WOMEX in Wales – 10 years on

WOMEX, the worldwide music expo, is the biggest industry gathering of its kind – or, as renowned harpist Catrin Finch declared on the BBC documentary WOMEX, The World’s Music Comes to Wales: “It’s like the Olympics of the world music world!” Finch may have been overstating it just a little, but in some ways it’s a surprisingly apt comparison, especially considering the competitive nature of winning the bid to host the event. It’s been ten years since Wales successfully jumped through hoops and proudly gave a warm croeso (welcome) to WOMEX delegates in Cardiff, the capital city of this land of song. 

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This piece aims to provide a comprehensive, but by no means exhaustive, overview of Wales’s journey from the initial concept, the preparation and the legacy WOMEX has left behind. A dozen key figures within the Welsh music industry reflect on the build-up to Cardiff, share their memories of the event and their views on its impact, and how the Welsh music scene has changed over the last decade.

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▶  1.  WOMEX in the 2000s – Where were the Welsh?