WOMEX

WOMEX Award 2006
Totó La Momposina

Totó La Momposina is one of those remarkable artists who brought Caribbean musical styles to the world even before the world-music market had been established. One could say that she was actually one of those who has helped to make it happen!

Although her first European album was released in 1985, it was the 1991 WOMAD tour which brought her to worldwide attention and led to her groundbreaking debut album for Real World, La Candela Viva.

Since then I believe there is no concert or festival promoter who hasn't had a wish to present her to their local audience. This looks set to continue as there are few artists who give so much passion, spontaneity and performance technique (which includes first class dancing) on stage. Totó always claims that she presents traditional music of Colombia and it's true that the listener gets an incredible variety of rhythms such as cumbia, bullerengue, chalupa, malupa, but there also elements of Cuban son, guaracha, rumba and bolero which can all be heard on the Colombian Atlantic coast. Pacanto, her release from 1998, is a beautiful example of how this one artist can connect to so many local styles and make them global inside 70 minutes.

Bogdan Benigar

So far we - you - have honoured Juan de Marcos and Nick Gold (1999), Mahotella Queens (2000), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (2001) and Jivan Gasparyan (2002). Since 2003 we took two steps further : In 2003 we honoured with Freemuse - The World Forum on Music and Censorship, for the first time an institution rather than an individual. Followed by the sixth WOMEX Award in 2004 which was dedicated Marc Hollander and Crammed Discs for 25 years of pioneering label work in the field of world music. Last year’s Award was given to the almost hundred-years-old energetic Taarab singer Bi Kidude from Zanzibar. (see our archive)