fRoots

[Des Bowring]

A fabulous weekend. Everything was great, and the ADTs (Annoying Drunk Teenagers) seemed no worse than a couple of years ago. The performances started mostly right on cue on all the stages. Excellent.

Highlights for me included:

Safroman - gorgeous rumba, beautiful guitar playing.
Cedric Watson - fab dancy zydeco
The Kamkars - worth staying up for - magnificently hypnotic.
Geata Krar Collective - lovely playing and spectacular dramatic dancing - more costume-changes than Shirley Bassey.
Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwli - so good I saw them twice - the most intense and ecstatic music of the weekend - they made me cry.
Orchestre National de Barbes - my new favourite band in the world. Joyous music, lovely musicians and a powerful anti-fascist message.
Sierra Leone's Refugee Allstars - irresistable.
JazZstePpa - Banging.
Soumik Ditta - one of those special Womad moments - gorgeous sarod playing and the evening sun dappling the arboretum. Priceless.
Anxo Lorenzo - a shock to the cultural system - beautifully played Irish and Spanish trad f*lk music from this phenomenal piper.

Lots of other great stuff, but too many to mention.

[ian]

Ooh, lovely - lists!

Highlightss for me . . .

Syriana
Staff Benda Bilili
Chumbawamba
Geata Krar Collective
Ukulele Orch of GB
Khyam Allami & Andrea Piccioni
Afro Celt Sound System

Goodies reported by friends that I missed myself included
Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars
Rupa & The April Fishes
Toubab All-Stars

Most main stage big acts delivered very professional main stage shows.

The only one I actively disliked was Dan Sultan - Aus aborigine wanting to be cross between a pub blues rock band and Springsteen: why?