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The month of October chimes the coming of
autumn for most, but for World Music professionals it rhymes above all with the
Womex. This year undisputedly one of the genre’s most important trade fairs
has taken up residency in the Ruhr region of Germany, and to be more precise,
in Essen. A move which understandably raised the eyebrows of a good many delegates,
accustomed to the Berlin-and-away tandem. But just one look at the location –
an old red-brick colliery known as the Zollverein, converted into a series of
cultural centres – and even the most sceptic amongst us were won over. And
despite the extended mileage to be covered when visiting the three trade fair
halls not to mention the fourteen showcases programmed during the evening, the
Essen Womex kicked off in good spirits and with panache.
The blazing winter
sunshine, an added blessing to be counted, set the scene for the evening’s
generally hot-blooded performances. The lads from Pernambuco, Mestre Ambrosio,
were particularly appreciated by the delegates, who willingly forgot appearances
to let their hair down for the artists’ forty-minute musical sprint. The
Caribbean was equally well represented by a colourful trio of acts – Jamaican
Mento by Stanley Beckford, Cuban son by Polo Montañez and Garifuna from
Belize with Andy Palacio – who got the crowds on their feet and jigging.
Finally, let us applaud the admirable initiative this year in the special
focus on the music of the Indian Ocean. René Lacaille on excellent form
opened the proceedings with his particular mix of Sega and Maloya, with many a
gem preparing to follow in his footsteps over the next few days…..
Marushka
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