Live Review: WOMADelaide Day Four

The three days of festivities took their toll on the body, mind and soul, so much so that when day four of WOMADelaide finally arrived, it was with a slow, meandering pace to start. The weather for the four days had been inconsistent; hot and humid sunshine one minute, a deep grey sky and pouring rain the next. It was nature's way of announcing its presence, not that we needed any reminder given the ethos of the festival. It was great to see so many people picking up the rubbish left behind, with the Green Clean crew making sure nothing was missed.

Also by day four the grass underfoot had died, as expected, and what remained was a light film of dust and soil. It got stirred up with any substantial breeze and the rigorous movement of our feet, which was a nightmare for those with allergies. But, as uncomfortable and unavoidable as that may be, the tiny particles that floated into the atmosphere certainly made for quite the spectacle once the sun set. Beams of light were traceable thanks to those little dust particles and it was definitely special to watch.

Lamine Sonko & The African Intelligence was one of the early performances for the day, backing up their powerful performance on Saturday with another really enjoyable set. Singing in English, Wolof and Mandinka, Sonko was a star onstage and his messages of equality and diversity really hit home for the audience.

After Sonko, the enthusiastic Nattali Rize, frontwoman of urban-roots group Blue King Brown who first played the festival in 2012, took to the main stage. Another push for equality intertwined with energetic beats had people feeling empowered and groovy.

One of the smallest stages at this year's festival, hidden under Moreton Bay fig trees, were The East Pointers. Featuring Tim Chaisson, his cousin Koady, and guitarist Jack Charron, there was nothing small about their sound. Their energy resonated with the crowd that began seated and eventually stood up, moving their feet and whistling for the Canadian trio who put it all on the line. It was exhausting, but well worth it.

While this was happening, L-FRESH The LION performed to a huge crowd, everyone gearing up for inspired hip hop with Punjabi flare. Sukhdeep Singh and co did not disappoint, either, getting the crowd moving and, at one point, being moved by them, with band member Mirrah declaring: "We've dreamed of this moment for so long and we're so glad to finally be here to share it with you."

BaBa ZuLa was fascinating and unlike anything else on the line-up. The Turkish psych-rockers fuse music from the '60s with oriental dub, a mix that simply had to be seen to be believed. Meanwhile, Adelaide's own Kelly Menhennett totally encapsulated her audience on Zoo Stage, with beautiful melodies and great between-song banter.

AB Original have been dominating the headlines lately following their Australian Music Prize win (for debut album Reclaim Australia). They became the first Indigenous musicians to take the top prize of $30,000 and, onstage here at WOMADelaide, it was easy to see why. Captivating the audience with their provocative and powerful message, there was barely room to breathe while watching them belt out well-known tunes including January 26 and their Like A Version with Paul Kelly (Dumb Things). Kelly, although from Adelaide, did not make an appearance (as was speculated before their set), however legendary DJ Total Eclipse did. Lucky this was an open-air concert, otherwise he would have blown the roof completely off.

WOMADelaide is great for myriad reasons; the culture and atmosphere produced at this festival is unlike any other. One of the reasons why this occurs is the diversity of the line-up and, while AB Original were belting out their set, fellow Australians Tangents delicately constructed soundscapes from what felt like a completely different universe. Encompassing jazz, post-rock and electronic music, the quintet played two 30-minute sets of entirely improvised music. It was right up there with the likes of Four Tet - a delight to behold.

As the night closed in, the energy kept on rising and it was time for crowd favourite La Mambanegra to take the stage. Gliding effortlessly across the stage, Julia Diaz and Jacobo Velez were in fine form, as was the rest of the band who each took their turn to impress the crowd with incredible solos.

Icelandic techno duo Kiasmos, made up of multi-instrumentalist Olafur Arnalds and beat maker Janus Rasmussen, were outstanding and the highlight of the day - no matter your musical taste. Performing under the local colony of bats that live high up in the pine trees, they played numbers from their self-titled debut album. It was wholly encapsulating, the bass an invisible force resonating through each listener's bones. Rasmussen, at times, tried his best to gee-up the crowd, who in turn responded with loud cheers. It was a magical set; add their music to your playlist and their live show to your bucket list.

To finish off the night, British ska legends The Specials delivered a performance to a field packed with die-hard fans and the completely uninitiated alike. Their sound still as tight as ever, they defied their age with an energetic onstage presence that rivalled even some of the loudest salsa bands from earlier on in the festival.

It's never easy to say goodbye to a festival like WOMADelaide. The atmosphere is inclusive and driven by an appreciation for world music, creative arts, dance and the coming together of a diverse community. It's a truly special four days that is unlike any other. For now, it's another eight-month wait before we find out the next line-up. So shall we get the rumour mill started? How about Jamiroquai for 2018? We can dream.