I have never been lucky enough to attend Womadelaide, and that’s a galling thing. People may slag off Australia’s fair city of churches, but I love the place. Where else could one see such an amazing array of world music, bookended by the best arts and comedy festival in the country and with the delightful Barossa Valley only an hour down the road?

I can only speculate about the warm feelings attendees at this year’s event in March floated home on, but if this selection of tunes is any indication of the quality of the performance, they were one lucky crowd. From the haunting mande-arab by Seckou Keita Quintet to the heartbreakingly beautiful Wiyathul from Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, it’s a poignant reminder of another reason why music exists – to soothe the soul.

As Keita has proved, you don’t always need to understand the lyrics to get caught up in the emotions of the sound – you can let your kora (a kind of African harp traditional in the Madinka society) and violin do the talking. Described as the “Hendrix of Kora” by critics, he leads a beautiful array of harmonies to a dramatic conclusion. While not usually a fan of The Cat Empire, I found their contribution Fishies to be a perky, big band addition to the CD. After that, it was back to a sweeter, more relaxed sound with Dona Rosa and Quero Que Sintas Quete Quero (which I think roughly translates to “I want you to feel that I want you”) and the excellent Chinese version of Alive by SA Dingding (a kind of Asian trip-hop with a Garbage twist).

Anika Moa, with My Old Man, is a sweet slice of alt-country pop in the vein of a peppier Beth Orton – without the cigarette husk and mournful tones. Lo Cor De La Plana with La Novi Ta veers into an altogether different territory, the Marsaille group belting out rolling, rollicking layers of clever male polyphony and beats from the Occitan heritage using bendir drums, tambourines, foot stomping and hand clapping. A fascinating track!

Rachel Unthank & The Winterset offer up a tune in the vein of Bjork at her most reflective with Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk, and Dengue Fever, despite the grim name, have created an eerily beautiful and psychedelic tune in Integraton. I think Afrika, by Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, is probably the jazziest and most upbeat song on the whole album, with a 70s funk feel and plenty of parps from the trumpet. Finally, Kalashnik Love by Speed Caravan, with it’s Arab lute electrified and amplified with dirty riffs, offers a whole new take on the Middle Eastern sound of old.

A curious journey, and one worth taking!