WOMAD

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  Hello Womad Makers!!
  Are you out there somewhere? Whats up with Womad in Gran Canaria 2012?
  Please supply some info...
  Thank you in advance for some sign of Life!!!
  G.C.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 12:41am by Gran Can

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  I think it is final. No Womad in Gran Canaria 2012. I found the following statement: In brief...
  According to the councilman of Culture, Maria Isabel Garcia Bolta, "lack of support" is what motivates the cancellation of the festival in 2012. The Department does not have sufficient resources and the budget provided is not enough to carry out what would have been the eighteenth edition of Womad in the Canaries.
  Despite the cancellation of this year, members of D & D, which owns the rights to Womad for Spain and Portugal, began negotiations with other cities such as La Laguna in Tenerife.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 1:09am by Gran Can

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  Hardly surprising in the circumstances.

  It seemed to be funded mostly by the municipality and the banks. Given the state of the Spanish economy, none of them are going to be flush at the moment. A free four day Womad is not a cheap party to throw.

  Very parallel to what happened to Morecambe Womad after 1997 when the outfit that took over NW Water pulled out.

  It is a loss - I had many good times at Womad LP - but in times of "austerity" such events are going to be the first things to go.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 9:05am by Tindaletim

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  @Tindaltim - didn't realise NWW supported Morecambe. Most interesting to me as I used to go to it every year as it's near where I live. Also, I used to work for Norweb which North West Water took over to form United Utilities. No outfit took over NWW, they took over Norweb and must have lost interest in supporting the event - always knew they were gits! I always assumed it was Lancaster City Council who put the dosh up and that it was they who withdrew support.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 10:29am by Mcgrooger

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  I remember it being sponsored by NWW, amongst others, and I know it was a lack of sponsorship that resulted in it no longer continuing. However, in those days it was Tom Flannaghan (who had something to do with publicity/tourism on Lancaster City Council) who was instrumental in bringing WOMAD to Morecambe, amongst many other events throughout the summer, and finding all the sponsorship for these events. At about the time Morecambe WOMAD ceased to be Tom retired due to ill health, over the following years all the major events ceased.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 11:21am by Trebor

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  @ Gran Can

  Sad news, but to be expected after last years 1 day events replacing the normal 4 day event.
  I really enjoyed the Gran Canaria event and fell in love with the Island, I may still continue to visit in November for some winter sun and to continue visiting my favourite restaurants (especially Los Cedros, a Lebanese restaurant) ;-)

  I do hope the Tenerife event comes to fruitition, I'll have to arrange a two centre break then, a few days in Tenerife followed by a few in Las Palmas.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 11:29am by Trebor

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  My wife has just been checking through our old WOMAD programmes. I hadn't realised Morecambe WOMAD ran for 9 years (I think we went to them all) with the first being in 1989 and the last in 1997. NWW started sponsoring in 1994, and continued to do so upto and including the last one in 1997. In the following year WOMAD was replaced by Worldbeat, which was a half-arsed attempt at copying WOMAD by Morecambe Arts and Events (after Tom F. had retired). It was doomed to fail and never was half as good!
  Looking at the programmes NWW was the main sponsor during this period so it was the loss of their support that resulting in WOMAD coming to an end.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 11:36am by Trebor

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  You might have even seen Nododo then, Trebor - a bunch of us idiots from the North West playing Afro/jazz/rock/chaos mostly based on tracks by Dudu Pukwana, his band Assegai, and the like. I remember we had to go on after Justin Valli had just rocked the Dome. The band was fairly short lived due to arguments, multiple changes of personnel and basic lack of discipline or, in some cases, talent. Nevertheless one of the outstanding moments of my life. We also played at 'Summer Breeze' one year in Morecambe.
  Worldbeat had it's moments - I'm sure that's where I first saw either Kepa Junkera and/or Martyn Bennett.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 12:03pm by Mcgrooger

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  I'm sorry to say I don't remember the band name, but a quick check of the program shows you played in the Thirsty World Arena at 15:45 in 1995! As there were no other bands on at the time, and I know we did see Justin Valli, we probably did see you play when we left the Dome.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 1:30pm by Trebor

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  The First time I saw Peatbog Faeries was at Morcambe. I went 3-4 years ago to Morecambe and visited the dome. It was a sad sight, moss and graffiti all over the place. A bit upsetting really, the whole area was badly run down. Aparently it is a little better now.

  Posted on 03-Aug-2012 3:59pm by Shellovski

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