WOMAD

The weather is perfect these days-- 80s during the day and 60s at night. Lovely for a day at the beach or dinner outdoors. Last weekend (April 7-8), Abu Dhabi was treated to the WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) festival on the Corniche beachfront. I can't imagine a better way to spend an evening than hanging out with friends while dancing to music on the beach! Heavenly.

 

Dr. Jimmy Cliff from Jamaica

Bands traveled from all over the world: Mali, France, Senegal, Iraq, Hondoras, UK, Egypt, South Africa etc. These musicians represented a wide range of styles and skills. 

The crowd itself hailed from an even broader spectrum of countries and socioeconomic backgrounds.
 
My favorite moment of the weekend came on Thursday night when listening to the Colombian band LA-33. They played great salsa music that I couldn't stand still to. So as I was clapping and swaying to the music, I noticed two young Emirati girls nearby. They kept watching me and started clapping with me. At first the girls stayed close to their father, too shy to dance. But over the course of the next 15 minutes they inched closer to me, and soon we really dancing together! Clapping, smiling, twirling. The girls invented a game of burying our feet in the sand and then almost falling over from dancing. Such joy! Music transcends language and cultural boundaries like nothing else. I'm grateful for the opportunity to soak in the diversity of this city.