Over the weekend I had an ‘Ah-ha’ moment. It was the kind that changed the way I view the world and the people who live in it.
Adelaide is extremely fortunate to have an annual festival called Womadelaide. WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) is a 4 day festival which celebrates world music and embraces cultural diversity, environmental consciousness and world peace. It’s an event which is unfortunately tagged as a ‘hippy’ festival, full of dread-lock and Hessian pant wearing individuals and while there were a lot to be seen, the event is so much more. Co-founded by Peter Gabriel (most commonly known for his rendition of Hallelujah) in 1982, Womad has been held in 27 countries around the world, with Australia, New Zealand, Italy and the UK hosting the event annually.
Before this weekend, I had never been to Womad and if I’m being quite honest, my naive self didn’t really have much desire to. I ended up at the festival this year for a work opportunity and was absolutely blown away by everything I saw and experienced. Being backstage, I had the opportunity to talk to an eclectic mix of performers and crew from all around the world, each with their own unique and inspiring stories.
Willy Wonka once described his factory as the ‘happiest place on earth’ but I beg to differ. I entered the festival each day a little more exhausted and sleep deprived than the day before, and without fail I left feeling happy and full of life. I can’t quite put my finger on what makes Womad so magical, but perhaps it’s the simple combination of soul music and positive energy that creates a vibe unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
I went not knowing a single artist, song or really even the definition of world music and was still touched by the harmonies, the beats and the voices of the performers. I didn’t need to understand the words to know that they were sung with soul, joy and passion. I didn’t need to know what part of Africa a sublime band of drummers were from to appreciate their athleticism and skill. And while Beyonce is an incredible performer, I witnessed a group of women shake their booty better and more freely than anything you’d see on MTV.
Music aside, the other 50% of what made this festival so special in my opinion, was the audience. Everyone I met was absolutely lovely. It was like a congregation of people who all practiced the mantra: respect yourself, respect others and respect the world…in equal parts. It seems like such a simple concept, but if it was practiced by the majority of society every day, then it wouldn’t have been so easy to notice. This leads me to conclude that maybe most of the world are more selfish rather than selfless?
Womad was the first music festival I’ve been to where you could happily and comfortably make your way to the front of the stage without receiving death stares or being slammed against the crash barrier. People were dancing in a free and liberal way, almost as though they were entranced by the music and it was a style of dance I’ve never really seen before- earthy and spiritual.
While all of this may make me sound like a sheltered, naïve young woman from the opportunistic West, I have no shame in admitting that I was raised with very conventional values and ideals. My cultural influences stem from my family’s Mediterranean background and my knowledge on African and Asian culture is unfortunately very limited.
This past weekend has definitely made an impact on my life and I’m happy to say that I feel like a better and more aware person because of it. They say that music is the language of the world, and if that’s the case, then Womad was the perfect example.
No comments:
Post a Comment