Music is an international language, it draws people together and proves, as well as anything, the stupidity of racism.
Peter Gabriel
WOMAD is an acronym for World of Music, Arts and Dance. The idea first came up in 1980, as Peter Gabriel was inspired by a collaboration with African musicians (remember "Biko"?) Gabriel developed an organization aiming to promote the arts of traditional and contemporary cultures, including both performances, educational projects and record releases.
Most famous, of course, are the Womad festivals, the first of which was organized at Shepton Mallet in Somerset in 1982. Later on, Womad festivals have been presented in a multitude of countries worldvide.
Since 1993, Womad is also part of Gabriel's group of companies, alongside the Real World label.
Main sources:
http://www.womad.cz/new/en/historie/
http://imusic.artistdirect.com/showcase/contemporary/pgabriel.html
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