WOMAD day 2 review: Marley controversy takes centre stage, TE KAAHU's vocals dazzle

By Elliott Childs*

Review - Both the weather and the attendance numbers picked up from the start of day two of WOMAD 2024.

Yet, judging by the number of children throwing themselves down the steep sides of the Brooklands Bowl with the abandon of youth, the average age has decreased somewhat.

With the increase in numbers, the festival's atmosphere seems even more bright, fun and joyous than it was yesterday.

First on my list of acts to see was Anthonie Tonnon on the Gables stage.

Despite some issues with his voice, Tonnon and his band gave it their all and made the most of their early timeslot. Tonnon's oddball dancing and tongue-in-cheek theatrics were a fine way to ease into the day.

After Arooj Aftab played a set just a moving as the one she played yesterday, TE KAAHU took the stage at Brooklands.

There is a delicacy to the music of TE KAAHU. Far more stripped back than the music she makes and performs as Theia, the arrangements all hinge on her voice which has a hushed fragility to it but also an incredible strength.

A sparse crowd at the start of her set soon filled out and those that were there seemed pleased to have the opportunity to enjoy some music which required less physical energy from them than some other acts.

I then moved over to the Gables stage to see Mongolian-Australian band Equus play.

Combining Double bass, percussion with traditional instruments from Turkey and Mongolia, their music is a curious but engaging fusion of European folk and traditional Mongolian music, including throat signing.

Back at Brooklands, France-based Haitian singer Moonlight Benjamin's set was a highlight of the day.

Dressed like a Victorian widow, she paced the stage thrusting her arms as if she was weighing some huge decision while her astonishingly powerful voice rose above the fuzzy groove the rock band that were backing her.

I had seen them play a much more stripped down set briefly at the tiny Te Paepae stage the day before and didn't quite know what to make of them. Yet with the full band and the volume of the Brookland's stage PA behind her, they were incredible.

The big event of the evening was Ziggy Marley's performance at the Bowl. Not just because he was the main stage's headliner but because of the controversy that arose when his performance was announced, due to Marley's attendance at an Israeli Defence Force fundraising event several years ago.

I and others had noticed a few T-shirts sporting the Palestinian flag throughout the day and as Marley's stage time grew nearer, a more visible police presence indicated that there was anticipation of some form of protest.

However, a haka organised by the festival to welcome Marley to WOMAD and Aotearoa swayed many of those in the crowd who perhaps felt a little uneasy about Marley's presence and seemed to get most of the crowd on board.

When Marley himself took the stage he chose to address the elephant in the room right away, breaking straight into "Shalom Salam" a song he released in 2003 pleading for peace in the Middle East.

Whilst there were a few silent protesters and a large Palestinian flag was confiscated by security, Marley's addressing of the issue with his music seemed to clear the air and give the crowd permission to enjoy the rest of his set.

With his incredibly tight band backing him up, Marley played it safe for the rest of his set playing songs that spoke of either justice, love or unity without getting into specifics. He even forayed into the catalogue of his father, the late Bob Marley for a couple of songs and given the similarities between Marley and his father, he pulled them off well.

The majority of the crowd left once Marley was done but for those not yet ready for sleep, Rei and Halfqueen were providing high energy dance-pop on the Brooklands and Dell stages.

*Elliott Childs is RNZ's Team Lead, Live Operations and a dedicated music fan.