WOMADelaide 2018 – Day 4: This Really Is Musical Bliss – World Music Festival Review

Botanic Park/Tainmundilla, Adelaide, Mon 12 Mar. [WORLD MUSIC] Final day is always a mix of emotions and adventures; socialising, silliness, chilling-out under shelter of mammoth fig trees, an occasional mad dash across the park with realisation it’s the last chance to catch an act, stealthily weaving through gaps to front of stage to witness legends demonstrate their artistry, and smiling like the veritable Cheshire on endorphin-spiked catnip …bliss! From the robe-clad desert blues of Tinariwen to local songstress Naomi Keyte, and Portugal’s energetically gyrating Lura, the afternoon sunrays germinated a vibrant bed aural colour and fragrance. By late afternoon as the sun lowered a steady crescendo of warmth and love in the park intensified, and the melting pot of global cross-culture continued to simmer. Chilean rhythms of Nano Stern, the eclectic sounds of punk hurdy-gurdy and bouzouki from Le Vent du Nord, Ghada Shbeir’s impassioned Arabic vibrato vocal gymnastics, plus Tex, Don and Charlie’s swamp blues, and an abundance of many more artists with thickly layered and over-used descriptive superlatives (yup, having a laugh at myself!) offered a diverse and exhaustive choice to the even most discerning and selective listener. Seriously though, there’s no shortage of the feels at this festival and there’s always a smile within reach. Highlights for me on day four came in three vastly different forms: the immeasurably uplifting and hilariously choreographed interactive Swan Lake water dance routine of Cie Pernette, Chico Trujillo and his bucket party hat, and without question the holy-bazeejuz 6-string magic of bass GOD Thundercat! Wow, just WOW! Onward to WOMADelaide 2019…a whole year to wait…with antici-. 5 stars Jenna Bonavita #WOMADL18 Image courtesy of Jenna Bonavita