28 october 2001

Ustad Gulam Hassan Shagan After last night's activities, Sunday got going as Sunday's usually do - slowly but surely. Nevertheless, the most conscientious amongst us managed to stagger in early enough to do the last rounds before the final ceremony at midday.
The Willem Burger Zaal slowly filled as the WOMEX 2001 Awards got under way. After a few words by the organiser C. Akbar Borkowsky, the announcement was made that BBC Radio 3 were to launch their own World Music Awards next year, for which many delegates had voted during the trade fair. Charlie Gillett and Lucy Duran, both high-profile UK journalists, made a comic double act when presenting the nominations for the various categories, the award ceremony being planned for early next year.
Back to the WOMEX Award. Attributed to an artist whose work has contributed exceptionally to world music, this year's award went to the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The amazing Qawwali singer from Pakistan was undoubtedly one of the most important Asian artists of all time, not only for his extraordinary talent but also for his considerable achievement in bringing Asian music to a Western audience.
On behalf of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the director of Birmingham based Oriental Star Agencies, Mr Muhammed Ayyub, received the Award, with a charming speech recounting some of his unique memories of the late singer.
The Award ceremony came to an end with a magical moment provided by Ustad Gulam Hassan Shagan, one of the last major artists of this ancient tradition, accompanied by his sons. At the age of 74, Ustad's voice has lost nothing of its artistic expression and skill.
Looking back on the WOMEX 2001, I have an overall feeling of satisfaction, of time having been well-spent. And considering the number of delegates present this year and ready to come back next year, this feeling is probably a general one. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and the venue well-suited to such an event. The running of such a huge trade fair is no easy feat and the teams from both Berlin and Rotterdam worked hard to make it happen.
As for the question, 'what is world music?' Did the WOMEX provide an answer ? I hope not, as the wonderful thing about this musical scene is its open-ended nature, always looking for new exciting projects and encounters. And the variety in the showcases reflected this musical wealth. One criticism : the democratic principle that no-one be allowed their own sound engineers resulted in disadvantaging everyone quite fairly, doing nothing for the quality of their performance.
To sum up, WOMEX 2001 was a definite success. An event not to be missed by professionals and amateurs alike. Rendez-vous in Berlin for WOMEX 2002.

Marushka