Rizwan Muazzam singing at the WOMAD event (Credit: York Tillyer)
Ashfaq Ahmad and Tariq
Last month welcomed the return of the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival, which took place at Charlton Park, Malmesbury in Wiltshire. The multicultural event marked the fortieth anniversary of the now truly well-established and well-attended celebration, so rich in musical tastes.
The conception of exposing audiences to music, art, and dance from all corners of the world was pioneered by British artist Peter Gabriel.
This July, artists from no less than forty-nine countries descended on Charlton Park over four days of vibrant events and concerts. Over the years, there have been performances encompassing many musical genres that have helped such diverse careers to flourish.
1985 was marked by the seminal concert of qawwali music by the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His first performance at WOMAD was to an almost exclusively non-Asian audience that lasted more than four hours.
To date, it has been recognised as the moment ‘the fire’ of Sufi, spiritual qawwali music was lit and spread across the world. At WOMAD 2022, Peter Gabriel described Nusrat as the “Pakistani Pavarotti” whose contribution to world Sufi and spiritual music lives on.
At this year’s event, those who still seek to explore the deep pleasure of qawwali music were treated to two concerts performed by Nusrat’s nephews and his group known as the Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals. First, on July 29, their vocalisation ascended the skies above Charlton Park.
The sound of the tabla, clapping, profound harmonium and profound lyrical poetry enriched the festival in the unique way that only this genre of music can.
At the end of the memorable festival, a reprise performance began with the timeless ‘Allah Ho Ya Rehman (God is Great and Merciful)’ and ended at the stroke of midnight with the hugely popular ‘Dam Must Qalandar Must Must’. The large audience showed their appreciation with long and warm applause.
Another highlight of the festival for those who enjoy the genre of Sufi music was the performance by the three Barmer Boys from Rajasthan, India. Their vocal and musical style proved to be a source of pure delight for so many in the audience, especially when the trio performed, “Allah Hoo.”
Music has many pleasures, but it is also an art of protest. WOMAD 2022 saw and heard from the enlightened Egyptian musician Ramy Essam.
The man is considered to be the musical voice of the 2011 Egypt revolution. The many thousands of protesters who attended Tahrir Square in Cairo bellowed his song Irhal, which became the anthem of the revolution that led to the resignation of Hosni Mubarak.
WOMAD has something to offer everyone. It opens the human experience of life to a variety and differences in artistic beauty that can be enjoyed and translated into the shared experience of human existence. There is goodness to it and in it. Music expresses all forms of human emotions, from love and the joy of life to the sadness and pain that we encounter through our journey through life.
The spirit of the festival was succinctly summed up by Stephen Pritchard, the co-founder of WOMAD, when he remarked, “I think in a world that we are so aware is increasingly divided, WOMAD is a powerful soft force in the best possible way, that works through the arts and actually works against that division and brings people together and sort of unites them through the language of music, art, and conversation.”
Plans are already advanced for WOMAD 2023, providing an environment that is safe and relaxed for all to enjoy, of all ages and backgrounds. No doubt, the vast range of nationalities and ethnicities that are represented on stage will again be reflected in the audience in attendance.
