| WOMAD stands
for World of Music, Arts and Dance,
expressing the central aim of the WOMAD
festival - to bring together and to
celebrate many forms of music, arts and
dance drawn from countries and cultures
all over the world. WOMAD was
originally inspired by Peter Gabriel:
"Pure enthusiasm for music from around
the world led us to the idea of WOMAD in
1980 and thus to the first WOMAD
festival in 1982. The festivals have
always been wonderful and unique
occasions and have succeeded in
introducing an international audience to
many talented artists.
"Equally important, the festivals
have also allowed many different
audiences to gain an insight into
cultures other than their own through
the enjoyment of music. Music is a
universal language, it draws people
together and proves, as well as
anything, the stupidity of racism."
As an organisation, WOMAD now works
in many different ways, but our aims are
always the same - at festivals,
performance events, through recorded
releases and through educational
projects, we aim to excite, to inform,
and to create awareness of the worth and
potential of a multicultural society.
The WOMAD Festivals
Since the first festival in Shepton
Mallett, England in 1982, WOMAD has
presented more than 145 events in 22
different countries and islands.
Having established its presence in
the UK, WOMAD's unique nomadic identity
evolved gradually during the eighties.
In 1988, the festival began to be
presented internationally, with initial
events in Denmark and Canada. Since
then, WOMAD's worldwide profile has
grown quickly, now embracing events in
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the
Canary Islands, Sicily and the UK each
year.
The festivals are often week or
week-long, family-oriented, active and
diverse musical events, featuring
simultaneous performances on two or
three stages, or locations including
participatory workshops and special
events , as well as music and dance
sessions hosted by many of the visiting
artists.
Source (WOMAD) |
