What an amazing way to end the weekend. Thanks to Greg, who more or less wanted to get as much company to go with him as possible, I attended my first World of Music, Arts and Dance (aka WOMAD) festival at Fort Canning Park.

The Sunday festival got off to a slow start for me because I attended the Asian Short Films Showcase first, after recognising En’s sister and boyfriend as they walked into the festival. It turned out that said boyfriend (aka Rich Ho) was there to participate in a filmmakers’ Q&A, after his 2-year-old short clip The Alien Invasion was shown. The actual turnout was rather good, though the number of people who remained after all three clips were filmed was disappointing. Loved The Alien Invasion though, and I’m looking forward to more from RichManClub Studios.

It was then on to reggae/ska/jazz fusion band T-Bone from Thailand. While I’m a recent convert to ska music thanks to Lily Allen, I wasn’t quite sure if T-Bone were all they were hyped up to be. My worst fears were realised nearing the end of their set, when each member of the band was being introduced and given the opportunity to do a solo, and just FAILED miserably. To me, it just meant that they had no creativity whatsoever, and while they could perform, they just could not improvise.

Of course, the night was saved by the performance put up by Radio Mundial, a Puerto Rican band that just grooved their way into the audience’s hearts. The five-man band combined sheer raw sensuality with God-given talent to set the feet of many of the women (and some men…) dancing.

And then, it was the Grand Finale, where almost every band showcased during the festival returned to blend their music with one another, truly bringing to life the phrase ‘World Music’. Greg and I were more than impressed when the Musafir Gypsies of Rajastan from India had Sam Tshabalala backing them up with their rhythms and Stevie and Jamie Goldsmith playing the digeridoo. And then, music genius broke loose as they were joined by Dulsori, a Korean percussion group. By the time Radio Mundial joined them on stage, I finally relented and made my way down to the dance floor to enjoy this amazing fusion of culture, musical styles and instruments.

It seemed like a blissful eternity, but like all good things, WOMAD 2006 came to an end on a high note, and I was overjoyed to have been a part of it.