Inul slated to perform at WOMAD Singapore 2004
Inul slated to perform at WOMAD Singapore 2004
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The naysayers snipe that Inul Daratista's 15 minutes are up, with
other singers taking their cue from her gyrations and descending
into a whole new level of suggestiveness.
But overseas, Inul still carries the mantle of Indonesia's
queen of dangdut, the Indian/Malay musical hybrid which is truly
the popular music of the country.
The committee of the World Music Arts and Dance (WOMAD)
festival in Singapore picked Inul as one of its featured world
music artists, set to perform at the three-day event next
weekend.
Inul "has made the art form more associated with the small
towns of rural Java to the big stage", the committee said in its
press release.
Inul will get center stage to show her signature erotic
"drilling" dance and singing on the last day of the festival on
Sunday night, scheduled for a 45-minute performance which will
start at 7:15 p.m.
WOMAD was founded in 1982 in England by rock icon Peter
Gabriel, based on his deep interest in the world music genre.
Aiming at incorporating music from all over the world, it has
grown to become the biggest international music festival, and is
officially recognized as such by the Guinness Book of Records.
The festival has entertained audiences in more than 21
countries, with an estimated 2,000 international artists playing
for over one million people at 142 events the world over.
WOMAD Singapore, initiated in 1988 as a curtain raiser for the
Singapore Arts Festival, has continued as an annual international
music festival.
Its popularity has grown over the years, with over 15,000
people attending last year's event.
This year's festival will bring together 22 groups from 13
different countries, ranging from centuries old traditional music
to contemporary genre such as DJs, from Afro-Cuban rhythms to
Andalusian flamenco, from Brazilian samba to Madagascar
acoustics, and from Chinese opera to a Middle Eastern music
ensemble.
Aside from Inul, performers include the all-girl Cameroon
group Zap Mama, Senegalese group Daara J, Israeli singing
sensation Yasmin Levy, Arabic singing diva Natacha Atlas, UK-
based DJs Temple of Sound, Indian classical musician Ustad Sultan
Khan, award-winning DJ Talvin Singh, and many more.
There will be collaborations among artists as well, such as
Atlas with Temple of Sound and African drum maestro Ben Baddoo.
Speaking from my own experience of watching the festival in
Singapore two years ago, it proved exhilarating and enriching.
We got to immerse ourselves in cross-cultural encounters,
seeing and hearing music from all over the globe that is
underrated, underexposed and overshadowed by manufactured pop.
Aside from being able to watch simultaneous performances on
three stages at the open, spacious Fort Canning Park, we could
attend workshops with the artists, interact with them and get a
closer look on their respective traditional instruments.
There is also the Global Village where you can dine, shop for
handicrafts and get a holistic treatment. The food arranges from
Mediterranean, South Indian to Turkish cuisine.
This year's Global Village also presents WEARHouse @ WOMAD,
where you can pick out a wide range of Mardi Gras-inspired
costumes.
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WOMAD Singapore 2004
Aug. 27 - Aug. 29
Fort Canning, performances start at 5:30 p.m.
Ticket prices range from S$24 to $80 per day
Contact www.sistic.com.sg or
www.womadsingapore.com for more information
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