'Not some little outpost' - The huge worldwide event where Manchester was the star of the show

If you’re not in the music industry, it’s an event that has likely passed you by – but WOMEX is regarded as one of the most prestigious events in the music business calendar.

Over the course of five days, 23-27 October, gigs of all shapes and sizes took place in venues across the city centre. Manchester Central was covered with gig and festival posters from the hundreds of exhibitors who were there to share their expertise with international colleagues and attend workshops, panel talks, film screenings and more.  It’s a chance for musicians, label execs and producers to come together, network and discuss the latest trends in the industry. There were panel discussions on everything from the “UK jazz revival” to “music for video games”, from “the future of folk” to the “decolonisation of global music.” 

For Manchester, though, hosting such a prestigious event was a big deal – following a trend that started last year with the Chanel fashion show and continues next month with the MTV EMA awards. But unlike those events, where celebrities and fashion models take centre stage, at WOMEX, Manchester was the star of the show. 

“I think it's justice really,” DJ Paulette told ManchesterWorld about the decision to hold WOMEX in Manchester. The DJ pioneer, who has been filling dancefloors since her first residency at the Hacienda, was the host of the grand opening night at the Bridgewater. 

“It just shows that Manchester is equally as relevant, musically and events-wise, as London because normally these things don't come past Watford,” Paulette continued. “Manchester is a musical city. It is very hot on live events, very hot on music, very hot on the electronic dance music scene, it's very hot on eclectic, indie bands. The strength of Manchester is in the variety of music on offer here.”

Singer and broadcaster Jenna G, another champion of the Manchester music scene, was the opening night’s artistic director. Like Paulette, she sees WOMEX as a well-deserved boost for Manchester. 

Jenna G told ManchesterWorld: “I think it's a perfect fit. We've always welcomed the world into create and push us forward, and I think that that's what's so exciting about having WOMEX here – it's that energy we've always had, matched with the energy that all the delegates are going to bring.”

The line-up Jenna assembled was an eclectic showcase of Manchester’s emerging artists. Starting with a powerful performance from dub poet J. Chambers, which aptly introduced the rows of foreign delegates to the streets and sounds of Manchester, the show started with speeches from the chair of WOMEX, as well as Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council Garry Bridges and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham – who couldn’t resist mentioning those famous musical brothers from Burnage.

The length and breadth of Manchester’s music scene was on display that evening, with performances of jazz-infused electronica from Dirty Freud; an all-female string quartet called Vulva Voce who played, among other things, a 15th century madrigal remixed with the sounds of industrial techno; Heather Ferrier a tap-dancing contemporary folk accordionist; and Agebko, an impressive and lively 12-piece Afrobeat band.

The one thing that this contrasting group of acts has in common is the fact that they are all from Manchester. The city’s connection to music is well known and the long list of musicians who hail from Greater Manchester speaks for itself. 

However, the city’s musical legacy is just one of the reasons it breeds musical creativity and talent. Multiculturalism and diversity also play a big part, according to Jenna G. She said: “It's that mix of people, the immigration of people, the freedom of people and the collection of people. Communities coming together, all that diversity in a small area – it is incendiary for great ideas, it is incendiary for revolution and it's incendiary for that energy that makes Manchester special.”

DJ Paulette also shared her thoughts on: “Manchester is a city of grafters and it's also a city of musically-motivated and politically-motivated people. We don't mess around here.”

“Manchester is about lots of things, but I think over and above everything we don't mind being the underdog because if you're the underdog then nobody sees you coming and nobody sees your talent coming. And then when it hits, it really hits.

“We have had, through the years, through the ages, through the decades and centuries, we've had ground-breaking musicians and music and event spaces in Manchester that are internationally and globally recognised. Manchester isn't just some little outpost. Everything we do is quality – from hip-hop to indie.”

But it’s not just the big names that make Manchester worthy of hosting one of the biggest music conferences in the world. There is a thriving grassroots music scene here in Manchester, bringing music to communities, schools, colleges and the numerous small, independent venues that form the backbone of Manchester’s music scene. 

One of those groups is Revel, a collective of young producers and creatives formed thanks to an initiative by Brighter Sounds, a Manchester-based music development organisation. As part of their contribution to the WOMEX program, they had been out in the community speaking to 16-30 year olds about their experiences of the music industry and feeding back these answers to a panel during the conference.

Some of the subjects they covered included protest music and whether all music should “reflect the times”, and how current struggles in the industry today make being a musician feel more like a chore than a creative passion. 

Revel member Joseph Hargreaves told ManchesterWorld: “I knew that people would have some amazing opinions and stuff to say, but everyone just got involved in the discussions so quickly and so easily, and we couldn't have really asked for more.”

Joseph also believes that WOMEX presents a huge opportunity not just for his collective, but Manchester as a whole. He said: “Just looking at how many different organisations have got involved, they've been able to highlight themselves, put a platform to what they do already. With WOMEX touring all over the world, who knows when it's going to be in the UK again. I think it's an amazing opportunity and Brighter Sounds specifically are already doing so much work to make sure there is a legacy after WOMEX, making sure that Manchester get something worthwhile from having WOMEX here and that's what they're doing.”

Now WOMEX is over, the collective is planning a youth music summit in March. Fellow Revel member Ahad Omer added: “We want to carry on the movement. Everybody feels like we're in this together, so we want to carry that spirit in the future through connecting with events like the youth summit, carrying that positive influence and sense of community and feeling like we're all in this together. That's the next step, to get that sense of community going and building.”

It’s unlikely that Revel collective will be the only group to have come away from WOMEX 2024 inspired and hopeful for the future of Manchester’s music scene. But getting involved in projects and events like this is just one way young musicians can find their feet and grow.. 

As DJ Paulette said: “If you're a musician, you have to make music, you have to create. Against all odds, most musicians have made their music and their albums against all odds.

“If you believe in your music, and you believe in yourself, you do just have to keep going. Make the music. Put it online. Get your following together – however you're going to find it, whether it's a local following, whether it's an online following. Make your music, find your people, build it that way. And you really just have to just do it.”

Jenna G had some similar advice: “Love what you do and believe in it. Just work hard. Anything that comes too easy is not worth it. I think you should be suspicious of it. Work really hard the fruits of your labour will pay off.”