News

Robert Plant joins Womad line-up

04.14.2009

The legendary rock star Robert Plant is the surprise headliner on the final night of next week’s Womad festival in Abu Dhabi, it was announced today.

The former Led Zeppelin singer will team up with the bluesy lead guitarist Justin Adams and the West African riti master Juldeh Camara for the finale of the three-day festival of international music.

Around 50,000 people are expected to attend each of the free Womad concerts, which will take place on the Corniche public beach on Thursday, April 23, Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25. There will also be a free Womad concert at the Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain, on April 24.

The signing of Plant is regarded as a coup for the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach) and for Womad, whose director, Chris Smith, has been negotiating with Plant’s management for several months. They were able to confirm the 11th hour booking last night.

“The fact is that Robert Plant only does things that he wants to do,” said Mr Smith. “He was excited by the thought of performing at a free festival in Abu Dhabi. This is going to be a chance of a lifetime to hear such a unique combination. Robert is a lovely guy who is very keen not to steal the thunder from the others.”

Originally Smith invited Plant, who has supported Womad in the past, to perform with the bluegrass singing star Alison Krauss, with whom he made last year’s Grammy award-winning album Raising Sand, but Krauss was unable to make the date.

The 61-year-old British rocker, who is known for experimenting with an eclectic blend of musical genres, will spend two days at Peter Gabriel’s Real World recording studio in Wiltshire, England, with Adams and Camara putting together a special show for Abu Dhabi.

Adams has played lead guitar with Plant’s band the Strange Sensation for several years and co-wrote Plant’s 2005 album Mighty Rearranger. His work is influenced by African, Arabic and Irish musical traditions. Adams has performed at several Womad events with Camara, who is from The Gambia and is a master of the riti, a one-string violin that is played across West Africa. An album they recorded together in 2007, Soul Science, won a Radio 3 World Music award.

An Adach official said they were “absolutely thrilled” that Plant would be coming to Abu Dhabi.

“Even more exiting though, is the fact that he is in rehearsal as we speak … to create a whole new performance especially for Abu Dhabi,” said the Adach official.

“This festival is above all a celebration of world music and Robert Plant, ever inventive with his musical journeys over the years, is playing in the Womad spirit — a real original gift for music lovers.”

Previously announced performers for the festival include the Sengalese Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Youssou N’Dour, the renowned Algerian Rai exponent Khaled and the Nubian-Egyptian musician Mohamed Mounir, whose pop-infused sound combines elements of traditional Egyptian music and African-style reggae.