THE recently concluded SingFest musical festival (Aug 8 and 9) was hailed as being the first of its kind - a two-day rock/pop/alternative music festival. The true mother of Singapore's music festivals, however, is Womad (World of Music, Arts and Dance). It lays claim to being one of the earliest non-government festivals in Singapore, and is celebrating its 10th birthday this year.
The festival starts today and runs till Sunday. And the line-up is stronger than ever, with the programme featuring some of the latest performance venues such as world-music club Movida, at St James Power Station.
Womad has held festivals in 27 countries to date. The festival accrued enough prestige over the years to become the anchor event for the National Day celebrations two years ago, and last year's Womad Singapore saw almost 20,000 visitors.
Thomas Brooman, Womad's co-founder, and managing and artistic director, says: 'Each of the festivals is a destination in itself, unique because of its location, and Womad Singapore is made utterly special because Fort Canning Park has a magic and an atmosphere that the audience adores.'
Sarah Martin, Womad Singapore's festival director, adds: 'We still struggle on with raising the bar each year in maintaining our position as a premier festival on the Singapore scene and with it, the rising costs and need for sponsorship and funding. However, the scepticism of Womad arriving and growing roots is now gone.'
There are some brand new faces in this year's line-up, making their Singapore debut, such as Cameroon's Muntu Valdo, Brazil's Clube do Balanco, Nigeria's Etran Finatawa and Iran's Ensemble Shanbehzadeh.
'Singapore is very far for us and actually we never thought of coming to Singapore one day. We are honoured being part of this anniversary and hope to give an unforgettable contribution,' says Etran Finatawa's manager Sandra Vanedig.
The programme spread is truly international, and includes performers from Japan, Scotland and Israel. There will also be 14 workshops spread over the weekend, where artists will go beyond music to share stories from their cultures, and even cook up samples of their cuisine.
Those who couldn't wait for Womad to start proper had the chance to check out free performances and workshops at the NUS University Cultural Centre on Wednesday. There was also a collaborative performance between Etran Finatawa and the NUS Chinese Orchestra.
The festival finale on Sunday promises to be something special, with artists who are otherwise only performing on one night, like Sheila Chandra and the Asian Dub Foundation, returning to the stage for one last collaborative blast.
Chandra, another newcomer to Singapore, shares what she loves best about the festival. 'Being part of Womad is a bit like coming back to a family I know really well,' she says. 'I did my first-ever season of live performances with Womad exclusively back in 1992 and so many of the same people in the organisation are still there. I have also always been really glad to be part of a festival that caters so well to learning for both adults and children.'
Oki, leader of Japan's Oki Dub Ainu Band, is not only looking forward to performing here, but is also keen to check out fellow artists from other countries. 'After my own performance, I will be part of the audience,' he says enthusiastically.
One face stands out conspicuously in the line-up - homegrown talent Rajesh Hardwani, who goes by the stage name of r-H. He has achieved acclaim overseas as a DJ-producer, and was voted one of the 25 Indian DJs by India's RAVE magazine.
This has put r-H in a situation common among Singaporean artists - he's more successful overseas than at home, which he says makes him feel a little lost. 'I have overseas fans visiting Singapore and looking for compilation CDs with my tracks on it and then you have the store owners going 'who?',' he says.
'On another note, again, pride. While it's disappointing to hear some of my fans go, 'You're from Singapore? You mean you folks make such music?', it's also fulfilling as I have, in a small way, introduced this powerful island in another light. It's also advantageous as I am representing Singapore and you do end up standing out in the crowd.'
It's gratifying to see Womad receive such consistent government support over the years, and the STB is firmly behind the festival this year, in contrast with the non-existent support for SingFest.
'The energy and celebratory atmosphere have made Womad Singapore truly unique and distinctive,' says Lynette Pang, director of STB's cluster development (events and entertainment). 'Such events appeal to visitors who appreciate quality lifestyle options and are significant in profiling Singapore as an exciting and vibrant destination that offers a pulsating nightlife, round-the-clock entertainment and world-class arts performances year round.'
r-H celebrates the support. 'Promoters, like Womad, and the STB have put in a lot to promote the arts scene. And it is certainly paying off,' he says. He qualifies this, however, by emphasising that artists need to take responsibility for their own career development. The true ambassadors for artists, he says, are the artists themselves.
'Don't blame the public if they aren't willing to pay for your gig,' r-H stresses. 'Like I have said earlier, you cannot lie to your audience. Singaporeans are outgoing and they love to be entertained. If they dig your stuff they will be loyal. A good marketing sense goes a long way. Being a good artiste isn't enough. Playing at the right venue and time contributes to the artist's returns.'
Womad tickets at the door cost $58 per day, $88 for two days, and $133 for all three days. There are concessionary prices for students, senior citizens and families. Children below six get in free. Deluxe Womad Essentials packages are available from www.womadshop.com for hardcore fans. ~ Christopher Lim |