workshops at WOMAD 2019: beatboxing to Brazilian percussion and everything in between

By Neil Greenway | Published: Wed 15th May 2019

WOMAD 2019 - around the site
Photo credit: Phil Bull

WOMAD 2019

Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th July 2019
Charlton Park , Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9DG, England MAP
£225 for 4 days, £185 for 3 days
Daily capacity: 40,000

The workshops have been revealed for global music and culture festival WOMAD, at Charlton Park, near Malmesbury, in Wiltshire from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th July 2019.

What could be better than seeing artists from all over the world come together and perform over one glorious weekend of music, arts and culture? Perhaps getting the chance to meet these artists and get an extra special insight into their skills and talent, which WOMAD does in abundance with their wonderfully curated Workshop Programme, offering festival-goers the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the artists they've seen on stage and learn the tricks of the trade. Whether it's learning a new instrument, trying a new singing technique, or getting your dancing shoes on, there's certainly something for everyone to experience.

Official world beatbox champions The Beatbox Collective will be giving a masterclass in the art on Saturday, guiding festival-goers through an introduction to the infinite nature and combinations of beatboxing, the voice and the imagination before their big performance at Molly's Bar that evening. At the other end of the voice percussion scale are the Ta Dhom Project, whose sub-genre of hip-hop takes its influence from the rhythmic language of kannakol from the classical Carnatic tradition and will be showing us all how it's done on Saturday at their interactive workshop. Meanwhile, The Iberi Choir of Georgia will showcase their incredible talents to audiences on stage before bringing their hauntingly beautiful sound to the more intimate surroundings of their workshop, where everyone is welcome to come and give it a go.

Another artist WOMAD-ers can see on stage and then get tips from is Jamaica's Brushy One String; the veteran musician will showcase his unconventional reggae rhythms at his workshop on Sunday before taking to the stage later that day. Other opportunities to learn weird and wonderful instrument playing include an Indonesian Gamelan workshop in the round with percussive collective Kayai Fatahillah, West African djembe masterclasses from Sidiki Dembele and Hans Sutton and Claudio Kron's Rhythms of Brazil, bringing a taste of Latin American rhythms to the fields of Wiltshire.

Putting the D(ance) back into WOMAD is Reggaeton King and Master of Rhythms Leandro Charanga who will be performing a mass participation masterclass at the Open Air stage for the first time in the festival's history on Saturday morning, giving everyone the chance to join in and learn the dance steps ready for Big Cuban Orchestra Akokan's performance on Sunday night.

Other incredible dance workshops to get stuck into include hip hop and house led by Japanese Tomoko Shiba, Egyptian belly dancing with Michelle Pender & Majaz, traditional Aborignal Yolngu dance with Larry Gurruwiwi and Swing Patrol, who'll be teaching everyone the Lindy-Hop, Charlston and Blues moves ahead of the Swinghoppers performance.

Music comes from acts including Ziggy Marley; Macy Gray; Orbital; Anna Calvi; Salif Keita; Saving Grace feat. Suzi Dian And Robert Plant ; Cymande; Afro-Cuban All Stars; Tshegue; Brushy One String; Delgres; Petite Noir; Les Filles de Illighadad; Dhafer Youssef; LTJ Bukem; Nadine Shah; DakhaBrakha; Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino; Liniker e os Carmelows; Ustad Saami; Meute; A Change is Gonna Come; Soothsayers; Orquesta Akokan; Channel One Sound System; and many more. For the details as available please see the line-up page.

buy tickets now >

Tickets are on sale, priced as follows:-
adult 3 days: £185
adult 4 days: £225
teenage 3 days: £95*
teenage 4 days: £130*
(*names of teenagers must be registered when purchasing tickets)
Campervan: £85
Park & Camp: £90
Children 13 and under FREE (but still need ticket)

 




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