Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Jay Hoad Band
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite interview and performance – Jay Hoad Band (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – La Voce Della Luna
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – La Voce Della Luna (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite interview – Baaba Maal
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Baaba Maal (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Nano Stern
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Nano Stern (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite interview – Pigram Brothers
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Pigram Brothers (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Tinariwen
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Tinariwen (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Narasirato
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Narasirato (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – First Aid Kit
Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg have been performing music and watching American television since they were children.
So it didn’t take long for them to decide they would fuse their love of American culture with their musical talents.
Their country and folk inspired ballads are layered with stunning vocal harmonies and uncomplicated acoustic rhythms. The sisters visited us backstage…
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – First Aid Kit (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Kimmo Pohjonen
Kimmo Pohjonen hails from Finland. He has taken music for the accordion to new … and sometimes strange … places. In performance, he seems to lose himself in the moment, with accordion, voice, samples and loops sketching a landscape that is both alien and familiar.
Roger Holdsworth spoke with Kimmo Pohjonen about the development of his unique music – music that is both traditional and beyond today.
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite interview – Kimmo Pohjonen (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite interview – Le Trio Joubran
Musicians who play together may develop an almost telepathic understanding of their shared musical directions. This can be much more evident when siblings work together. Le Trio Joubran are three brothers from Nazareth, in Palestine, though they now mainly live and work in Paris. Each plays the ‘ud, the Middle Eastern round-bodied lute.
The brothers came into the our tent to talk with Roger Holdsworth about their musical and cultural heritage.
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Le Trio Joubran (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Lo’Jo
Mention the name ‘WOMAD’ and immediately a number of key artists spring to mind. French musical collective Lo’Jo is one such group, with a long-standing connection to the global WOMAD family. Here audiences continue to be bewitched by their unique blending of French chanson with African, Arabic and gypsy flavours. The band has a special affinity with the west African nation of Mali where they helped set up the Festival in the Desert, and forged an ongoing partnership with Touareg group, Tinariwen.
No stranger to exotic tents, one of Lo’Jo’s founding members – singer-poet Denis Péan paid a visit to our backstage studio for a chat with Michelle Smith.
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Lo’Jo (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Natalie from Blue King Brown
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Blue King Brown (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Staff Benda Bilili
Each year at WOMADelaide there are inspirational stories of artists overcoming great obstacles to bring their music and message to the world. None less inspiring than the story of Staff Benda Bilili, a group of street musicians from the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the band’s core are four senior singer/guitarists, each in wheel-chairs due to contracting polio as children. And backing them up is a rhythm section consisting of abandoned street children who’ve been taken under the protective wing of the older members. Even though the group faces many challenges, Staff Benda Bilili’s music is joyous and uplifting; rooted in African rumba, with rich harmonies reminiscent of the crooners of Havana.
One of the elders, Theo Kud and the youngest member, Roger Landu, dropped by our backstage tent for a chat with Michelle Smith.
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Staff Benda Bilili (mp3)
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! – Onsite Interview – Staff Benda Bilili
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! - Staff Benda Bilili
Womadelaide 2012 LIVE! coverage begins
Michelle Smith speaks to Staff Benda Bilili at Womadelaide 2012
Huri Duna Dancers – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview
Celestine Rowe speaks with Huri Duna Dancers at Womadelaide 2011 LIVE!
Hura Duri Dancers – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview (mp3)
Ana Maura – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview
Fado has national status in Portugal: it is the music that represents the Portuguese spirit. Ana Moura has produced several CDs of fado from Lisbon – the third of which hit platinum status. With a brilliant characteristic backing group of Portuguese guitar, guitar and bass, she charmed audiences at WOMADelaide 2011.
Roger Holdsworth talked with her about her music and about the challenges between traditional and developing fado.
Roger Holdsworth speaks with Roger Holdsworth at Womadelaide 2011 LIVE!
Ana Moura – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview (mp3)
Juan De Marcos – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview
Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos Gonzalez is probably best known as the man who put together the Buena Vista Social Club back in the mid-90s – finding those great old Cuban musicians, and encouraging them out of retirement for one last blast of international fame.
He was also the founder of the well-known Cuban band Sierra Maestra, and currently leads the Afro-Cuban All-Stars – a cross-generational band that features some of the best veteran players, alongside the most talented younger musicians in Cuba today.
Seth Jordan speaks with Juan de Marcos at Womadelaide 2011 LIVE!
Juan De Marcos – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview (mp3)
Sidestepper – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview
Sidestepper is a unique musical project that brings together UK producer/DJ Richard Blair with some of Colombia’s hottest musicians. Originally a studio creation, it’s since evolved into a full band, with traditional South American cumbia and salsa rhythms rubbing shoulders with the latest electronic beats.
Richard Blair stopped into our backstage studio here at Womadelaide to discuss the group’s history with Seth Jordan.
Seth Jordan speaks with Sidestepper at Womadelaide 2011 LIVE!
Sidestepper – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview (mp3)
Amadou & Mariam – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview
Mali’s husband-and-wife team Amadou & Mariam are probably the best-known couple in Africa these days. While both of these talented musicians are blind, that certainly hasn’t stopped them from establishing themselves as one of the most in-demand World music acts performing today.
Their combination of traditional Bambara rhythms with Amadou’s sparkling guitar work and his tight vocal duets with Mariam, makes for an exciting mix.
Seth Jordan speaks with Amadou & Mariam at Womadelaide 2011 LIVE!
Amadou & Mariam – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview (mp3)
Yasar Akpence HAREM’de – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview
Turkish darbukka player Yasar Akpence leads the group Harem’de. The group’s line-up includes two other percussionists, a kanun (or plucked zither) player who also sings, a clarinettist who dances, and a keyboard player who fills out bass and melody lines. Yasar himself started playing percussion at age 7, influenced by a musician father.
The group Harem’de are all Romany musicians. Yasar explained to Roger Holdsworth about the backgrounds of the group, and the importance of Romany artists to Turkish music. Murat Yucel (Moorat Yoodjel) provided the translation.
Roger Holdsworth speaks with Yasar Akpence HAREM’de at Womadelaide 2011 LIVE!
Yasar Akpence HAREM’de – Womadelaide 2011 LIVE! – Onsite interview (mp3)
