (Portugal); Emmanuel Jal (Sudan); Guo Yue (China); Ivo Papasov & His Wedding Band (Bulgaria); Nickens Nkoso & Kasaï Masaï (Congo/Kenya/Tanzania); Konono No1 (Congo); Laura Veirs (USA); Mastana, Qawwali du Rajasthan (India); Mitsoura (Hungary); Pascals (Japan); Pedro Luis Ferrer (Cuba); Moussu T e Lei Jovents (France); Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (USA); Spanish Harlem Orchestra (USA); Stella Chiweshe (Zimbabwe); Susana Baca (Peru).
CABARET - Circus Fudge; Daniela Zocchi; Fair Play; Fling; Freehand Juggling; Robert Wildfell; Swizzleshaker and compere Steve Faulkner.
Club WOMAD - Bonobo - DJ set (UK); Coldcut - Live (UK); Norman Jay (UK).
COMEDY - AF Harrold; Ava Vidal; Shazia Mirza and compere James Campbell.
CINEMA - Titles to be announced
Kids’ Procession - featuring Think Of One (Belgium).

(Line-up is subject to change)

Please note: Unfortunately, the previously billed Calypso All Stars will no longer appear at the festival, as they have had to cancel their tour.

This year’s festival will feature a whole new area to explore and includes; a traditional steam funfair; a brand new stage - the Little Big Top - presenting family workshops, comedy and cinema shows; the Spiegeltent bar, offering fantastically atmospheric surroundings in which to grab a drink; a traditional Indian painter creating a huge and fabulous Bollywood hoarding over the course of the weekend; Taste The World sessions in which artists performing at the festival cook up their favourite dishes; a custom-built skateboard zone; plenty of cafés and food stalls to keep hunger at bay; and an abundance of beautiful WOMAD flags.

Elsewhere on the festival site, there will be an amazing new Tri-Span stage - home to workshops, cinema and cabaret shows, as well as musical performances - and a newly positioned Open Air Stage and BBC Radio 3 Stage.

In response to last year’s feedback, there will be a much improved campsite, offering a separate Family Camping area; a new layout designed to allow parking within a reasonable distance of camping; plenty of new and improved showers and toilets, maintained over the festival weekend by a dedicated hygiene team; plus extra space overall making the campsite a more relaxing place to live for the weekend.

TICKETS
Weekend ticket: £110 (Standard price)
‘Early Entry Thursday’: £10 (available to Weekend ticket holders only)
Day tickets: Friday £35, Saturday £55, Sunday £45
Concessions available. All Weekend tickets include free camping.
Families are entitled to savings as two children aged 13 and under can come free with each adult ticket buyer.

BOOKINGS
WOMAD TICKET LINE on Tel: 0118 939 0930 or Fax: 0118 939 0751
Email for box office queries: boxoffice@readingarts.com
BOOK ONLINE: www.womad.org/reading
Email for online ticket queries: sales@womadshop.com

GENERAL INFORMATION
Web: www.womad.org
Email: info@womad.org
24hr information line: 0870 759 96623
Post: WOMAD Free Mailing List, Mill Lane, Box, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 8PN

Photo of Salif Keita by Damian Rafferty

WOMAD FESTIVAL UPDATE - NEW ARTISTS CONFIRMED
BOMBA with DERUB (Australia/Ethiopia); BUKKY LEO & BLACK EGYPT (Nigeria); DA LATA; DJAAKA (Mozambique); DJELIMADY TOUNKARA (Mali); EMMANUEL JAL (Sudan); GUO YUE (China); KONONO NO1 (Congo); LAURA VEIRS (USA); ORANGE BLOSSOM (Algeria/Mexico/France); PEDRO LUIS FERRER; TITI ROBIN (France) and YERBA BUENA (USA) have just been added to this year’s WOMAD festival line-up.

Farid Ayaz Qawwal and Brothers perform the ecstatic devotional music of the Sufis.

Farid Ayaz Qawwal and Brothers perform the ecstatic devotional music of the Sufis. The ensemble has gained recognition for both the popular traditional form of qawwali and the more introspective ancient classical qawwali that is seldom heard today.18/jun/2006 london, QEH

https://www.rfh.org.uk/main/events/134661.html
http://www.qawwal.com
haydar ayaz

www.qawwalniazi.com
qawwalniazi@yahoo.com
mehboob ahmed says
Manzoor Ahmed Khan Niazi Qawwal, renowned and famous name in Sufiana and Traditional Style of Qawali, belongs to a family of musicians whose history starts from the advent of Islam and arrival of muslim sufi saints in the sub-continent.

When Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti (Khawaja Gareeb Nawaz) settled in Ajmer and served his entire life to propagate Islam, apart from the others, his beloved mureeds and Sama’s Khwa’n, Mian Nigahi and Mian Dargahi were also accompanied him.

Later, with the intention to spread teachings of Islam in the entire sub-continent, on instructions of Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia (Mehboob-e-Elahi), Hazrat Amer Khusrou modified the Sama’a - traditional from of Zikr-e-Elahi - and named it Qawali He arranged a group of his tewelve youngs pupils and imparted the art of Qawali to them. He designated Mian Sa’mat, decendend of Mian Nigahi and Mian Dargahi and also mureed of Mehboob-e-Elahi, as the leader of this elite group Later on this group become famous as Qawal Bachchay afterwards Qawal Bachcha Gharana of Delhi or Delhi Gharana.

This family claimed further fame through Al-Haj Mir Qutub Buksh Who was the royal tutor and court musician of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last mughal emperor. Khan Sahib was conferred the titles of Tanrus Khan and Aitamad-ul-Mulk from the Royal Court.
Manzoor Niazi is the grandson of Khan Sahib. He was born in Delhi (India) in 1922 and took his initial training in music from his uncle Haji Suleman Khan.

Manzoor Niazi began giving performances, publicly as well as at shrines of Sufi saints all over the sub-continent, from the very tender age of eight years and within no more than twelve years he became popular in the entire Indian Peninsula. His fame spreaded in those days when the word of mouth was the only available media for propagation of any event or news.
In 1937, at the programme being arranged by Pakistan Association, Bombay Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah Decorated him as Bulbul-e-Deccan.

Being the descendent of Tanrus Khan he was attached with the Court of Nizam of Hyderabd which he continued till 1954.

In 1964, when the first test transmission of PTV went on-air, Manzoor Niazi was given the honour to perform live, immediately after the President of Pakistan’s inaugural speech. Later on, when PTV was formaly established, he was again given the honour to perform from al the centers of PTV including Dhaka.

In 1965, he was invited to perform at President House in a function which was attended by MNAs, top ranking dignitaries and eminent personalities.

He has the honour of being the first Pakistan Qawal who went abroad to propagate Islam and its traditions and exhibited his Qawali there.

The year 1970 saw him visiting Iran,Iraz,Afghanistan, Kuwait, Eden and Saudi Arabia where he once again proved his command over the art of Qawali and acclaimed admiration from the elite and the general public.

There prevails a prohibition on music in Islam and Saudi Arabia, being the custodian of the Holiest Places of Islam-Khana e Ka’aba, Masjid-e-Nabawi and the birth place of prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him), is a contry where performance of any sort of music is strictly prohibited. During his trip to Saudi Arabia, Manzoor Niazi had a legthy debate with the Imam of Masjid-e-Nabawi and by giving concrete Islamic historical evidences he proved and convinced him that Qawali is one kind of music which is not forbidden in Islam for the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, A musician was allowed to perform live in Saudi Arabia and the biggest of al hounours which Manzoor Niazi holds is that he performed live right in front of Masjid-e-Nabawi with all his musical instruments and the audience included the Members of Royal family, high government officials, dignitaries, press reporters and a large number of Saudi, Pakistani and Indian people. This event was being given major coverage by all the leading newspapers in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and all other muslim countries. Furthermore, during the same tour, he also presented Qawali in front of King of Iran which was recorded by Madina Televiision as well.

In 1974, Manzoor Niazi exhibited the Sufiana kalaams of Hazrat Amir Khusrou during his 7th centennial anniversary which was jointly organised by Pakistan, India, Iran and Central Asian States (then USSR). The agenda of the anniversary celebrations included a detailed coverage of every aspect of the life and impact of this gigantic saint on the culture and music of the Sub-continent.

Manzoor Niazi and his family has been continuously and regularly attached with the sufi order since last 7 centuries. The tombs of Mian Nigahi and Mian Dargahi adjacent to the shrine of Khawaja Ghareeb Nawaz. And Nigahi Dargahi Masjid at Dargah Bazar, Ajmer are examples of their spiritual affiliation. Furthermore, apart from their connection this family has been awarded with permanent rooms adjacent to the shrines of Khawaja Ghareeb Nawaz, Mehboob-e-Elahi and Sabir Pak in Ajmer, Delhi and Kalyar, for their regular services and continuous attachment with the shrines of these Sufi saints. Furthermore, in recognition of continuous connection of his family with the Sufi order of Mehboob-e-Elahi, he had been awarded a certificate of affiliation in 1981 by the decendants of Mehboob-e-Elahi.

Regards,

mehboob ahmed