Friday 25th July. Womad 2008: Tibetan Monks...Cuban Rumba...

I have wanted to go to a WOMAD festival for some time: discovering that it had moved from Reading to Charlton Park in Wiltshire made it a MUST to visit this year.....and I am everso glad that I did!

Here's a summarizing clip that shows just why I loved it!

Of my Friday favourites:

The presentation by the monks of http://www.tashi-lhunpo.org.uk/Tashi Lhumpo monastary was mysterious in its chants, (here in a pre-performance sound check!)

fascinating in the symbolic actions and gestures they used
and colourfully spectacular in the folk dancing sequences such as this, for the (buddhist) new year's eve:

The Rumberos de Cuba were contrastingly unrestrained! Lots of fun!

Here they are on a YouTube clip (not mine!)