Khaled and Baloji gather together more than 20,000 people at the Womad Festival

The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria WOMAD Festival, which for this edition was held during just one day, was visited by more than 20,000 people during last Saturday, 12th November. One more year, Casa África took part in WOMAD by providing all the African sounds. The fusion of the Congolese rumba and Baloji's rap flooded Santa Catalina's Stage from 20.30 hours. Later at around 00.30 hours, the Algerian Khaled and his rai got on the same stage to show once again that he is one of the most influential musicians of his generation.

The organisation's collaboration also included organising a workshop, The pumpkin as a sounding board, which was held at the Elder Museum and was given by Mû, a musician and performer from Guinea-Bissau. The workshop was aimed at a family public where the youngest got to know about the pumpkin - a versatile instrument with great symbolism - together with other African instruments. To close the session, the children learnt a song that they sang together.

Finally, and in collaboration with the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Town Council, Cinenómada, the African Film Festival of Tarifa-FCAT and the WOMAD festivals' organisation in Spain, Casa África held the Film Cycle  WOMAD-Casa África. There was a total of seven short films and four socially responsible and commited documentaries that showed us the reality - nearly always unknown - of different places in the world.