Last weekend WOMAD - one of the oldest and best-known music festival, founded by Peter Gabriel 35 years ago, took place in Pyatigorsk. In two days more than 30 artists from around the world have performed, RBC reports.
"In order the festival to be remembered we have brought British weather, Chris Smith, WOMAD director, has joked at press-conference. All weekend the sky over Pyatigorsk was burdened with clouds and rain has not given much break for visitors. By the second day the whole field of the park where the festival was held was buried in mud that has ruined not just one pair of shoes. In that way the first advice to those who would go to the next WOMAD is to stock up a raincoat and rubber boots.
Then it is even more remarkable that WOMAD, contrary to the expectations of the organizers, has been visited not just by five thousand people but twice as much, many has stayed until the last concerts.  The stars of world music - Jivan Gasparyan, the band from Tuva "Hoon-Huur-tu",  Norwegian singer Mari Boine - have become the headliners of the festival. Yet WOMAD art director Alexander Cheparukhin insisted that the festival has no stylistic limits. Among the friends of WOMAD, in particular, there is classic trip-hop band Portishead and guitarist Robert Plant – perhaps, this year success would inspire Peter Gabriel, too.
The concert by Portuguese singer Dona Rosa, blind performer of Fado songs, has turned out to be one of the key performances of the first day. In time of Pelageya performance the President representative in North Caucasus Federal District Alexander Khloponin was noted who has arrived to the festival in the afternoon but prolonged his stay, yet he did not wait to listen to the song "Oh, the evening is not over  ... " that, under non-stopping rain, was sung by everyone in chorus.
Mari Boine has staged the fascinating performance​​, she has transformed shamanic ritual songs of her Lapland ancestors into dramatic art-rock, to the artist credit the diligent use of Russian language may be added as well. WOMAD was completed with midnight dancing in the mud accompanied by the music of Ukrainians from "Vidoplyasov Screams" band.
Despite the rain the audience did not leave the festival, at the same time it was marked by the great sound and the friendliest atmosphere - if it were not for the weather, the first WOMAD could be named the perfect festival. It will set in North Caucasus for the next three years – that is why the name of the mountain Mashuk would have to be learned by many more top musicians.