Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to WOMADelaide. How may I help you? Could I interest you in a Fox Creek Pocket Guide? They’re free! Food and activities? I suggest you try the buttered chicken and curried rice; get your face painted or even slap a tattoo on your arm. Or why not grab yourself a picnic rug and a cold beverage, find a nice tree, sit back, and immerse yourself in the culture WOMAD has to offer?

It’s a very warm and balmy Saturday afternoon, and I’ve just passed through the gates into Botanic Park. A very polite and well spoken gentleman of eastern appearance, from Fox Creek Wines bearing Pocket Guides to WOMADelaide, has just directed me towards the sprinklers and taps, suggesting board shorts and a singlet may have been a smarter choice of attire. The sun is baking me like a potato and it has just come to my attention that I have no friends present with me. Wondering past the stalls with a Coopers in hand, many of the accessories on sale catch my eye – rather trendy hats of world influence (obviously), some sunglasses so 80s that they made you want to go out and buy some shoulder pads to match them, and various other goodies that are all part of the massive cultural cocktail that is WOMAD. It’s just a shame I have no money.

After locating the sprinklers, which are no use to me in my attire (unless of course, I find the ‘drowning sheep’ look to be fashionable) I fill up my water bottle and notice something very strange going on in a certain booth. Inspecting it closer, I see ‘The Tom Jones Experience’ affixed to a sign on the booth, and the attendant informs me that they are taking no more patrons for the show. I stand and watch in confusion, scratching my head and wondering what exactly is going on. Suddenly, I hear the screams of several females, a Tom Jones classic begins to play, and an array of girl’s underwear is ejected from the booth via the open ceiling. Realising it was probably in good faith that we were denied entry to the show, myself and others try and contain our laughter in efforts to avoid spilling our beers. It was certainly time to start observing some of the music WOMAD had to offer.

Lura has just taken to the main stage as I wondered aimlessly through the sea of onlookers – anyone who attended WOMAD would be aware of the difficulties involved in finding yourself a good viewing spot. Decided that my efforts were going unrewarded, I found myself a place to stand and was treated to a very fine display of live jazz. Beautiful sections of keys, overlaid with sultry female vocals and percussive subtlties most certainly put the crowd into a trance – I myself for one. All the pieces performed were unrecognizable to my ears; quite understandable considering I had never heard of the group performing. Realising that Canadian favourites La Bottine Souriante were conducting a workshop over in Speakers Corner, I hurried in the direction of the Frome St entrance in hope that I had not missed too much.

On the way however, some very mesmerizing sitar and percussion distracted me, and my ears lead me straight to the Zoo Stage, forgetting all about La Bottine Souriante. Amjad Ali Khan and band were on stage with a very substantial number of onlookers present. This would possibly have to be the most amazing performance of live sitar I have ever witnessed – the percussion and other instruments all intertwined with such complexity and perfection.

After snapping out of the spell I was under, I quickly reassumed the path I was taking. Unfortunately, peer pressure got the better of me at the bridge, where I found my friend Madeleine, who insisted we grab a bite to eat. After the buttered chicken and curried rice (which was very nice by the way), it was quite obvious where the next port of call would be for my comrade and I – stage two for the Renegades Steel Orchestra from Trinidad & Tobago.

Fusing house, trip hop, hip hop, reggae, jazz and traditional Caribbean influences with extraordinary steel drumming, it was without a doubt that these guys were the highlight of the day for myself and many others. The crowd participation was unbelievable – one of the performers standing on top of the foldback speakers, waving a towel above his head (not just because of the heat), encouraging the crowd to get right into it. With hands in the air, it looked from a distance like an aerobics session got mad – performing originals plus their own renditions of ‘I’ll Always Love You,’ ‘No Woman No Cry,’ and ‘In the Mood’ just to name a few.

Feeling the heat after the onslaught of steel drums, it was time to take a time-out back over at stage one and relax to the haunting sounds of the Musafir Gypsies of Rajsthan. My second taste of amazing sitar playing for the day, I found this time around it was much more chaotic and frenetic – combine that with evocative and sprawling eastern vocals, and the sunset could have never looked more beautiful. Or could it? After a few cold beverages to recharge the system, my opinion was challenged by a performance at stage two. Wicked Aura Batucada from Portugal had taken to the spotlight and had got everyone to ‘Get On Up’ Portuguese festival drum style.

La Bottine Souriante were amazing once again, building on their performance from the night before on stage two. This time appearing on the main stage, their folksy and lovable stage persona being a favourite amongst all in attendance. I was very disappointed when I realized I was missing out on Scrap Arts Music though. They promised that all musical instruments used in their performance were constructed completely of scraps. Then again, I could not complain… it’s not everyday you get to meet and interview an artist as established as Talvin Singh.

There could have been no better way to finish the night off than with some slamming drum and bass, littered with Eastern and minimal influences from the man himself. His mixing and track selection were spot on and perfect and even though I’ve never been an avid follower of d’n’b, (much like the majority of the womad audience) Talvin managed to get even the most resistant of music followers twirling around in circles, reminiscent of the beautiful string sections in the tunes being played. If this DJ set was anything to go by, Talvin’s upcoming album will certainly be a treat. Much more interesting than your average drum and bass set, the structure, layering, composition, drum patterns and the overall sound of it were a marvel to consume. Melding together harmonies like the conductor of an orchestra, it was without a doubt the most diverse and interesting d’n’b set I’ve witnessed to date. So when Talvin hopped onto the mic midway through the set in a moment of spontaneous inspiration and proclaimed ‘this music has no boundaries’ his words were gospel, and said something about the festival itself, intentional or otherwise.