In a world of so much division, WOMAD gave me hope. 4 days of embracing nature and culture gave me and other attendees an opportunity to switch off from the never-ending bad news erupting from our screens. I found an incredible sense of community was fostered at WOMAD, and connections between the patrons, the earth, the culture, and the music shared was undeniable.
WOMAD is a unique festival, particularly because of its location in Adelaide’s Botanic Park. Stages nestled between forest landscapes and bats hanging from trees above adds another layer of atmosphere to the experience. I participated in morning yoga at the Moreton Bay stage, barefoot in the grass. It gave me and other participants a sense of mindfulness and grounding that we might not usually feel in day-to-day life. The instructor refreshingly reminded us how lucky we are to breathe in the air from the trees and how we are connected to the earth beneath us.
From then on, the shoes stayed off, and I completely embraced the laid-back nature of the festival.
My favourite place to be at WOMAD was Stage 7, because the surrounding nature felt untouched – and it was home to hundreds of bats. One of the acts to take to this stage was My Cherie, at golden hour on Sunday. Cherie and her band enticed the audience with their “warrior in the forest” inspired outfits and ethereal sound, creating a magical experience for us in the crowd. Cherie’s band was dressed in all white while she stole the show wearing a striking red dress that flowed around her while she moved on stage, paired with a silver chainmail chest piece.
I was lucky enough to speak with Cherie after her “dream” performance, where she shared some vulnerable moments of her songwriting process. The songs on her most recent EP, Life is short and life is long, are all songs which she wrote, “while (she was) going through it” and she has enjoyed the “realness of processing (her emotions) by writing”. She also shared insight into her new song, ‘Stuck Inside My Head’. “My brain is crazy and music is such a good way for me to feel a sense of release, its like my religion. I was thinking about spirituality and wanting to have that experience… it’s about that struggle. Then a part of the song is finding the release and giving into it”. The rawness and vulnerability in Cherie’s lyrics create a personal relationship between her and the music, resonating with the audience.
When asked about the instrumental aspect of producing her songs she poetically stated that “the whole experience of creating music is an ethereal journey and it can be very spiritual (for her)… it’s all very connected” and also helps her “articulate all the big emotions that (she) has in (her) body that (she) doesn’t know how to get out”.
Cherie reflected on an incredible moment I witnessed her have on stage. While playing the final song of their set, On My Mind, the crowd sung the lyrics of the chorus back to her so passionately. Cherie said from up on stage it sounded like a “full choir sound with everyone singing” which was “the highlight” of the performance. She also shared how she is “weirdly in tune with the (audience’s) energies” and she could “see people being touched, which touched (her) personally”. Cherie feels strongly about her relationship with her audience while she is performing, sharing how she won’t deny how her music is “a gift (she) was given to be able to connect with people”.
On Sunday night I was lucky enough to be a member of the audience at Yothu Yindi’s performance, the unity and connection felt in the crowd was immense and powerful. It personally felt like a huge honour to see them live. Yothu Yindi blend rock n’ roll with Yolngu Matha language and traditional instruments like the didgeridoo and ironwood clapsticks, celebrating and recognising rich Aboriginal culture and their connection to the land.
For the finale, they played their undeniably biggest track, ‘Treaty’, which was released 35 years ago. The song, still as significant as it was in 1991, reinforced how long Aboriginal people and allies have been advocating for treaty in Australia, and that sovereignty has never been ceded.
After their set I spoke to two women in the crowd who were grooving to Yothu Yindi the entire time. They reflected on the instinctive nature to get up and dance while music is playing. One of the women shared that while she was at WOMAD, she was dancing by herself when she locked eyes with another lady who was also moving along with the music. She immediately went up to her and said, “we just connected, didn’t we?”. That was a moment which really cemented the importance of WOMAD for me, especially after witnessing such a moving performance.
The shared experience of the crowd embracing music and culture brings us all together making us “one people”, as frontman, Speech, of Arrested Development stated, while headlining on Monday night.
WOMAD at its heart is a community, which fosters and highlights all different kinds of connections through celebration and sharing. The beauty of it was that there was so much diversity, in the patrons of all different ages and backgrounds, and the artists, from local to international. Though everyone is uniquely different, we were able to unify over love of culture and music. For me, WOMAD was such an important experience to feel connected and grounded. In the current climate of the world where there is so much division, like minded people banded together over 4 days to celebrate the good things in life.
This feature has been published as part of The Music Writer’s Lab initiative, supported by Music Australia, WOMADelaide and the VMDO. For more information, visit www.themusicwriterslab.com.
Photos from John Goodridge
