WOMAD Abu Dhabi 2010 starts on Thursday with a special opening performance by African Group Drummers of Burundi at 7 p.m. on the Abu Dhabi Corniche and 7:30 p.m. at Al-Jahli Fort in Al-Ain. The opening will directly be followed by a special performance by children from schools in Abu Dhabi (who have spent the last two weeks rehearsing), accompanied by Tanzanian performers The Zawose Family. The WOMAD festival — which stands for World of Music, Arts and Dances — a free, family-oriented festival, which brings together artists from all over the globe. Known for its diverse and active musical talents, its central aim is to celebrate the world’s many forms of music, arts and dance.

The three-day open-air festival will take place from Thursday on the Abu Dhabi Corniche and Al-Jahli Fort in Al-Ain with a lineup of 35 internationally renowned artists. Abu Dhabi Authority presents it for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) in collaboration with WOMAD organization in the UK. ADACH is the institution in charge of conserving and promoting the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi.

Last year was the internationally renowned WOMAD Festival’s first year in Abu Dhabi, nonetheless it was an enormous success and attracted over 80,000 people.

ADACH Director General Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouie writes: “Following the huge success of last year’s event, the eclectic mix of artists from around the world performing at the WOMAD Abu Dhabi festival this year, is testament to ADACH’s commitment to bring diverse cultures and people closer together through music, art and dance. We are proud to be bring this free festival back to Abu Dhabi for a second year.” 

Some of the artists who will be performing across the two stages include: Sierra Maestra (Cuba), Amparo Sánchez (Spain), Debashish Bhattacharya (India), Mayra Andrade (Cape Verde), Ilham Al Madfai (Iraq), Tinariwen (Mali) and Mehdi Haddab (Algeria) and Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe of the US band TV on the Radio. Other than the festival, WOMAD has been presenting innovative and family-friendly workshops to students in Abu Dhabi and Al-Ain through WOMAD Beyond. Through the workshops (which took place from April 11 to 21), artists worked with the Emirate community to share culture insights, expertise, inspiration and experiences.

An estimated 1,800 students (from 20 schools, colleges and universities) from Abu Dhabi and Al-Ain took part in this year’s WOMAD Beyond programs, which focused on “creative learning.” Students worked with artists from around the world in a spirit of shared learning and cultural exchange and were introduced to music, vocals, percussion and the visual arts.

For more information on WOMAD and to see the lineup of the festival, please visit:

www.womad.org