WOMAD FESTIVALS worldwide have given audiences a chance to listen to music from far-away lands, often in unusual settings, since the event was co-founded in Britain by Peter Gabriel in 1982.
In Singapore, Womad has made its home amid the lush greenery of the historic Fort Canning Park, and is returning for the ninth consecutive year this weekend, with a line-up of established and up-and-coming artists.
'The Womad experience is intangible,' says festival director Sarah Martin. 'You come to the festival, you don't know what to expect and you create your own experience. But whether your thing is folk songs or thumping beats, whether you prefer tradition or innovation, Womad offers a celebration of all that's best in the world.'
The basic programme - about 10 rousing performances each night over three nights - takes place on multiple stages and is complemented by workshops and classes by the artists.
One act not to be missed this year is Jamaican reggae artist Jimmy Cliff. Often described as one of the fathers of ska, Cliff has enjoyed worldwide acclaim with hits such as Many Rivers to Cross and You Can Get it if You Really Want during his 40-year career. He's made more than 20 albums to date, and his latest, Black Magic, features collaborations with Sting, Annie Lennox, Wyclef Jean, Joe Strummer, and Kool and the Gang.
This year's Womad is also bringing in two Latin American stars: Peruvian singer Susana Baca, whose songs of black Peru combine African rhythms, conga beats and Andean pan pipes; and Chico Cesar, one of Brazil's leading songwriters, whose social criticism takes up women's rights, the plight of the homeless and countless other causes.
