World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD)

World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD)
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Name	World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD)
Genre	World music festival
Founded	1980
Founders	Peter Gabriel; Thomas Brooman; John Anderson; Martin Elbourne
Months	Various
Locations	International

World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) is an international music festival and arts organisation founded in 1980 that presents cross-cultural music and interdisciplinary performance. Conceived by Peter Gabriel with collaborators including Thomas Brooman, John Anderson (producer), and Martin Elbourne, WOMAD has organized events, recordings, and education projects across multiple countries and regions. The organisation has influenced programming at festivals and institutions such as the Glastonbury Festival, Royal Albert Hall, Southbank Centre, Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, and numerous municipal arts councils.

History

WOMAD was launched in 1980 following meetings between Peter Gabriel, Thomas Brooman, John Anderson (producer), and Martin Elbourne, drawing inspiration from ethnomusicological work by Alan Lomax and festival models like Newport Folk Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, and WOMEX. Early editions featured artists affiliated with labels and promoters such as Real World Records, Nonesuch Records, Island Records, EAR Music, and World Circuit. The festival intersected with cultural movements linked to venues like The Roundhouse, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and institutions such as the British Council, UNESCO, and Commonwealth Foundation. Over subsequent decades WOMAD events occurred alongside major cultural moments involving the BBC Proms, Eurovision Song Contest, and city initiatives in Bristol, Berkshire, Charlton Park, Reading, and Wellington.

Format and Programming

WOMAD programming blends diverse genres and artforms, drawing artists from traditions associated with Fela Kuti, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Youssou N'Dour, Buena Vista Social Club, and ensembles like Al-Gabal, The Gipsy Kings, and Tinariwen. Lineups often mix veteran performers such as Loreena McKennitt, Salif Keita, Ali Farka Touré, Anoushka Shankar, and Cesária Évora with contemporary acts like Björk, Bomba Estéreo, Damon Albarn, and Amadou & Mariam. Stages present collaborations reminiscent of projects by Paul Simon (e.g., Graceland (album) model), productions involving Brian Eno, and commissions comparable to works by Peter Sellars and Merce Cunningham. Ancillary programming includes talks with figures from Zadie Smith-style literary festivals, film screenings akin to IDFA and Sundance Film Festival, and workshops reflecting curatorial practice at Tate Modern and Museum of London.

Locations and Festivals

WOMAD has operated festivals and events in settings ranging from the WOMADelaide site in Adelaide to editions in Reading, Wellington, Santiago, Lima, Santiago de Compostela, Fremantle, Charlton Park, Bristol, Cardiff, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Bournemouth, Bordeaux, Marseille, Rabat, Accra, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Cairo, Beirut, Istanbul, Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai, Delhi, Dhaka, and Christchurch. Several editions partnered with municipal and national institutions including Creative Scotland, Arts Council England, Australia Council for the Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, and New Zealand Arts Council.

Artists and Performances

Performers at WOMAD have included a wide spectrum of artists and ensembles such as Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Youssou N'Dour, Salif Keita, Ali Farka Touré, Cesária Évora, Oumou Sangaré, Yannick Noah, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Angélique Kidjo, Buena Vista Social Club, The Chieftains, Nitin Sawhney, Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar, Tinariwen, Bombino (musician), Björk, Damon Albarn, Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Loreena McKennitt, Kate Bush, Shirley Bassey, Sting, Paul Simon, Ali Akbar Khan, Zakir Hussain, Taj Mahal (musician), Rokia Traoré, Buika, Mariza (singer), Goran Bregović, Ibrahim Maalouf, Khaled (musician), Cheb Mami, Orchestra Baobab, Salif Keita, Seun Kuti, Amadou & Mariam, Bomba Estéreo, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Celia Cruz, Ethiopiques artists, and contemporary cross-genre projects by Brian Eno collaborators and producers such as Joe Boyd and Daniel Lanois.

Education and Community Outreach

WOMAD’s education initiatives have partnered with organizations and programs like BBC Radio 3, Arts Council England, Sound and Music, Youth Music, Creative New Zealand, British Council, UNICEF, and university departments at SOAS University of London, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Auckland, and University of Cape Town. Activities include workshops, artist residencies, school concerts, and community projects modeled on practices from El Sistema, Sistema Scotland, and local cultural centres such as Southbank Centre and City of London Corporation initiatives.

Governance and Funding

WOMAD operates as a not-for-profit organisation governed by a board connected to figures from the music and arts sectors including producers, venue directors, and former executives from Real World Records, Island Records, Nonesuch Records, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, and the British Council. Funding streams have combined ticket sales, philanthropic grants from trusts like The Paul Hamlyn Foundation, sponsorships from corporations such as legacy partners in the music industry, and public funding bodies including Arts Council England, Australia Council, and municipal arts departments in cities like Adelaide and Bristol.

Impact and Reception

WOMAD has been cited in discussions of cultural diplomacy alongside institutions such as UNESCO and festivals like WOMEX for promoting cross-cultural exchange and influencing world music markets, as documented in analyses involving Real World Records, Nonesuch Records, and ethnomusicology research at SOAS University of London and Smithsonian Folkways. Critical reception spans praise from outlets comparable to The Guardian, The New York Times, The Times, Le Monde, and Rolling Stone for championing artists who later achieved international recognition, while commentary from trade publications linked to Pollstar and Billboard (magazine) has examined economic and programming challenges. WOMAD’s model has informed festival practice at events like Glastonbury Festival, Meltdown Festival, Roskilde Festival, SXSW, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and numerous regional festivals worldwide.

Category:Music festivals