Friday 23rd until Sunday 25th July 2010 @ Charlton Park, Wiltshire
Featuring Performances From: Calypso Rose, Little Axe, Ozomatli, LaBrassBanda, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Imogen Heap, Refugee All Stars, Rolf Harris, Imelda May, Gill Scott Heron

The weather is fine and the ground dry as friends help me pitch a last-minute-bought tent for my umpteenth WOMAD since I were a young lass. The campsite has showers and the toilets have cleaners. We’re off to a brilliant start.

We go into the festival past the pink she-pee tent (“now waxed funnels”) and the main stage to the Siam tent (still sans UV hangings – do you think we might have those back please WOMAD?). Calypso Rose announces herself as a 40s-born cancer survivor who has written over 800 calypso tracks and met the Queen yet is our ‘humble servant’ to which she receives warm laughter from the audience. I love her. My favourite track would be Israel By Bus if it wasn’t for the innuendo filled Rum & Coca Cola that follows. Have you ever seen a 70-year-old stick a microphone between her legs, lift her dress over it and thrust her pelvis forward? I have. What an amazing, amazing human being.

For dinner I had a chicken tikka wrap, from the Chicken Tikka and Bombay Potato stall. It was my first time. The mango chutney onion and chicken loved me back.

After a bit of Little ‘If I had my way, I’d tear the system down’ Axe on the Charlie Gillett stage (one of the funkiest stages), we went to see my favourite band of all time, Ozomatli. Now, Ozomatli can pretty much get away with anything in my book because I love them so much, but they did come on to stage as if someone had caught them off guard, yelling ‘GO!’ at them. I was surprised to find myself enjoying my least favourite of their tracks Saturday Night the most. I waved my arms from side to side vigorously in support.

The next day after breakfast, my friend Jake and I head past a yoga workshop and a man with elf ears on a mobility scooter. We meet more friends and go to see LaBrassBanda who are late, meaning a swap with The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain. The Uke Orchestra begin with a rendition of Anarchy In The UK: ‘I use the enemy, I use the ukulele’ and move through a couple of well known covers before getting to Shaft:
‘What’s the most important thing in a coal mine besides the coal?
‘SHAFT’
‘No, it’s the 1815 Davy safety lamp.’
They are hugely entertaining and very funny, perfect for the afternoon.

When they finish, LaBrassBanda have arrived, and with an immense amount of energy start up in the Siam tent. The vocalist can spit rhymes at great speed and the whole crowd jump up and down enthusiastically.

Later, Imogen Heap has an 8.15 slot in the Siam tent. It’s packed. She comes on dressed in a black dress with a pink flower in her expansive hairdo. She’s incredible, her vocal range is unbelievable. There is a lot in her live performance that you can’t get from the recorded versions, aside from her very hot guitarist. She orchestrates everything and pauses when it doesn’t sound exactly right. For someone who is so particular about getting it right, I do wonder how she came to let the horrendous Jason Derulo sample her greatest track Hide And Seek. She gets the crowd to sing with her on Just For Now and it’s lovely. She is the highlight of the festival.

Sunday brings us the wonderful dance inducing Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars (one of whom tells me I have a beautiful chin), ‘Can you guess what it is yet?’ Rolf Harris, sexy Irish rocker Imelda May, voice of God Gill Scott Heron and a Goan fish curry. I’ve packed more music in than ever before and am exhausted but very happy. The weather has been beautiful, the music spectacular and the people full of love.

www.womad.org

Sophie Collard